In my last letter to the editor, I shared just the facts and numbers regarding the City’s upcoming operating referendum on April 7th. Now I will make a case for the referendum.

A different kind of referendum

Sun Prairie residents are familiar with referendums, since this is the current model we use to support our schools. This is the first time in our history that the City of Sun Prairie is bringing an operating referendum to the voters. All previous referendums were school referendums.

Unlike school districts, which have a different funding formula, the City’s ability to fund services is strictly capped by a state-imposed “levy limit.” Currently, the state only allows the City to increase property taxes by about 2–3% annually, based on the value of net new construction within the City.

The problem is simple; inflation doesn’t care about levy limits. While revenue is capped at 2–3%, the cost of everything, from our snowplows, garbage and recycling pick up, police, fire and EMS to the health insurance for City staff, have all increased by much more than 3%.

We Heard You

When we first surveyed residents last October, the message from the community was clear: “Do more with what you have first.” We heard you. We re-organized and eliminated four management positions and implemented employee health insurance premium share for City staff, reducing long-term costs by over $1 million. However, bottom line, cuts are not enough.

The Cost of “No”

Since City staff accounts for about 80% of our budget and about 51% of the budget is public safety (police, fire and EMS), the $3.5 shortfall requires that we lay off staff and significantly reduce services. This would likely impact all departments, from public safety, the library, museum, parks, recreation & forestry, snow plowing, IT, finance, and administration.

Our first responders are already overworked. I recently did a ride-along with one of our amazing officers and learned that our officers are regularly required to work overtime to keep up with demand. In the last decade, fire responses in Sun Prairie have nearly tripled, and EMS calls have increased by over 107%. Our Fire and EMS chief regularly works 60-70 hours/week, including on his days off, to help relieve staffing challenges.

Calls for police service increased 13.5% between 2020-2024 and now average 70 calls per day. We are asking our public safety teams to go above and beyond to protect our city — and an investment in our Police and Fire and EMS departments is needed. A successful referendum allows for that, while a failed one does not. Without the two firefighters and one patrol officer included in this referendum, we risk longer response times when seconds matter.

Additionally, our library is a point of pride in our community, where my family and many other families go as a third place outside of work and home, to relax, meet other families, find good books, update resumes and find community. The part-time Makerspace Coordinator that is included in this referendum will help kids build skills and spark their interest in STEM, at a cost per resident of about $1.25/year. This is a worthy investment to finally open our Makerspace.

Putting it in Perspective

I am deeply sensitive to the rising cost of living. For the average home, the initial increase for 2027 will be about $82, roughly $1.58 a week. I have voted and will continue to vote to cut expenses where we can in each year’s budget.

Being an Alder comes with a fiduciary responsibility that I take very seriously. The City and City Council have reduced costs and consistently find budget efficiencies where we can and will continue to do so, while also providing a high quality of services for all of us who call Sun Prairie home.

On April 7th we are voting to sustain city services and increase public safety services to help our first responders. I ask that you join me in voting YES!

Whether you agree with me or not, I’d love to hear from you!