In May 2023, the Oak Creek Mayor and Common Council adopted a new five-year Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for the community. This Plan outlines many goals and projects to keep the community moving forward and to make investments in our future. The new SAP is based on input from the public, the City workforce, and other stakeholders. The public input included the 2022 Resident Engagement and Priority Survey and public stakeholder focus groups, which supported additional funding for public safety excellence.

One immediate goal of the SAP was for the Common Council to consider a plan to provide additional resources to the City Police and Fire departments. The Common Council included extra funds in its 2024 Budget to make these staff and program investments. The total amount of additional funding equals $1,914,920 and is broken down by Department later in this FAQ document.

Homeowners with a median property value of $323,700 can expect to pay an additional cost of $9.46 per month towards the City of Oak Creek portion of their tax bill.

In Wisconsin, every city follows a law that controls how much property taxes can go up, and it’s called a “levy limit.” There is a special rule, an “exception,” that allows municipalities to go beyond that limit under certain circumstances. About 94% of cities in Wisconsin already use this exemption, but up to now, Oak Creek has not. The Common Council voted to use this exception when approving the 2024 Operating Budget. This decision means there’s enough money to fund and carry out the 2024 Public Safety staffing plan. 

The plan adds four new Firefighter/Paramedic positions for the Fire Department, enhances the fire prevention program by adding a part-time inspector, and provides more funds to the Cadet/Intern program. New investments in the Fire Department total $674,920.

The plan adds six Police Officers and one more Detective, provides extra funds to the Police Aide program, and creates a new Dispatch Supervisor position. This means the City will have one more police officer and an additional patrol car on each shift, 24/7. New investments in the Police Department total $1,240,000.

The Police and Fire Departments will start hiring for these new positions immediately. Public safety departments across the nation are facing a challenge in finding qualified candidates for these roles and for public safety jobs in general. It will be an ongoing effort throughout 2024 to fill these positions with qualified first responders and caregivers. The City Police and Fire Departments have seen success with their next-generation staffing programs, reaching potential candidates early on in their career planning and introducing them to the public safety field. The Police Aide Program and Fire Cadet/Intern programs play a crucial role in ensuring ongoing success in staffing.

The Police Aide program is a part-time, limited employment, entry law enforcement position. Police Aides work both independently as well as alongside Oak Creek Police Officers on various tasks and assignments. Police Aides are ‘non-sworn’ positions. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age, currently pursuing a Police Science/Criminal Justice degree or have completed training in this field, and be interested in a law enforcement career. The Oak Creek Police Aide program has developed many experienced candidates who are now working as Oak Creek Police Officers, including the City’s current Chief of Police.

More information on the Police Aide Program

The Fire Cadet program provides young adults with the opportunity to explore careers in the fire service, including hands-on experience in firefighting and emergency medical care. The program promotes the concepts of teamwork, responsibility, and community service and is open to anyone in high school or college who is thinking about a career in the fire service. It also welcomes older individuals thinking about switching careers to join the fire service.

The Intern program provides opportunities for select members of the Cadet group to advance towards a career in the fire service. The City supports this potential career growth by providing professional education and the possibility for future employment.

More information on the Fire Cadet/Intern Program