Wausau May Consider a Public Safety Referendum

Friday, October 3rd, 2025 -- 9:01 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) Wausau could join the parade of Wisconsin communities that have turned to public safety referendums to fund police and fire positions.

According to Mike Leishcner with WSAU, Fire Chief Jeremy Kopp informed a City Council Budget Workshop that grant funding for certain positions will expire at the end of 2026, necessitating an examination of all options to maintain current staffing levels.

“We are looking at different things to make ourselves whole in 2027,” said Kopp. The city received federal grant funding for nine firefighter/paramedic positions and added three more with ARPA funds.

Finance Director MaryAnn Groat says early projections show the city would need about $1.2 million to cover the positions starting in 2027. “It would be a request to exceed the levy limit on an ongoing basis, because [the positions] would be a permanent fixture to the levy,” said Groat.

Discussions remain in the very early stages. The City Council would need to draft and approve any potential referendum question by January 27th. Voters would then have the final say on April 7th, 2026.

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