New Berlin Delays ATV referendum,Cites โBudget concerns
NEWโ BERLIN,WI – The New Berlin โCommon Council on โฃTuesday postponedโ a decision on a potential public safety referendum,including one related to allowing All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) onโค city streets,to prioritize finalizing โthe 2026 city budget.โฃ The move comes as city officials โgrapple with increasing expenses and limited revenue growth under Wisconsin’s levy limit โคlaws.
Discussion of ATV useโข on cityโ streets had previously been considered, but council members noted infrastructure differences and โขneeds compared to other areas. Limiting factors, such โขas restrictions on county trunk โhighways andโข safety concerns, alsoโ remain. Any ordinance wouldโข require input from the police, fire, engineering, and public works departments. Mayor Dave Ament โsuggested returning the matter toโ the Safety Commission, stating, “They are the staffโ that should be doing stuff โlike that.โค We have police, fire, DPW, engineering – let them take the lead.”
The delay is largely driven by the city’s ongoing budget โคchallenges.โฃ Finance Director ralph Chipman has outlinedโ a โขgrowing gap between rising โฃexpenses and limited revenue.โฃ In 2024, the city’s net new construction rate was 0.62%, โขwhile inflation exceededโ four times โขthat rate, โขcreating a $1.2 million shortfall. Chipman warned that this โgap “compounds” over time.โ
Public safety currently accounts for 38% of the city’s $54.5 million budget, with anotherโข 31% allocated to legally required โฃobligations like debtโฃ service and library operations. The property tax levy,the city’s primary revenue source,is cappedโ by stateโ law and can only increase withโ new construction. Projected growth for 2025 is just 0.1%, equating to โฃ$31,650 inโ new revenue -โ insufficient to cover inflation andโค service demands.
City officials have cautionedโ that without additional revenue, the 2027โ budget will likely necessitate service cuts. A โขrecent city memo recommended re-evaluating the first phase of the Fire Department โstaffing plan โขand reconsidering police staffing levels due to financial constraints.
While exceeding โlevy limits through a referendum remains a potentialโค option,โฃ the โคcouncil decided toโฃ deferโ any decision until the โข2026 budget is approved.