OSHKOSH (NBC 26) – The city of Oshkosh presents its 2025 budget proposal, requesting a tax increase, more spending on public safety and funding for two projects ordered by the DNR.

• The proposed 2025 budget is approximately 33% higher than the final 2024 budget.
• The proposed budget shows a 2.83% property tax increase.
• The budget focuses on public safety and takes into account $60 million of DNR-mandated projects.

As a long-time Oshkosh resident, Joe Gorwitz has seen big changes in his property taxes.
“I think in 2002 when I moved I was paying about $3,200 and now it’s almost $4,800,” he says.

This year, your property taxes will likely increase again.

Part of the city’s proposed budget for 2025 is a 2.83% property tax increase.

After a property reassessment earlier this year, the percentage of the tax coming from residential housing increased, while the percentage of the tax coming from commercial buildings decreased.

This change would lead to an increase in property taxes for the average taxpayer, even without the tax increase, according to City Manager Mark Rohloff.

This means that the burden on homeowners could be more than a 2.83% increase.

“The council is trying to deal with that, how can they minimize that impact, because for some people it will be a big part of it,” Rohloff says. “It will only be part of the city’s tax bill, but it’s still big enough that the council is still debating how they want to do it, and a final decision hasn’t been made yet.”

The proposed 2025 budget is $233.5 million, an increase of approximately 33% over 2024, which was finalized at $174.3 million.

“The 2025 budget will demonstrate a significant emphasis on public safety, both police and fire,” Rohloff says.

In the proposed budget, the total public safety and EMS portion is $37.7 million, a 5.86% increase over 2024.

A fourth ambulance for the fire department, a homeless outreach program with the police department and a $7.7 million OFD training center are proposed in the budget, although the council has yet to make a final decision on the center.

As part of the homeless outreach program with the Oshkosh Police Department, officers would partner with a social worker to help homeless people get the resources they need.

Rohloff says another big part of the budget are two DNR-mandated projects: the Clearwells Replacement Project and a third-tier phosphorus treatment process for the city’s sanitary sewer.

Rohloff believes that phosphorus treatment is unnecessary.

“We think we already do an adequate job, however, the DNR wants to see more from the cities,” he says.

According to Rohloff, it will take $30 million each to complete the two DNR projects.

“So it’s a pretty significant hit and it will eventually affect our utility ratepayers, which is why we’re so concerned,” he says.

The City Council will have its last 2025 budget meeting on Nov. 6 before a final vote on Nov. 12.