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Menomonee Falls board in favor of moving funds from library to police

The Brief The Menomonee Falls Village Board passed a resolution that will allocate $300,000 from the library tax levy to the police department in 2026. It was approved unanimously. After public comment, the decision left some Menomonee Falls residents heated. MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. - Funding for the library or the police department? On Monday, May 19, the Menomonee Falls Board of Trustees passed a resolution that changes where your tax dollars go. What we know The Menomonee Falls Village Board passed a resolution that will allocate $300,000 from the library tax levy to the police department in 2026. It was approved unanimously. Last month, police chief Mark Waters told the board they are short-staffed but saw an 18% increase in serious crime compared to last year. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android That, plus the board said the library will still have a buffer when it comes to the budget. Local perspective After public comment, the decision left some Menomonee Falls residents heated. Five people spoke during the public comment, urging the board to reconsider it. But the village board said it is putting public safety first. "It's a valuable resource in this town. I can't imagine you know the budget and who is going to lose their jobs. Librarians, what services we can't offer," resident Andrew Guss said. "There is a lot of people that this library effects." The backstory It's not the first time library funding has come up at a board meeting. Back in 2023, there were rumors the library was in danger of closing after an email circulated saying the village was already planning on not funding the library in the future. Village board members at the time said that wasn't true. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News "We have standards the county sets for the library and currently we are $600,000 above that minimum standards," Village President Jeremy Walz said. What's next The village president said now the library board will make its budget based on the new allocations – so it's not yet clear how the library will be impacted. The Source The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.