Frequently Asked Questions

Without additional funding, the City will not be able to maintain existing service levels or make the investments necessary to improve priority services. 

Facing a budget deficit starting in 2027, difficult decisions will have to be made each year about how to cut services, programs and staffing levels to balance the budget. Decisions about specific cuts would occur at the City Council during annual budget deliberations.

If approved, a $3.95 million increase to the property tax levy would allow the City to hire one additional patrol officer, two full-time firefighters and increase wages for volunteer firefighters. Additional funds would be used to hire a part-time Makerspace Coordinator to deliver programming to Sun Prairie Public Library visitors. 

For the average single-family home in Sun Prairie (assessed at about $381,500 in value), we anticipate an approved referendum would increase property taxes by approximately $82 in 2027 (about $7 per month), with a maximum impact of $264 (about $22 per month).

Per $100,000 in assessed property value, we anticipate this translates to $21.50 annually ($1.80 per month) with a maximum potential impact of $69 annually ($5.75 per month).

In response to community input, the City has reduced long-term costs by more than $1 million, including by eliminating several vacant executive-level positions and by adjusting employee benefits.

The City of Sun Prairie is committed to ensuring fiscal responsibility, regularly identifying and implementing cost-saving and efficiency measures to maintain a balanced budget while investing to improve services and quality of life. 

These measures have included: 

• Reviewing and adjusting vendor contracts to generate savings;
• Partnering with community organizations and volunteers to leverage existing resources and increase impact, encourage efficiencies and foster collaboration;
• Pursuing grants and sponsorships to support City investments, offset costs and allow for the expansion of services and programming without increasing costs; 
• Exploring innovative solutions to generate revenue, such as impact fees, increasing recovery of indirect costs; and
• Instituting an annual $30 Municipal Vehicle Registration Fee or “wheel tax” to generate funds for transportation-related purposes. 

Despite these efforts, without additional funding, the City will not be able to maintain existing service levels or make the investments necessary to improve services.

Even with the $30 wheel tax that provides enough funding to meet needs through 2026, moving forward, projected growth and debt service adjustments will no longer be enough to allow Sun Prairie to continue meeting growing costs to provide existing services – let alone investing in service improvements.

The Sun Prairie Area School District passed an operational referendum in 2024. However, it is important to note that the school district and the City of Sun Prairie are separate governmental entities. Each has the authority to levy taxes and manage budgets independently. This means that the funding from the school district’s referendum is intended solely for the district's use.

Over time and with community growth, the City’s funding needs grow due to increasing costs for contracts, equipment and vehicles, as well as staff compensation. 

Providing public safety and other core municipal services requires having consistent, dedicated and expert staff to meet community needs. To retain and recruit staff to fill City positions and continue providing quality services, Sun Prairie has added staff and must continue offering competitive wages and benefits. State restrictions on property taxes do not allow municipalities to adjust the levy based on inflation.

Property taxes make up the City’s largest revenue stream. Existing sources of revenue and cost-saving measures are not enough to allow the City to meet growing costs or make investments to improve our community. 

By design, Wisconsin municipalities have a limited ability to increase funding to address increased expenses and make investments. 

“Levy limits” established by the State set the amount Sun Prairie can raise through property taxes. The City’s annual property tax increase is restricted to our net new construction – the value of new construction and land improvements within the City during the past year, minus the value of any demolitions or removal of land improvements. This amount is calculated as a percentage of the City’s total property value to get us the percentage tax increase that can be approved by the City Council. 

The legislative intent behind levy limits is to slow the growth of local property taxes. But there’s one major flaw with this approach: the limits imposed do not consider inflation and rising costs associated with a growing community such as ours. 

To put it simply, the allowed increase on property taxes is based on new buildings added each year, not rising costs or growing service needs. On average, Sun Prairie sees a 3% growth in net new construction each year. However, City expenditures have been increasing by an average of 8% each year. Costs like wages, contracts, equipment and maintenance are rising faster than the levy limit. 

