Wauwatosa council approves term sheet to pursue fire department merger with West Allis after adding labor-protection letter of intent

The Wauwatosa Common Council voted 14–2 to approve a term sheet advancing negotiations on a proposed joint fire department with West Allis after adding an amendment directing staff to draft and send a letter of intent that outlines labor protections for current employees.

The amendment, adopted unanimously before the final vote, asked that the letter of intent address four union priorities the committee included in its recommended language: continuation of existing retirement and health benefits for current employees; full transfer of accrued sick leave without reduction; active exploration of an improved work schedule to support recruitment and retention; and maintenance of competitive health-plan offerings. Council members also noted that collective bargaining law governs final decisions about those items.

Supporters said the term sheet is a necessary instruction to negotiators and not a final contract. A city staff member summarized the next steps: if the term sheet passes both councils, staff will continue drafting intergovernmental agreements, a staffing agreement, bylaws and articles of incorporation; council updates are expected in January, with final agreements likely to be returned for vote in February and a legal merger date targeted for April 2026 if approvals occur.

Opponents urged caution. Alderman Meindl delivered an extended critique of the pace and scope of the process, saying the council risked authorizing staff to prepare binding agreements without baseline, documented protections for labor and unanswered questions about long-term costs, oversight and service quality. "I still cannot support this," Meindl said, arguing the council should insist on written safeguards before advancing the governance structure.

Council members asked for clarity on governance and oversight. Questions included how many directors each city might appoint to the proposed corporation's governing board, whether the board size could change by unanimous vote, and whether the council would retain sufficient policy control. City staff replied that initial proposals included the mayors, city administrators and a council-elected member from each city but that details remained subject to negotiation.

The council first voted to adopt the amendment instructing staff to prepare and send the letter of intent; that amendment passed unanimously. The council then voted on the amended term sheet and approved it 14–2.

The measure does not itself create the merged department. Staff and legal representatives repeatedly characterized the term sheet as an instruction to negotiators: it directs attorneys and staff to incorporate the term-sheet terms into the intergovernmental agreement and related documents, which must be approved by both common councils in a subsequent vote before any legal merger or transfer of assets occurs.

Next steps listed by staff include continued negotiations, a status update in January, presentation of final agreements in February, and execution of contracts and legal merger steps if both councils approve. The city emphasized that any labor changes remain subject to collective bargaining and that the letter of intent was intended to reflect the union's stated priorities before further binding steps.

The council meeting drew dozens of firefighters and residents to the chamber; after the vote the mayor congratulated those employees for their service and thanked them for attending.