Baraboo Common Council Proposes Cuts To City Services After Referendum Fails 

The Baraboo Common Council discussed how the city referendum’s failure to pass during last week’s election will affect the city’s 2025 budget, including possible cuts to services that could close the city pool and shared-ride tax service. 

On Nov. 5, a majority of Baraboo residents said no to a city operational referendum, which would have meant a $2 million tax levy increase to maintain the city’s current level of service, including staffing key positions and maintaining city facilities and programs. The referendum failed by a margin of 4,628 to 1,958 votes. 

In the Wednesday meeting, the council members discussed how they could respond, including a proposal to close the city pool for the 2025 season. The pool requires funds for repairs as well as basic maintenance, officials said.

However, many community members voiced support to keep the pool open next year, and the council discussed possible funding options to keep the pool in the budget. One option is to reallocate a portion of funds from the parks amenities budget to the pool in addition to community fundraising. 

The council also mulled slashing the city’s shared-ride taxi service from the next version of the budget due to rising contract costs. The current budget plan also proposes items like increased event permit fees, increased parking fines and a delay in hiring a park director. 

In an interview, Baraboo Mayor Rob Nelson said many of the economic challenges the city is facing are structural and built into the state’s funding formula for municipalities. 

“Until the Legislature gives us some additional tools in our toolbox to try to raise revenue and pay our bills, we’re going to always be looking for ways we can cut things. And so, the items that we would be looking at for 2025 are just basically the start, because the picture doesn’t really look any better in 2026 or beyond,” Nelson said. “So then, you’re going to have to look at additional things to be cut.” 

While the budget isn’t set in stone yet, Nelson said the council will have to make some tough cost-cutting decisions in the coming weeks. 

“They are all trying to do the best job that they can with limited resources. Nobody wants to impose cuts that are going to be hurtful to portions of our population,” Nelson said. “Everybody’s trying to do what they can to maintain the vitality and the health of the Baraboo community, and it’s not an easy job.”

The proposed budget is set to be discussed again at the next Common Council meeting on Nov. 26.