Few other funding sources exist to help close projected gaps and balance the budget. Shared revenue (funds from the state) is limited, the City’s $30 wheel tax is helpful but by 2027 will not be enough, and grants and other external funds can only help with specific programs or capital projects. 

For many years, Sun Prairie was able to manage rising costs without exceeding state property tax levy limits because of strong growth and careful financial planning. As new homes and businesses were built, the City’s property value increased, creating limited room to fund services under state law. Temporary flexibility from debt service exemptions also helped absorb rising costs.

That flexibility has now been exhausted. In 2025, both the City’s operational and debt service levies reached their legal limits. Beginning in 2027, projected costs to maintain existing services exceed what the City is allowed to raise through property taxes, even with continued growth.

Tax Increment Financing is a tool used to support redevelopment and infrastructure in specific areas of the City. While TIF has helped Sun Prairie grow its tax base and invest in long-term community improvements, it cannot be used to fund day-to-day services. By law, revenue generated in TIF districts is restricted to paying for eligible project costs within those districts. It does not provide flexible funding to cover rising operational expenses, staffing needs, or service demands across the City.

Major facilities such as the utilities building and the library expansion were planned years in advance and funded primarily through debt, grants and restricted funding sources. These investments allowed the City to build and improve facilities, but they do not provide ongoing funding to operate them or to meet increasing service demands citywide.

The referendum is not about building new projects; it is about ensuring the City can maintain existing services and staff key departments so residents continue to receive the level of service they expect and rely on.

Additional information about the City’s April 2026 referendum can be found online at www.cityofsunprairie.com/referendum. Starting in February, staff and elected officials will be hosting in-person town halls in each district to share more information about the referendum and ask questions. More information will be shared once the times, dates and locations are determined. 

The City will also be sharing information on its social media channels, Sun Prairie Media Center channels, through outreach to local media, in mailers and during information sessions. More details about those meetings will be shared when available.

Sun Prairie voters can cast their vote in one of three ways: through absentee mail-in ballots, in-person absentee voting, or in-person voting on election day, April 7, 2026.

Voting hours on election day are 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wisconsin voters are required to show an acceptable voter ID in order to vote. Additional voting information, including about polling places and requesting an absentee ballot, can be found on myvote.wi.gov

The last city revaluation occurred in 2023. After that was complete, the City Assessors Office scheduled future revaluations – with 2026 being the next planned revaluation year. The fact that a revaluation is occurring the same year as a referendum is being placed on the ballot is simply a coincidence, and there is no connection between the two.

Revaluations are completed not to increase the total revenue to a community, but to make sure that the taxes paid are equitable. In Wisconsin, the measure of equity is fair market value. While a revaluation can cause your taxes to go up, the City cannot use a revaluation to increase the property tax levy.  

When it comes to the city budget, there are two levies to consider.

Total Property Tax Levy = Operating Levy + Debt Levy

First, the operating levy is the amount needed to fund the ongoing, day-to-day governmental operations such as public safety, public works, parks, and library services. The city’s operating levy is limited by state-imposed levy limit laws which sets the amount of property tax Sun Prairie can collect from its residents. The increase in our operating levy is tied to our net new construction – which is the value of new construction and land improvements during the past year.

Second, the debt levy is equal to the amount needed to pay the city’s annual debt service payments (it is equal to the principal and interest due on our municipal borrowing). Think of this as the city’s mortgage payment on our infrastructure investments and improvements. The debt levy can only be used for this payment. Under state law, the debt service levy in not subject to levy limits and can raise as needed to pay back our obligations.

This referendum requests a single, permanent increase to the operating tax levy. If approved, the levy would go up once and establish a new starting point for the City’s annual budget. At the same time, the city anticipates being able to pay down a portion of our debt levy. As a result, the anticipated impact for residents is expected to be lower.

A 2023 staffing survey found that, at 63 sworn officers, the Sun Prairie Police Department has 6.79 fewer sworn officer positions than peer communities such as Fitchburg and Middleton. Despite recent increases in budget for staffing, referral bonuses, education incentives to attract officers and a formal lateral transfer program, it has been difficult to fill vacant SNPD positions.  

