Frequently Asked Questions

Without additional funding, the City will not be able to maintain existing service levels or make the investments necessary to improve priority services. 

Facing a budget deficit starting in 2027, difficult decisions will have to be made each year about how to cut services, programs and staffing levels to balance the budget. Decisions about specific cuts would occur at the City Council during annual budget deliberations.

If approved, a $3.95 million increase to the property tax levy would allow the City to hire one additional patrol officer, two full-time firefighters and increase wages for volunteer firefighters. Additional funds would be used to hire a part-time Makerspace Coordinator to deliver programming to Sun Prairie Public Library visitors. 

For the average single-family home in Sun Prairie (assessed at about $381,500 in value), we anticipate an approved referendum would increase property taxes by approximately $82 in 2027 (about $7 per month), with a maximum impact of $264 (about $22 per month).

Per $100,000 in assessed property value, we anticipate this translates to $21.50 annually ($1.80 per month) with a maximum potential impact of $69 annually ($5.75 per month).

In response to community input, the City has reduced long-term costs by more than $1 million, including by eliminating several vacant executive-level positions and by adjusting employee benefits.

The City of Sun Prairie is committed to ensuring fiscal responsibility, regularly identifying and implementing cost-saving and efficiency measures to maintain a balanced budget while investing to improve services and quality of life. 

These measures have included: 

• Reviewing and adjusting vendor contracts to generate savings;
• Partnering with community organizations and volunteers to leverage existing resources and increase impact, encourage efficiencies and foster collaboration;
• Pursuing grants and sponsorships to support City investments, offset costs and allow for the expansion of services and programming without increasing costs; 
• Exploring innovative solutions to generate revenue, such as impact fees, increasing recovery of indirect costs; and
• Instituting an annual $30 Municipal Vehicle Registration Fee or “wheel tax” to generate funds for transportation-related purposes. 

Despite these efforts, without additional funding, the City will not be able to maintain existing service levels or make the investments necessary to improve services.

Even with the $30 wheel tax that provides enough funding to meet needs through 2026, moving forward, projected growth and debt service adjustments will no longer be enough to allow Sun Prairie to continue meeting growing costs to provide existing services – let alone investing in service improvements.

The Sun Prairie Area School District passed an operational referendum in 2024. However, it is important to note that the school district and the City of Sun Prairie are separate governmental entities. Each has the authority to levy taxes and manage budgets independently. This means that the funding from the school district’s referendum is intended solely for the district's use.

Over time and with community growth, the City’s funding needs grow due to increasing costs for contracts, equipment and vehicles, as well as staff compensation. 

Providing public safety and other core municipal services requires having consistent, dedicated and expert staff to meet community needs. To retain and recruit staff to fill City positions and continue providing quality services, Sun Prairie has added staff and must continue offering competitive wages and benefits. State restrictions on property taxes do not allow municipalities to adjust the levy based on inflation.

Property taxes make up the City’s largest revenue stream. Existing sources of revenue and cost-saving measures are not enough to allow the City to meet growing costs or make investments to improve our community. 

By design, Wisconsin municipalities have a limited ability to increase funding to address increased expenses and make investments. 

“Levy limits” established by the State set the amount Sun Prairie can raise through property taxes. The City’s annual property tax increase is restricted to our net new construction – the value of new construction and land improvements within the City during the past year, minus the value of any demolitions or removal of land improvements. This amount is calculated as a percentage of the City’s total property value to get us the percentage tax increase that can be approved by the City Council. 

The legislative intent behind levy limits is to slow the growth of local property taxes. But there’s one major flaw with this approach: the limits imposed do not consider inflation and rising costs associated with a growing community such as ours. 

To put it simply, the allowed increase on property taxes is based on new buildings added each year, not rising costs or growing service needs. On average, Sun Prairie sees a 3% growth in net new construction each year. However, City expenditures have been increasing by an average of 8% each year. Costs like wages, contracts, equipment and maintenance are rising faster than the levy limit. 

Few other funding sources exist to help close projected gaps and balance the budget. Shared revenue (funds from the state) is limited, the City’s $30 wheel tax is helpful but by 2027 will not be enough, and grants and other external funds can only help with specific programs or capital projects. 

