Washington County, WI – On the agenda for the Washington County Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, July 20 is a $3.5 – $5 million public safety referendum to increase the budget for the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
If passed through Committee, the referendum proposal would go to the County Board in August and, if passed through the Board, will appear on the November 9, 2022, ballot.
County Executive Josh Schoemann said, “This [levy] would focus specifically on the sheriff’s department in crisis response. That would mean we’d be adding up to three detectives, and three social workers that work together 16 hours a day, seven days a week, both in responding to crises but also being proactive.
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“By putting it in the referendum it would be funded perpetually. It would be a permanent increase to the tax levy and will be a binding referendum.”
According to Schoemann, staffing in the Sheriff’s Department would increase 15%, “We want to give the people of Washington County the opportunity, the choice, of whether this is something they want to see and are willing to pay a little bit more money for.
“This is a one-time charge, a perpetual expense, added to the taxes to improve safety in Washington County.”
The Public Safety Committee will meet at 7:30 a.m. on July 20, 2022.
This is a working story and more information will become posted when it becomes available.
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