Village debates scaled DPW building vs. new fire station as long-term capital costs loom

Trustees and residents on the Village of Waukesha Village Board spent the bulk of their Jan. 23 meeting debating how to shelter public works equipment and whether to pursue a new fire station or an addition to the existing station, with trustees directing further design work on a storage building for DPW equipment and postponing a decision on a full fire‑station rebuild.

The discussion mattered because speakers said deferred building and equipment purchases are already driving up repeated borrowing and could substantially increase property taxes if the village funds multiple projects at once. Trustee Chad provided multi‑year projections that showed cumulative borrowing for roads, trucks and a large fire station could meaningfully raise village levies over five years.

Across public comment and trustee discussion, several residents urged a pragmatic, lower‑cost approach to protect vehicles from winter damage and keep vital equipment ready. Mike Portrait, a resident, said the village should avoid an expensive “Taj Mahal” for DPW and instead consider…