For many years, Sun Prairie was able to manage rising costs without exceeding state property tax levy limits because of strong growth and careful financial planning. As new homes and businesses were built, the City’s property value increased, creating limited room to fund services under state law. Temporary flexibility from debt service exemptions also helped absorb rising costs.

That flexibility has now been exhausted. In 2025, both the City’s operational and debt service levies reached their legal limits. Beginning in 2027, projected costs to maintain existing services exceed what the City is allowed to raise through property taxes, even with continued growth.

Tax Increment Financing is a tool used to support redevelopment and infrastructure in specific areas of the City. While TIF has helped Sun Prairie grow its tax base and invest in long-term community improvements, it cannot be used to fund day-to-day services. By law, revenue generated in TIF districts is restricted to paying for eligible project costs within those districts. It does not provide flexible funding to cover rising operational expenses, staffing needs, or service demands across the City.

Major facilities such as the utilities building and the library expansion were planned years in advance and funded primarily through debt, grants and restricted funding sources. These investments allowed the City to build and improve facilities, but they do not provide ongoing funding to operate them or to meet increasing service demands citywide.

The referendum is not about building new projects; it is about ensuring the City can maintain existing services and staff key departments so residents continue to receive the level of service they expect and rely on.

Additional information about the City’s April 2026 referendum can be found online at www.cityofsunprairie.com/referendum. Starting in February, staff and elected officials will be hosting in-person town halls in each district to share more information about the referendum and ask questions. More information will be shared once the times, dates and locations are determined. 

The City will also be sharing information on its social media channels, Sun Prairie Media Center channels, through outreach to local media, in mailers and during information sessions. More details about those meetings will be shared when available.

Sun Prairie voters can cast their vote in one of three ways: through absentee mail-in ballots, in-person absentee voting, or in-person voting on election day, April 7, 2026.

Voting hours on election day are 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wisconsin voters are required to show an acceptable voter ID in order to vote. Additional voting information, including about polling places and requesting an absentee ballot, can be found on myvote.wi.gov

The last city revaluation occurred in 2023. After that was complete, the City Assessors Office scheduled future revaluations – with 2026 being the next planned revaluation year. The fact that a revaluation is occurring the same year as a referendum is being placed on the ballot is simply a coincidence, and there is no connection between the two.

Revaluations are completed not to increase the total revenue to a community, but to make sure that the taxes paid are equitable. In Wisconsin, the measure of equity is fair market value. While a revaluation can cause your taxes to go up, the City cannot use a revaluation to increase the property tax levy.  

When it comes to the city budget, there are two levies to consider.

Total Property Tax Levy = Operating Levy + Debt Levy

First, the operating levy is the amount needed to fund the ongoing, day-to-day governmental operations such as public safety, public works, parks, and library services. The city’s operating levy is limited by state-imposed levy limit laws which sets the amount of property tax Sun Prairie can collect from its residents. The increase in our operating levy is tied to our net new construction – which is the value of new construction and land improvements during the past year.

Second, the debt levy is equal to the amount needed to pay the city’s annual debt service payments (it is equal to the principal and interest due on our municipal borrowing). Think of this as the city’s mortgage payment on our infrastructure investments and improvements. The debt levy can only be used for this payment. Under state law, the debt service levy in not subject to levy limits and can raise as needed to pay back our obligations.

This referendum requests a single, permanent increase to the operating tax levy. If approved, the levy would go up once and establish a new starting point for the City’s annual budget. At the same time, the city anticipates being able to pay down a portion of our debt levy. As a result, the anticipated impact for residents is expected to be lower.

A 2023 staffing survey found that, at 63 sworn officers, the Sun Prairie Police Department has 6.79 fewer sworn officer positions than peer communities such as Fitchburg and Middleton. Despite recent increases in budget for staffing, referral bonuses, education incentives to attract officers and a formal lateral transfer program, it has been difficult to fill vacant SNPD positions.  

The City is experiencing the same police staffing challenges seen nationwide. And current staffing levels require a heavy reliance on overtime, which contributes to officer fatigue and creates challenges in retaining and attracting qualified personnel.  

An approved referendum would provide funds to hire an additional full-time patrol officer to support our existing staff, allowing us to reduce required overtime. With this investment, we would be able to better respond to the rising call volume for police services in Sun Prairie. 

