Plans to Hire Three Firefighters/Paramedics for Marshfield Put on Hold Due to Reduction in City Revenue

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024 -- 1:01 PM

(Erik Pfantz, Marshfield News Hearld) A plan to hire three firefighter/paramedics to fill open positions at the understaffed Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department as part of the 2024 budget process has been put on hold due to an unplanned reduction in city revenue.

According to Erik Pfantz with the Marshfield News Herald, the city of Marshfield has left the three firefighter/paramedic roles unfilled since 2021 to help balance its budget. A little over $300,000 was allocated in early drafts of its 2024 budget to fill the three positions.

However, changes had to be made to the budget in November to account for a $340,000 decrease in Marshfield Utilities’ payment in lieu of taxes, also known as PILOT, to the city. PILOT fees are meant to make up for the utility's exemption from paying taxes on property or when purchasing supplies.

"When we first looked at this budget, things looked a little grim but ... the legislature came up with some additional state funding for us and, boy, we were sitting pretty, but we forgot something, and that was the revaluation," District 5 alderperson Ed Wagner said in a Dec. 1 Marshfield Broadcasting video.

A Dec. 6 letter to the Common Council from City Finance Director Jennifer Selenske attributed the difference to the 2023 city-wide revaluation of properties. The utility's PILOT is calculated "based on the value of each utility’s plant and material/supplies that are subject to local and school taxes multiplied by the assessment ratio for the municipality."

The assessment ratio was impacted by a $5.3 million reduction in the amount the Marshfield School District collects in taxes due to the expiration of previous referendum levy and a rejected referendum in spring 2023.

Selenske recommended a $340,000 reduction in expenses for the city’s 2024 budget, and the Common Council approved budget amendments late in November that reduced expenses in the budget by $424,000.

Those changes include delaying the hiring of one firefighter/paramedic until April 1 and a police officer until May 1. Leaving two firefighter/paramedic positions unfilled again for the full year accounted for $204,000 in expense reductions.

Seven other minor changes, accounting for $33,000 or less, were also included.

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