The City is experiencing the same police staffing challenges seen nationwide. And current staffing levels require a heavy reliance on overtime, which contributes to officer fatigue and creates challenges in retaining and attracting qualified personnel.  

An approved referendum would provide funds to hire an additional full-time patrol officer to support our existing staff, allowing us to reduce required overtime. With this investment, we would be able to better respond to the rising call volume for police services in Sun Prairie. 

Due to budget restraints, the Police Department has had to maintain the same, minimal staffing approach it has had in place since 2008. Insufficient staffing impacts the public safety services community members receive. For example:  

• Proactive services such as traffic engagement are delayed at times. 
• To manage increased call volumes, some service delivery methods may be reduced or eliminated – including adjustments to retail theft responses, animal service responses and a greater reliance on online reporting in place of in-person responses.   
• The inability to staff vacant District Liaison Officer positions has limited support for community engagement and collaboration, resulting in sharp decline in long-term problem-solving, pattern crime recognition and resolution, and drug enforcement. 

The addition of one patrol officer will allow us more capacity and improve our ability to serve the community. While not a complete solution to the challenges we face, it is a positive step forward in meeting the evolving public safety needs of Sun Prairie.  

As our community grows, so does the need for police services. We average 70 calls per day, and many of them are complex in nature. For example:  

• There has been a sharp increase in the number of mental health-related calls for service, including both voluntary and non-voluntary transports to a mental health facility or hospital.  
• Additionally, like many law enforcement agencies across the country, we are dealing with more complex cases that require digital evidence analysis for crimes against young children, cyber crimes and violent crime that requires more time spent on investigation.  

These calls take a considerable amount of time to respond to. And the amount of officer overtime needed to service our community leads to busier shifts, more calls and longer wait times in general. As our community has grown, the staffing model we’ve relied on for many years is no longer able to keep up with current demands. 

The Fire & EMS department relies on a blend of full-time career fire staff and a dedicated group of approximately 52 Paid on Premise (POP) part-time firefighters and 21 Fulltime Fire Division staff. EMS has 28 Fulltime Staff and 11 POP Staff. 

Our POP staff allow us to maintain 24/7 coverage across two stations. However, the POP model is under extreme pressure. Sun Prairie has become a premier training ground in our region, but other Wisconsin communities offer higher wages for part-time staff and more opportunities for full-time careers. This creates a “revolving door” effect. We invest heavily in training and outfitting of these professionals only to lose their expertise to larger departments.  

Additionally, we’re seeing a significant generational shift – younger professionals prioritize work-life balance and family over the intense, demanding and irregular hours of public safety careers. There’s also a national shortage of individuals interested in public safety careers due to the high physical and mental toll of the job.  

An approved referendum would allow for an investment in the Fire & EMS department to pay our POP staff higher wages, encouraging them to stay with Sun Prairie. It would also enable us to hire two full-time firefighters to ensure we’re able to maintain the high-quality emergency services our community expects, even as call volumes continue to rise.   

Sun Prairie Fire & EMS has long prioritized a cost-effective approach to public safety by:  

• Utilizing a blend of full-time and part-time/Paid-on-Premise professionals. By utilizing staff at an hourly rate without full benefits packages, this model saves the City more than $2 million each year.  
• Pursuing grants. In 2018, the City secured a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant, which provided 75% of the funding for three years to hire the initial full-time staff required to open and operate Station 2 on West Main Street.  
• Sharing services and cost distribution. The department serves the Town of Sun Prairie and the Town of Bristol through the Northeast Dane County Fire Unit (NEDFU). Under intergovernmental agreements, these towns share the costs of operations and apparatus, ensuring they receive the same service levels as the city while distributing the tax burden.  
• Relying on state-level funding and revenue. Each year, the Fire department receives approximately $250,000 by successfully completing the state’s 2% Fire Dues requirements. These funds, distributed by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, are specifically designated for fire prevention, training and equipment.  
• Merging with EMS. In 2024, the City merged its previously independent nonprofit fire department and municipal EMS department into a single city-run agency. This merger combined leadership under a single Fire & EMS Chief, reducing long-term city costs.  