Due to budget restraints, the Police Department has had to maintain the same, minimal staffing approach it has had in place since 2008. Insufficient staffing impacts the public safety services community members receive. For example:  

• Proactive services such as traffic engagement are delayed at times. 
• To manage increased call volumes, some service delivery methods may be reduced or eliminated – including adjustments to retail theft responses, animal service responses and a greater reliance on online reporting in place of in-person responses.   
• The inability to staff vacant District Liaison Officer positions has limited support for community engagement and collaboration, resulting in sharp decline in long-term problem-solving, pattern crime recognition and resolution, and drug enforcement. 

The addition of one patrol officer will allow us more capacity and improve our ability to serve the community. While not a complete solution to the challenges we face, it is a positive step forward in meeting the evolving public safety needs of Sun Prairie.  

As our community grows, so does the need for police services. We average 70 calls per day, and many of them are complex in nature. For example:  

• There has been a sharp increase in the number of mental health-related calls for service, including both voluntary and non-voluntary transports to a mental health facility or hospital.  
• Additionally, like many law enforcement agencies across the country, we are dealing with more complex cases that require digital evidence analysis for crimes against young children, cyber crimes and violent crime that requires more time spent on investigation.  

These calls take a considerable amount of time to respond to. And the amount of officer overtime needed to service our community leads to busier shifts, more calls and longer wait times in general. As our community has grown, the staffing model we’ve relied on for many years is no longer able to keep up with current demands. 

The Fire & EMS department relies on a blend of full-time career fire staff and a dedicated group of approximately 52 Paid on Premise (POP) part-time firefighters and 21 Fulltime Fire Division staff. EMS has 28 Fulltime Staff and 11 POP Staff. 

Our POP staff allow us to maintain 24/7 coverage across two stations. However, the POP model is under extreme pressure. Sun Prairie has become a premier training ground in our region, but other Wisconsin communities offer higher wages for part-time staff and more opportunities for full-time careers. This creates a “revolving door” effect. We invest heavily in training and outfitting of these professionals only to lose their expertise to larger departments.  

Additionally, we’re seeing a significant generational shift – younger professionals prioritize work-life balance and family over the intense, demanding and irregular hours of public safety careers. There’s also a national shortage of individuals interested in public safety careers due to the high physical and mental toll of the job.  

An approved referendum would allow for an investment in the Fire & EMS department to pay our POP staff higher wages, encouraging them to stay with Sun Prairie. It would also enable us to hire two full-time firefighters to ensure we’re able to maintain the high-quality emergency services our community expects, even as call volumes continue to rise.   

Sun Prairie Fire & EMS has long prioritized a cost-effective approach to public safety by:  

• Utilizing a blend of full-time and part-time/Paid-on-Premise professionals. By utilizing staff at an hourly rate without full benefits packages, this model saves the City more than $2 million each year.  
• Pursuing grants. In 2018, the City secured a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant, which provided 75% of the funding for three years to hire the initial full-time staff required to open and operate Station 2 on West Main Street.  
• Sharing services and cost distribution. The department serves the Town of Sun Prairie and the Town of Bristol through the Northeast Dane County Fire Unit (NEDFU). Under intergovernmental agreements, these towns share the costs of operations and apparatus, ensuring they receive the same service levels as the city while distributing the tax burden.  
• Relying on state-level funding and revenue. Each year, the Fire department receives approximately $250,000 by successfully completing the state’s 2% Fire Dues requirements. These funds, distributed by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, are specifically designated for fire prevention, training and equipment.  
• Merging with EMS. In 2024, the City merged its previously independent nonprofit fire department and municipal EMS department into a single city-run agency. This merger combined leadership under a single Fire & EMS Chief, reducing long-term city costs.  

Following the 2024 merger into a unified city department, Sun Prairie Fire & EMS structures its "All Hazards" response around these specialized divisions:

• Emergency Fire Response: The "boots on the ground" fire division responsible for fire suppression/Auto Extrication/Technical Rescue/HAZMAT/Gas Leaks/Ambulance Assists in the City and Towns of Bristol and Sun Prairie.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A dedicated 24/7 EMS Division providing advanced life support, recently streamlined in 2026 to focus primarily on providing the highest level of care to local residents.
• Enforcement & Community Risk Reduction (CRR): This expanded division combines legal safety standards with proactive community outreach to prevent emergencies before they happen.
• Emergency Management: The city's primary planning arm for large-scale disasters. This division oversees the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and maintains city-wide emergency preparedness according to federal standards.
• Fire Prevention Bureau: Reviews hundreds of building plans annually and conducts roughly 3,000 safety inspections on existing commercial structures to ensure they meet current design and engineering standards.
  • CRR Initiatives: The department uses data from past incidents to target specific risks, such as car seat installations, public education workshops, and smoke alarm programs designed to make the community more resilient.

