Voters faced with various referendum questions

When voters go to the polls April 2, they will be faced with more than elections for public office. Some will face local or school referendum questions, while all will be asked to cast ballots on a pair of state constitutional changes. All Wisconsin residents will be asked to vote on whether private donations and grants may be applied for, accepted, expended or used in connection with the conduct of any primary election, general election or referendum. A second question would create a new section for the state constitution to provide that only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, general elections and referendums. This referendum ballot is a result of 2023 Enrolled Joint Resolution 78, a copy of which can be viewed or downloaded from the Legislature’s website at https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/proposals/reg/sen/joint_resolution. In Eland, residents will be asked to exceed the village’s levy limit to pay for emergency medical services. Under state law, the increase in the levy for the village for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2025, is limited to a 0% increase, which results in a levy of $19,602. Residents will be asked to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year for the village’s share of the increase in cost for emergency medical services, by a total of 40.115%. This will result in a levy of $27,464, and the $7,863 increase would be on an ongoing basis for each fiscal year going forward. A similar proposal will be on the ballot for Mattoon residents. State law will limit the village’s 2025 levy increase to 1.213%, which results in a levy of $54,753. The request is to exceed this limit for emergency medical services by 76.255% for a total levy of $96,505, and to continue to do each year in the amount of $41.752. Shawano County residents in the Seymour Community School District will be asked to exceed revenue limits for the next three school years. The requested increases are $3.8 million for the 2024-25 school year, $5.2 million for 2025-26 and $6 million for 2026-27, all for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational and maintenance expenses, including expenses related to staffing and to maintain programs and services. kpasson@newmedia-wi.com