During the City of Fitchburg Common Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, members of the Common Council will refer a draft referendum question and hear public comment. No action is scheduled for August 13, it is anticipated that at its August 27 meeting the Common Council will again hear public comment, review the draft language, and consider action to place it on the fall general election ballot this November.
Public comments can be made at the beginning of both the August 13 and August 27 meetings, either by attending the meeting and commenting in person or by attending virtually via Zoom and providing comment that way. Those who wish to weigh in but are unable to attend in-person or virtually may submit their comments to their alderperson by phone or email.
Tuesday’s referral of drafted referendum language comes after months of evaluation, community input and discussion regarding the City of Fitchburg’s funding challenges. In April, members of the City Council reviewed results of a community-wide survey that indicated nearly three-quarters of respondents would support increased funding for priority City services.
Fitchburg worked with Community Perceptions, an independent Wisconsin-based research firm with expertise in conducting community surveys, to administer and analyze the survey. More than 2,100 residents responded to the survey, meaning that it was representative of community perspectives, with a small margin of error of +/- 2.17 percent. Key findings include:
● Public safety staffing was identified as the highest priority of any potential investment. Survey results demonstrate significant support for additional funding that would increase staffing in the City's Fire and Police Departments with approximately 86% of respondents indicating this is a high or medium priority.
● Results also indicate support for additional funding that would increase staffing in non-public safety departments, with nearly 75% of respondents indicating this staffing as a high or medium priority.
Additional information on the community’s staffing needs and the full survey results are available online at https://www.fitchburgwi.gov/2915/2024-City-of-Fitchburg-Referendum