It is a national "scorecard" (1–10) that measures a fire department's ability to protect its community. Class 1 is the highest possible, and Class 10 is the lowest. Sun Prairie is an ISO Class 2 Department. This elite status places Sun Prairie Fire & EMS in the top 3% of Fire/EMS departments in the United States.

 This means:

• Lower Insurance Costs: Most insurance companies use this rating to set premiums. A Class 2 rating often leads to lower property insurance rates for residents and businesses.
• Proven safety: It conforms our staffing, training and equipment meet the highest national standards.
• Reliable infrastructure: the rating also accounts for the city’s excellent water supply and 911 dispatch efficiency.

In Sun Prairie, we utilize a “Dual Response” model to provide the highest level of care. It is common to see both an ambulance and a fire engine at a medical emergency for three reasons:

• Faster life-saving care – Fire engines are often closer to your location than the nearest available ambulance. Our firefighters are licensed Emergency Medical Responders (EMR) or Paramedics  who carry advanced life-support equipment, including AEDs and oxygen. They can begin stabilizing a patient minutes before an ambulance arrives.
• Capacity for critical emergencies – Critical calls, such as cardiac arrests or major trauma, require more than two people to manage. An ambulance typically has a two-person crew. By dispatching a fire engine, we provide the extra hands needed to perform high-quality CPR, manage advanced airways, and safely lift and move patients into the ambulance.
• Scene Safety & All-Hazards Preparedness – On calls involving vehicle accidents or hazards, the fire engine provides a physical barrier to protect the medical crew from traffic and brings specialized rescue tools (like the "Jaws of Life") that ambulances do not carry. This ensures that no matter what the emergency evolves into, we have the right tools on scene immediately.

• Legos
• Sewing and crafting programs
• Cooking demos
• Jewelry making
• 3D printing
• Circutry and robotics
• Coding
• Audio and video recording
• Podcasting

Equipment in a Makerspace requires supervision and expertise.

A Makerspace Coordinator would also allow us to open the Makerspace for longer periods of time. Currently, we will only be able to open the space for planned programs hosted by library staff from other departments.

Absolutely! In the future, trained and skilled colunteers will be able toa ssist in the Makerspace. A Makerspace Coordinator would recruit, train and schedule volunteers.

Funding to build the Makerspace was provided by the Sun Prairie Education Foundation, in honor of Nancy Everson. 

A Makerspace Coordinator position was included in the City's 5-year (FMP) Financial Management Plan for 2026, but due to levy limits it is currently unfunded.

Our Makerspace, called "The Mixer" will open in June!

This year's programming budget is thanks to the generous supprt of the Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation. 

Stay tuned for more updates!

A 2023 staffing survey found that, at 63 sworn officers, the Sun Prairie Police Department has 6.79 fewer sworn officer positions than peer communities such as Fitchburg and Middleton. Despite recent increases in budget for staffing, referral bonuses, education incentives to attract officers and a formal lateral transfer program, it has been difficult to fill vacant SNPD positions.  

The City is experiencing the same police staffing challenges seen nationwide. And current staffing levels require a heavy reliance on overtime, which contributes to officer fatigue and creates challenges in retaining and attracting qualified personnel.  

An approved referendum would provide funds to hire an additional full-time patrol officer to support our existing staff, allowing us to reduce required overtime. With this investment, we would be able to better respond to the rising call volume for police services in Sun Prairie. 

Due to budget restraints, the Police Department has had to maintain the same, minimal staffing approach it has had in place since 2008. Insufficient staffing impacts the public safety services community members receive. For example:  

• Proactive services such as traffic engagement are delayed at times. 
• To manage increased call volumes, some service delivery methods may be reduced or eliminated – including adjustments to retail theft responses, animal service responses and a greater reliance on online reporting in place of in-person responses.   
• The inability to staff vacant District Liaison Officer positions has limited support for community engagement and collaboration, resulting in sharp decline in long-term problem-solving, pattern crime recognition and resolution, and drug enforcement. 

