Tony Evers came to town to discuss issues with Whitewater’s leaders John Weidl, Police Chief Dan Meyer, and Council President Neil Hicks on Thursday, February 15th at 3 pm at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library. The main issues that were discussed were on the matter in question on the problems of immigration recently, impact of the reduced state revenue, and funding on local law enforcement. The leaders showed a powerpoint presentation to explain more into the issue at hand explaining the recent police statistics, presenting that there had been more unlicensed driving and other issues against the background of decreased capacity for proactive policing in the city.
“It’s crucial that we approach these issues without casting blame or vilifying any group. Our goal is to identify and address the root causes, focusing on problem-solving and public safety rather than politics,” said Police Chief Dan Meyer. “We’re committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure Whitewater is safe and inclusive.”
The examples of issues that have happened were increased migration to Whitewater from Nicaragua or Venezuela from back early 2022. There were incidents of migrant struggles that happened in town where a family was found living in a small shed during winter, a teenager forced into labor, and young children left alone during a fire. They explained how it is possible the migrants were interested in Whitewater which is during COVID-19 pandemic the availability of housing due to changes at the university and created the rise of migrant population in Whitewater.
The city of Whitewater leaders goes into depth about the financial issues they have been having over a year besides having a rise in shared revenue for Whitewater and other municipalities. This was balanced by the cuts from the Municipal Services Payment (MSP) program and the end of reimbursements from the University for dispatch services. These changes have faced the results of a shortfall of funding of over $400,000 for the 2024 fiscal year and effectively disputing the benefits of the increased shared revenue.
“Thanks to their support, we’ve been able to install license plate cameras at every entrance point to Whitewater, we employ drone technology, and have proactively funded a comprehensive staffing study,” said City Manager John Weidl expressing gratitude to city leaders’ support of law enforcement enhancements. “We’re also prepared to pursue a referendum if necessary. Our elected officials have truly risen to the challenge, demonstrating their dedication by allocating the necessary funds to address our concerns. This level of commitment is crucial for driving meaningful change in our community.”
Governor Evers showed interest in commitment to working with Whitewater leaders to address the city’s issues at hand. They came to a conclusion to the meeting and an agreement on exploring and implementing strategies to support not only the migrant population but also to make the city stronger with overall public safety and community infrastructure.
“Our communication with legislators at all levels about Whitewater’s immigration issues has led to meaningful discussions,” said Council President Neil Hicks. “We’re grateful for the constructive dialogue with Governor Evers and others, focusing on collaborative solutions for our community.”
You can find more information from the press release that city of Whitewater and you can check it out here: https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=593&fbclid=IwAR0DluIcIGTDIqVniHBOiqdfu0xv_Rkp78cGkbt2Ic3YHaFjyReZc5HogoU
