July 28, 2026 – Washington Co., Wi – Recently, the Germantown Village Board voted to table the EMS Shared Services Program request by Washington County’s Safety Director, Dave Seager. It was to approve a second resolution which would have consummated Germantown’s acceptance of the EMS county proposal as of July 2026.
Except that it is not acceptable. It is a single-focused effort that transfers taxation control to the county from sovereign municipalities in the guise of cooperation without considering all alternatives. What is the rush? Why do this before releasing the information?
Last January, Mr. Seager told our village that he would provide the financial study results in the summer. The village accepted a resolution in February to allow our fire department and administrator at the time to participate in discussions only. We were promised that the matter would NOT just sweep through to approval without returning to the village for review of terms.
The meeting on July 20 did not produce any financial information, just a request to sign up and accept whatever future deliberations at the county level were decided upon. Our board said to the county through their vote “fulfill your promises.”
Stepping back for a minute, the root of all of this is Net New Construction and how municipalities are handcuffed by the state rules on levy management, while facing costs going up continually and demographics.
So, with that in mind, why did the county not take the stance of let’s partner with municipalities and go to the state asking to study the broader issue?
The state representatives were never asked to participate or help with solutions. There are innovation grants that may help if municipalities wanted to consolidate their services.
But, more importantly, the true leadership factor could have been for Washington County to be a leader in the reform of how the state looks at the levy calculations. What could that look like?
Remember that referendum where 76% voted yes to returning county sales taxes? It was deemed unworkable. Did we get an explanation of how so, and what was the reluctance to partner when taxes were going the other way?
The county talks about empowering citizens, well consider yourself empowered. The community of Washington County, including all our firefighter EMTs, have not been dealt with as partners throughout this process by the county administration, no matter what the Mission, Vision and Values say.
If your municipality has not yet approved the resolution to accept a program with no financial information that will be decided AFTER it is signed, then tell your boards “No.”
If your municipality has approved the second resolution to join shared services for EMS, think again.
There are options that have not been explored, and no financial information has been provided, and even more importantly, the levy math problem is not being addressed.
If this is the case in your community, consider rescinding any resolution that ties your municipality to the current version of what is being proposed.
Melanie Smythe
Village of Germantown, WI
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Well said!