The addition of one patrol officer will allow us more capacity and improve our ability to serve the community. While not a complete solution to the challenges we face, it is a positive step forward in meeting the evolving public safety needs of Sun Prairie.  

As our community grows, so does the need for police services. We average 70 calls per day, and many of them are complex in nature. For example:  

• There has been a sharp increase in the number of mental health-related calls for service, including both voluntary and non-voluntary transports to a mental health facility or hospital.  
• Additionally, like many law enforcement agencies across the country, we are dealing with more complex cases that require digital evidence analysis for crimes against young children, cyber crimes and violent crime that requires more time spent on investigation.  

These calls take a considerable amount of time to respond to. And the amount of officer overtime needed to service our community leads to busier shifts, more calls and longer wait times in general. As our community has grown, the staffing model we’ve relied on for many years is no longer able to keep up with current demands. 

The Fire & EMS department relies on a blend of full-time career fire staff and a dedicated group of approximately 52 Paid on Premise (POP) part-time firefighters and 21 Fulltime Fire Division staff. EMS has 28 Fulltime Staff and 11 POP Staff. 

Our POP staff allow us to maintain 24/7 coverage across two stations. However, the POP model is under extreme pressure. Sun Prairie has become a premier training ground in our region, but other Wisconsin communities offer higher wages for part-time staff and more opportunities for full-time careers. This creates a “revolving door” effect. We invest heavily in training and outfitting of these professionals only to lose their expertise to larger departments.  

Additionally, we’re seeing a significant generational shift – younger professionals prioritize work-life balance and family over the intense, demanding and irregular hours of public safety careers. There’s also a national shortage of individuals interested in public safety careers due to the high physical and mental toll of the job.  

An approved referendum would allow for an investment in the Fire & EMS department to pay our POP staff higher wages, encouraging them to stay with Sun Prairie. It would also enable us to hire two full-time firefighters to ensure we’re able to maintain the high-quality emergency services our community expects, even as call volumes continue to rise.   

Sun Prairie Fire & EMS has long prioritized a cost-effective approach to public safety by:  

• Utilizing a blend of full-time and part-time/Paid-on-Premise professionals. By utilizing staff at an hourly rate without full benefits packages, this model saves the City more than $2 million each year.  
• Pursuing grants. In 2018, the City secured a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant, which provided 75% of the funding for three years to hire the initial full-time staff required to open and operate Station 2 on West Main Street.  
• Sharing services and cost distribution. The department serves the Town of Sun Prairie and the Town of Bristol through the Northeast Dane County Fire Unit (NEDFU). Under intergovernmental agreements, these towns share the costs of operations and apparatus, ensuring they receive the same service levels as the city while distributing the tax burden.  
• Relying on state-level funding and revenue. Each year, the Fire department receives approximately $250,000 by successfully completing the state’s 2% Fire Dues requirements. These funds, distributed by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, are specifically designated for fire prevention, training and equipment.  
• Merging with EMS. In 2024, the City merged its previously independent nonprofit fire department and municipal EMS department into a single city-run agency. This merger combined leadership under a single Fire & EMS Chief, reducing long-term city costs.  

Following the 2024 merger into a unified city department, Sun Prairie Fire & EMS structures its "All Hazards" response around these specialized divisions:

• Emergency Fire Response: The "boots on the ground" fire division responsible for fire suppression/Auto Extrication/Technical Rescue/HAZMAT/Gas Leaks/Ambulance Assists in the City and Towns of Bristol and Sun Prairie.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A dedicated 24/7 EMS Division providing advanced life support, recently streamlined in 2026 to focus primarily on providing the highest level of care to local residents.
• Enforcement & Community Risk Reduction (CRR): This expanded division combines legal safety standards with proactive community outreach to prevent emergencies before they happen.
• Emergency Management: The city's primary planning arm for large-scale disasters. This division oversees the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and maintains city-wide emergency preparedness according to federal standards.
• Fire Prevention Bureau: Reviews hundreds of building plans annually and conducts roughly 3,000 safety inspections on existing commercial structures to ensure they meet current design and engineering standards.
  • CRR Initiatives: The department uses data from past incidents to target specific risks, such as car seat installations, public education workshops, and smoke alarm programs designed to make the community more resilient.

