Weston committee delays fire‑fee decision pending DOR clarification and grant update

The Village of Weston Finance & HR Committee voted to delay a decision on a proposed fire‑fee ordinance after extended public comment and trustee debate about how the fee would interact with levy limits and whether the village could legally cap or partially fund fire service through a fee. The committee agreed staff should obtain clarification from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and confirm the status of a competitive grant before taking further action.

Residents and trustees pressed for transparency and limits on future fee increases. A resident who gave public comment said she was “100% in support of the fire department and police department,” but criticized the process that led the village to consider a fee instead of a referendum. Another resident read a prepared statement asking the board to pause the proposal and to insert a three‑year sunset clause (to expire Dec. 31, 2028) if the fee proceeds.

Staff summarized outstanding legal and technical questions in the packet, including whether a municipality may adopt a fee that covers only a portion of fire‑service costs and the precise formula required for reducing the levy in a year the fee is enacted. Staff said Ehlers and the village’s financial adviser had been queried and that the municipal attorney would need to review a draft ordinance before the village sought adoption.

Trustees expressed competing concerns. Some argued a fee could be an efficient revenue vehicle to cover roughly $400,000 in projected shortfalls linked to adding nine positions; others warned that shifting costs off the levy could permanently reduce levy capacity and make future restoration difficult. Several trustees said they preferred a broader public safety referendum rather than a fee explicitly tied to the fire department, or suggested temporary general‑fund support until the board could present voters with a single referendum.

Committee member (Speaker 9) moved to advance the item to the next month’s finance meeting pending the DOR response and grant‑award confirmation; Speaker 4 seconded the motion. The committee approved the postponement on a voice vote with no formal roll‑call recorded.

The committee and staff also discussed alternatives—using one‑time fund‑balance, reallocating surplus interest income, or pursuing internal budget reductions—but reached no final funding decision. Staff said they would return with the DOR and adviser responses and that the full board could convene a special session if a grant acceptance deadline required an expedited decision.