Village voters to decide fate of paramedic funding request

Emergency medical services will be on the minds of Village of Fredonia residents Tuesday as they go to the polls on Nov. 5.

Residents will decide whether to increase the tax levy by $200,000 in perpetuity to finance a joint paramedic program with the Village of Belgium and towns of Fredonia, and Belgium.

Increasing the levy will allow the combined department, which will be run through the Fredonia Fire Department, to hire three full-time and three part-time firefighter/paramedics, buy a paramedic vehicle and other needed supplies.

If the referendum is approved, village residents would pay $75 per $100,000 equalized valuation more in taxes for paramedic services, officials said.

The goal is to have a paramedic on duty 24/7 by the end of 2025.

Fredonia Fire Chief Brian Weyker told village officials earlier this year that the program is vital, noting the paid staff members will fill gaps in the service schedule caused by declining volunteer numbers and increased calls.

“We’ve been using volunteers for all these years and it’s been free,” he said. “But we don’t have the volunteers now. You wouldn’t go to a job for free, but we expect a service this important to be done for free or little pay.”

The paramedic program was kick-started three years ago using American Rescue Act funds that Ozaukee County funneled to communities. Those funds will run out next year.

The program has already cut response times by an average of four minutes — something that’s important when a person’s health and life is on the line.

The paramedic service is being handled by four communities, with funding from each based on call volume, equalized value and population.