It is a national "scorecard" (1–10) that measures a fire department's ability to protect its community. Class 1 is the highest possible, and Class 10 is the lowest. Sun Prairie is an ISO Class 2 Department. This elite status places Sun Prairie Fire & EMS in the top 3% of Fire/EMS departments in the United States.

 This means:

• Lower Insurance Costs: Most insurance companies use this rating to set premiums. A Class 2 rating often leads to lower property insurance rates for residents and businesses.
• Proven safety: It conforms our staffing, training and equipment meet the highest national standards.
• Reliable infrastructure: the rating also accounts for the city’s excellent water supply and 911 dispatch efficiency.

In Sun Prairie, we utilize a “Dual Response” model to provide the highest level of care. It is common to see both an ambulance and a fire engine at a medical emergency for three reasons:

• Faster life-saving care – Fire engines are often closer to your location than the nearest available ambulance. Our firefighters are licensed Emergency Medical Responders (EMR) or Paramedics  who carry advanced life-support equipment, including AEDs and oxygen. They can begin stabilizing a patient minutes before an ambulance arrives.
• Capacity for critical emergencies – Critical calls, such as cardiac arrests or major trauma, require more than two people to manage. An ambulance typically has a two-person crew. By dispatching a fire engine, we provide the extra hands needed to perform high-quality CPR, manage advanced airways, and safely lift and move patients into the ambulance.
• Scene Safety & All-Hazards Preparedness – On calls involving vehicle accidents or hazards, the fire engine provides a physical barrier to protect the medical crew from traffic and brings specialized rescue tools (like the "Jaws of Life") that ambulances do not carry. This ensures that no matter what the emergency evolves into, we have the right tools on scene immediately.

Without additional funding, the City will not be able to maintain existing service levels or make the investments necessary to improve priority services. 

Facing a budget deficit starting in 2027, difficult decisions will have to be made each year about how to cut services, programs and staffing levels to balance the budget. Decisions about specific cuts would occur at the City Council during annual budget deliberations.

If approved, a $3.95 million increase to the property tax levy would allow the City to hire one additional patrol officer, two full-time firefighters and increase wages for volunteer firefighters. Additional funds would be used to hire a part-time Makerspace Coordinator to deliver programming to Sun Prairie Public Library visitors. 

For the average single-family home in Sun Prairie (assessed at about $381,500 in value), we anticipate an approved referendum would increase property taxes by approximately $82 in 2027 (about $7 per month), with a maximum impact of $264 (about $22 per month).

Per $100,000 in assessed property value, we anticipate this translates to $21.50 annually ($1.80 per month) with a maximum potential impact of $69 annually ($5.75 per month).

In response to community input, the City has reduced long-term costs by more than $1 million, including by eliminating several vacant executive-level positions and by adjusting employee benefits.

The City of Sun Prairie is committed to ensuring fiscal responsibility, regularly identifying and implementing cost-saving and efficiency measures to maintain a balanced budget while investing to improve services and quality of life. 

These measures have included: 

• Reviewing and adjusting vendor contracts to generate savings;
• Partnering with community organizations and volunteers to leverage existing resources and increase impact, encourage efficiencies and foster collaboration;
• Pursuing grants and sponsorships to support City investments, offset costs and allow for the expansion of services and programming without increasing costs; 
• Exploring innovative solutions to generate revenue, such as impact fees, increasing recovery of indirect costs; and
• Instituting an annual $30 Municipal Vehicle Registration Fee or “wheel tax” to generate funds for transportation-related purposes. 

Despite these efforts, without additional funding, the City will not be able to maintain existing service levels or make the investments necessary to improve services.

Even with the $30 wheel tax that provides enough funding to meet needs through 2026, moving forward, projected growth and debt service adjustments will no longer be enough to allow Sun Prairie to continue meeting growing costs to provide existing services – let alone investing in service improvements.

The Sun Prairie Area School District passed an operational referendum in 2024. However, it is important to note that the school district and the City of Sun Prairie are separate governmental entities. Each has the authority to levy taxes and manage budgets independently. This means that the funding from the school district’s referendum is intended solely for the district's use.

Over time and with community growth, the City’s funding needs grow due to increasing costs for contracts, equipment and vehicles, as well as staff compensation. 

Providing public safety and other core municipal services requires having consistent, dedicated and expert staff to meet community needs. To retain and recruit staff to fill City positions and continue providing quality services, Sun Prairie has added staff and must continue offering competitive wages and benefits. State restrictions on property taxes do not allow municipalities to adjust the levy based on inflation.

