St. Croix County public safety referendum on April 2 ballot
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By LeAnn R.Ralph
HUDSON — A referendum question on the April 2 election ballot will ask voters whether they want to increase St. Croix County’s property tax levy by $896,000 each year going forward.
The additional nearly $900,000 would be used to hire additional public safety employees that would include two mental health co-responders, one youth justice early intervention specialist, two sheriff corrections deputies, one sheriff investigator, one district attorney investigator, and one deputy clerk of court.
The additional employees added to the budget would put St. Croix County in the position of exceeding the state-imposed levy limit, and in order to levy the additional property tax, St. Croix County must have the approval of the voters.
The $896,000 increase in the property tax levy would be a one-time increase, but it would occur every year in perpetuity.
St. Croix County would not be adding an additional $896,000 on to the property tax levy every year, so that the first year, the levy would increase by $896,000, and the second year it would increase by $1.8 million.
Instead, the $896,000 would be added to the levy one time, but the additional tax levy would remain in place going forward.
The two mental health co-responders would be able to assist deputies when they are responding to situations where they might be dealing with someone who has mental health problems or is mentally unstable or to help deputies recognize someone who has mental health issues and is not a threat to law enforcement.
The youth justice early intervention specialist would be able to work with youth who are truant or who are at risk of starting to commit crimes, such as selling drugs or the theft of property.
The two corrections deputies would be of assistance at the St. Croix County jail.
The additional sheriff’s investigator and district attorney investigator would be able to assist with making stronger cases that are more thoroughly investigated and would result in more effective prosecution.
The additional deputy clerk of court would be able to assist with the growing caseload.
SCC population
According to the USA Facts website, the population of St. Croix County was 84,399 in 2010 and had increased by 13.8 percent to 96,017 by 2022.
Compared to St. Croix County’s population increase of 13.8 percent, during that time period, the United States population increased by 7.7 percent, and the Wisconsin population increased by 3.5 percent, the website states.
In addition, St. Croix County’s population increased all 12 of the 12 years between 2010 and 2022. The largest population increase of 3.5 percent occurred between 2019 and 2020, according to the USA Facts website.
Referendum question
The referendum question will read: “Under state law, the increase in the levy for St. Croix County for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2025, is limited to 2 percent based on St. Croix County’s best estimate, which results in a levy of $46,002,438. Shall St. Croix County be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2025, for the purpose of hiring two mental health co-responders, one youth justice early intervention specialist, two sheriff corrections deputies, one sheriff investigator, one district attorney investigator, and one deputy clerk of court; to address the County’s most pressing public safety needs, by a total of 1.96 percent, which results in a levy of $46,898,438, and on an ongoing basis, include the increase of $896,000 each fiscal year going forward?”
A “yes” votes means the amount of $896,000 will be added to the property tax levy and would amount to an increase in property taxes of $5 per $100,000 of property value.
A $200,000 property would pay an additional $10 per year in property taxes, while a $300,000 property would pay an additional $15 per year, a $400,000 property would pay $20 more year, and a $1 million property would pay $50 more per year.
A “no” votes means the $896,000 will not be added to the property tax levy to pay for the positions listed in the referendum question.
Last year
Voters in St. Croix County defeated a similar public safety referendum question on the April of 2023 ballot that would have exceeded the property tax levy limit by $3.5 million per year.
Among 28,993 total votes, there were 17,018 who voted “no” on the question (59 percent) last year, and 10,784 who voted “yes” (37 percent).
The increase in the county’s annual property tax proposed last year was intended to pay for eight additional sheriff’s deputies; four more corrections deputies; three new investigators; two pre-trial case managers; two support staff; two deputy clerks in the clerk of court office; one Child in Need of Protective Services attorney; and two mental health co-responders.
This year’s referendum question would allow two additional deputies to be hired, instead of the eight deputies that were proposed last year.
This year’s referendum question would allow two additional corrections deputies to be hired, instead of the four that were proposed last year.
This year’s referendum question would allow two additional investigators to be hired instead of the three investigators proposed last year.
This year’s referendum question would allow one additional deputy clerk to be hired in the clerk of court office instead of the two deputy clerks proposed last year.
This year’s referendum question would allow two mental health co-responders to be hired, the same number as proposed in last year’s referendum question.
The two pre-trial case managers, two support staff positions and one Child in Need of Protective Services attorney that were proposed last year were removed from this year’s referendum question.