Following the 2024 merger into a unified city department, Sun Prairie Fire & EMS structures its "All Hazards" response around these specialized divisions:

• Emergency Fire Response: The "boots on the ground" fire division responsible for fire suppression/Auto Extrication/Technical Rescue/HAZMAT/Gas Leaks/Ambulance Assists in the City and Towns of Bristol and Sun Prairie.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A dedicated 24/7 EMS Division providing advanced life support, recently streamlined in 2026 to focus primarily on providing the highest level of care to local residents.
• Enforcement & Community Risk Reduction (CRR): This expanded division combines legal safety standards with proactive community outreach to prevent emergencies before they happen.
• Emergency Management: The city's primary planning arm for large-scale disasters. This division oversees the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and maintains city-wide emergency preparedness according to federal standards.
• Fire Prevention Bureau: Reviews hundreds of building plans annually and conducts roughly 3,000 safety inspections on existing commercial structures to ensure they meet current design and engineering standards.
  • CRR Initiatives: The department uses data from past incidents to target specific risks, such as car seat installations, public education workshops, and smoke alarm programs designed to make the community more resilient.

It is a national "scorecard" (1–10) that measures a fire department's ability to protect its community. Class 1 is the highest possible, and Class 10 is the lowest. Sun Prairie is an ISO Class 2 Department. This elite status places Sun Prairie Fire & EMS in the top 3% of Fire/EMS departments in the United States.

 This means:

• Lower Insurance Costs: Most insurance companies use this rating to set premiums. A Class 2 rating often leads to lower property insurance rates for residents and businesses.
• Proven safety: It conforms our staffing, training and equipment meet the highest national standards.
• Reliable infrastructure: the rating also accounts for the city’s excellent water supply and 911 dispatch efficiency.

In Sun Prairie, we utilize a “Dual Response” model to provide the highest level of care. It is common to see both an ambulance and a fire engine at a medical emergency for three reasons:

• Faster life-saving care – Fire engines are often closer to your location than the nearest available ambulance. Our firefighters are licensed Emergency Medical Responders (EMR) or Paramedics  who carry advanced life-support equipment, including AEDs and oxygen. They can begin stabilizing a patient minutes before an ambulance arrives.
• Capacity for critical emergencies – Critical calls, such as cardiac arrests or major trauma, require more than two people to manage. An ambulance typically has a two-person crew. By dispatching a fire engine, we provide the extra hands needed to perform high-quality CPR, manage advanced airways, and safely lift and move patients into the ambulance.
• Scene Safety & All-Hazards Preparedness – On calls involving vehicle accidents or hazards, the fire engine provides a physical barrier to protect the medical crew from traffic and brings specialized rescue tools (like the "Jaws of Life") that ambulances do not carry. This ensures that no matter what the emergency evolves into, we have the right tools on scene immediately.

• Legos
• Sewing and crafting programs
• Cooking demos
• Jewelry making
• 3D printing
• Circutry and robotics
• Coding
• Audio and video recording
• Podcasting

Equipment in a Makerspace requires supervision and expertise.

A Makerspace Coordinator would also allow us to open the Makerspace for longer periods of time. Currently, we will only be able to open the space for planned programs hosted by library staff from other departments.

Absolutely! In the future, trained and skilled colunteers will be able toa ssist in the Makerspace. A Makerspace Coordinator would recruit, train and schedule volunteers.

Funding to build the Makerspace was provided by the Sun Prairie Education Foundation, in honor of Nancy Everson. 

A Makerspace Coordinator position was included in the City's 5-year (FMP) Financial Management Plan for 2026, but due to levy limits it is currently unfunded.

Our Makerspace, called "The Mixer" will open in June!

This year's programming budget is thanks to the generous supprt of the Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation. 

Stay tuned for more updates!