Property taxes make up the City’s largest revenue stream. Existing sources of revenue and cost-saving measures are not enough to allow the City to meet growing costs or make investments to improve our community. 

By design, Wisconsin municipalities have a limited ability to increase funding to address increased expenses and make investments. 

“Levy limits” established by the State set the amount Sun Prairie can raise through property taxes. The City’s annual property tax increase is restricted to our net new construction – the value of new construction and land improvements within the City during the past year, minus the value of any demolitions or removal of land improvements. This amount is calculated as a percentage of the City’s total property value to get us the percentage tax increase that can be approved by the City Council. 

The legislative intent behind levy limits is to slow the growth of local property taxes. But there’s one major flaw with this approach: the limits imposed do not consider inflation and rising costs associated with a growing community such as ours. 

To put it simply, the allowed increase on property taxes is based on new buildings added each year, not rising costs or growing service needs. On average, Sun Prairie sees a 3% growth in net new construction each year. However, City expenditures have been increasing by an average of 8% each year. Costs like wages, contracts, equipment and maintenance are rising faster than the levy limit. 

Few other funding sources exist to help close projected gaps and balance the budget. Shared revenue (funds from the state) is limited, the City’s $30 wheel tax is helpful but by 2027 will not be enough, and grants and other external funds can only help with specific programs or capital projects. 

For many years, Sun Prairie was able to manage rising costs without exceeding state property tax levy limits because of strong growth and careful financial planning. As new homes and businesses were built, the City’s property value increased, creating limited room to fund services under state law. Temporary flexibility from debt service exemptions also helped absorb rising costs.

That flexibility has now been exhausted. In 2025, both the City’s operational and debt service levies reached their legal limits. Beginning in 2027, projected costs to maintain existing services exceed what the City is allowed to raise through property taxes, even with continued growth.

Tax Increment Financing is a tool used to support redevelopment and infrastructure in specific areas of the City. While TIF has helped Sun Prairie grow its tax base and invest in long-term community improvements, it cannot be used to fund day-to-day services. By law, revenue generated in TIF districts is restricted to paying for eligible project costs within those districts. It does not provide flexible funding to cover rising operational expenses, staffing needs, or service demands across the City.

Major facilities such as the utilities building and the library expansion were planned years in advance and funded primarily through debt, grants and restricted funding sources. These investments allowed the City to build and improve facilities, but they do not provide ongoing funding to operate them or to meet increasing service demands citywide.

The referendum is not about building new projects; it is about ensuring the City can maintain existing services and staff key departments so residents continue to receive the level of service they expect and rely on.

Additional information about the City’s April 2026 referendum can be found online at www.cityofsunprairie.com/referendum. Starting in February, staff and elected officials will be hosting in-person town halls in each district to share more information about the referendum and ask questions. More information will be shared once the times, dates and locations are determined. 

The City will also be sharing information on its social media channels, Sun Prairie Media Center channels, through outreach to local media, in mailers and during information sessions. More details about those meetings will be shared when available.

Sun Prairie voters can cast their vote in one of three ways: through absentee mail-in ballots, in-person absentee voting, or in-person voting on election day, April 7, 2026.

Voting hours on election day are 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wisconsin voters are required to show an acceptable voter ID in order to vote. Additional voting information, including about polling places and requesting an absentee ballot, can be found on myvote.wi.gov

The last city revaluation occurred in 2023. After that was complete, the City Assessors Office scheduled future revaluations – with 2026 being the next planned revaluation year. The fact that a revaluation is occurring the same year as a referendum is being placed on the ballot is simply a coincidence, and there is no connection between the two.

Revaluations are completed not to increase the total revenue to a community, but to make sure that the taxes paid are equitable. In Wisconsin, the measure of equity is fair market value. While a revaluation can cause your taxes to go up, the City cannot use a revaluation to increase the property tax levy.  

When it comes to the city budget, there are two levies to consider.

Total Property Tax Levy = Operating Levy + Debt Levy

First, the operating levy is the amount needed to fund the ongoing, day-to-day governmental operations such as public safety, public works, parks, and library services. The city’s operating levy is limited by state-imposed levy limit laws which sets the amount of property tax Sun Prairie can collect from its residents. The increase in our operating levy is tied to our net new construction – which is the value of new construction and land improvements during the past year.

