Residents of the City of Brookfield are preparing to vote on a $6 million dollar tax increase. The proposed increase would come from raising the property tax levy. A vote over the referendum will be held alongside the state Supreme Court race this spring, on April 1, 2025. According to the City, the increase would allow for the upkeep and maintenance of currently offered public services. The additional $6 million dollars would provide funding for the services typically provided.
One of the major needs for additional investment in the community comes from a concern for safety. Several firefighter and paramedics positions are losing their grant funding in May of 2025. This means that the City will require a greater endowment in order to keep these five staff positions filled.
According to Robert Scott, the City of Brookfield’s Director of Finance and Administration “the City forecasts a budget gap of $4 million for 2026. That gap grows to exceed $7 million by 2029. More funding is needed to keep current levels of service across departments in the coming years.”
Brookfield’s concern over maintaining safety services within the community comes on the heels of the disastrous Los Angeles area wildfires, which have burned over 50,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures. Questions about whether these fires were preventable have arisen, as several firefighters and Los Angeles area staffers have claimed that they were wary over the city’s preparedness. In the months leading up the the L.A. fires, nearly $100 million dollars had been cut from California’s fire budget. In the tragic aftermath, even states like Wisconsin that are less prone to wildfires are concentrated on prioritizing safety.
Not all of the proposed $6 million increase is needed for safety. The City of Brookfield reports that funding is needed for several road servicing projects. Additionally, the costs to operate already functioning systems such as garbage and police trucks has risen. The tax increase would help account for the rising deficit.
If the tax referendum is passed in April, residents can expect to see their December 2025 tax bills increase. As laid out by the City, if approved “This would result in an estimated $87 property tax increase per $100,000 in assessed property value. The average Brookfield home with an assessed value of $460,000 is estimated to see an approximate $300 property tax increase or about $25 per month.”
