Updated

Updated · Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · Aug 11

Milwaukee-Area Voters Cast Ballots in Primary Races for State Senate, Assembly and 2 Local Contests

Updated

Updated · Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · Aug 11

Milwaukee-Area Voters Cast Ballots in Primary Races for State Senate, Assembly and 2 Local Contests

Q: Delafield voters accepted a tax hike for emergency services, but what happens when this crucial funding expires in 2030?

When the referendum authority ends after 2030, the extra $450,000 annual taxing authority disappears and the Town of Delafield goes back under Wisconsin’s normal property-tax levy limits unless voters approve a new referendum. That means the town will have two basic options at that point: absorb Lake Country Fire & Rescue costs within its capped levy, or return to residents for additional approval. Town materials before the vote were explicit that, once the temporary authority expires, levy limits apply again. The funding approved by voters is meant to stabilize fire and EMS operations from 2027 through 2030 as Delafield’s share of the department’s budget rises sharply, from about $1.5 million in 2026 to roughly $2.35 million by 2030. Officials said the added revenue will support staffing, reduce overtime pressure and help avoid cuts elsewhere in the town budget. If no new approval is obtained after 2030 and costs remain elevated, the town could face the same pressures it warned about before the vote: delaying road work and capital projects, increasing certain fees where state law allows, borrowing more for infrastructure, or making reductions in other services to keep emergency funding intact. So the referendum solves the problem for four years, not permanently. After 2030, Delafield must either live within the state cap or ask voters again for continued authority to exceed it.

3 articles · Updated · Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · Aug 11

Milwaukee-area voters went to the polls Tuesday to pick party nominees in primary elections for state Senate and Assembly seats.
Waukesha County ballots also included a Republican primary for sheriff and a local referendum in the Town of Delafield, extending the vote beyond legislative races.
The contests determine which candidates advance from the primaries into the next stage of Wisconsin’s state and local election cycle.
Election Day coverage was continuing as results came in for the Milwaukee-area seats and the Waukesha County local races.