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Verona council declines to join multi‑community fire/EMS study after tie vote
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Summary
After a lengthy debate and presentations from consultants and union leaders, the Verona Common Council voted in a 4–4 tie on whether to join a $19,425 regional fire and EMS feasibility study; Mayor Luke Diaz cast the tie‑breaking vote against participation.
After presentations and public comment on April 27, the Verona Common Council declined to pay $19,425 to join a multi‑community fire and emergency medical services feasibility and implementation study. The vote was tied 4–4 and Mayor Luke Diaz cast the tie‑breaking vote against the city’s participation.
The council heard a presentation from James Small, an EMS outreach program manager with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, who urged careful planning and warned that consolidations “very rarely are gonna save money on day 1,” stressing governance, transparency and long‑term cost control. Pete Friedrichs, secretary‑treasurer of Firefighters Local 311, told the council the union had been included early in discussions and said the organization was “generally supportive” of a study, adding that members had been given assurances that “no one’s gonna lose a job, and no one’s gonna lose pay.”
Supporters of joining the McMahon & Associates study, including Alder Lytle, argued that participating would give Verona a seat at the table and data to contest assumptions made by other municipalities. Lytle said having local data could strengthen Verona’s bargaining position and help identify grant opportunities. Opponents expressed skepticism about the study’s value, arguing staff could provide similar information and that a consultant’s report might simply aggregate input without producing firm recommendations. “I am still super skeptical of this process,” Alder Helmke said during the debate.
City staff and the proponent described the study as a feasibility and implementation analysis that would include operational cost projections compared to status‑quo delivery, governance options and 5‑, 10‑ and 20‑year benchmarks. Staff recommended paying the Verona share from the fire department fund balance if the council opted in. The council ultimately did not approve funding for Verona’s participation.
Because the motion failed, there are no immediate changes to service, and staff said participation would have been a study only, not a commitment to a new district. Council members who opposed the funding said they remain open to staying involved in regional conversations and to revisit options as circumstances evolve.