Second, the debt levy is equal to the amount needed to pay the city’s annual debt service payments (it is equal to the principal and interest due on our municipal borrowing). Think of this as the city’s mortgage payment on our infrastructure investments and improvements. The debt levy can only be used for this payment. Under state law, the debt service levy in not subject to levy limits and can raise as needed to pay back our obligations.

This referendum requests a single, permanent increase to the operating tax levy. If approved, the levy would go up once and establish a new starting point for the City’s annual budget. At the same time, the city anticipates being able to pay down a portion of our debt levy. As a result, the anticipated impact for residents is expected to be lower.

• Legos
• Sewing and crafting programs
• Cooking demos
• Jewelry making
• 3D printing
• Circutry and robotics
• Coding
• Audio and video recording
• Podcasting

Equipment in a Makerspace requires supervision and expertise.

A Makerspace Coordinator would also allow us to open the Makerspace for longer periods of time. Currently, we will only be able to open the space for planned programs hosted by library staff from other departments.

Absolutely! In the future, trained and skilled colunteers will be able toa ssist in the Makerspace. A Makerspace Coordinator would recruit, train and schedule volunteers.

Funding to build the Makerspace was provided by the Sun Prairie Education Foundation, in honor of Nancy Everson. 

A Makerspace Coordinator position was included in the City's 5-year (FMP) Financial Management Plan for 2026, but due to levy limits it is currently unfunded.

Our Makerspace, called "The Mixer" will open in June!

This year's programming budget is thanks to the generous supprt of the Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation. 

Stay tuned for more updates!

See Assessor Homepage

• Exterior Inspections
• Interior Inspections
• Maintenance Inspections
• Sale Inspections

• Contact the Assessor’s Office at 608-825-1186.
• If your question cannot immediately be answered you will be directed to the appraiser for your area. If you have recently received an Assessment Change Notice, we encourage you to contact our office to make an appointment to meet with the appraiser during Open Book.
• Meet with the appraiser during Open Book.

Open Book is the period of time, just after the Assessor has completed the annual Assessment Roll. In Sun Prairie it is after the Assessment Change Notices have been mailed.

Visit our Recreation and Programs page for more information about registering for recreation and aquatics programs.

Refund requests must be made during Parks and Recreation Department business hours of Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. All participant program cancellation request must be received at least five business days prior to the start of the program. No refund will be issued after this time.  

Visit our website for details about our refund policy.

In the case of inclement weather, programs may be cancelled. Your safety is our concern. Classes will not be held if facilities are unsafe or if weather is dangerous.

Download the app "Rainout Line" in the App Store or Google Play. Once downloaded, search for Sun Prairie. We highly encourage customers to utilize Rainout Line as Rainout Line and Sun Prairie Parks and Recreation Department social media accounts will be the primary way to receive information about cancellations.  

For more information, visit our Weather Cancellation page.

We are pleased to offer financial assistance to individuals and families that reside in Sun Prairie that may not be in a position to participate due to financial hardship. Funding is available for those persons who qualify by filling out a scholarship application once per calendar year (January to December). Most programs are eligible under the scholarship program. Contact our office at 608-837-3449 to obtain a scholarship application or download the form.

The original permit fee covers the cost of typical inspections related to your project.  In the event that additional services are necessary - such as multiple re-inspections, excessive time required for the inspector to complete an inspection, or inspections that are not ready at the scheduled time, additional fees will be charged.

If the contractor pulls the permit they do have to provide proof of all required state credentials.  If the homeowner pulls the permit and is doing the work themselves (as long as they both own and occupy the residence) then they do not have to be licensed. Please call 608-825-1184 for more information.

You may pay tickets / citations at the window located in the lobby of the City Hall at 300 East Main Street. The window is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays).

Payments are accepted in the form of cash, money order, check or credit card. If you will be paying with a credit card, there is a 2.35% convenience fee.

Sun Prairie Municipal Court also accepts payments for tickets / citations online Call 608-837-7339 with any questions.

There are eight sites for polling purposes in the City of Sun Prairie. Your polling location is determined by the ward that you live in.  To find out where you vote, visit My Vote Wisconsin.

According to city ordinance, in order to protect the public health and public sanitation, the number of dogs and cats you can have is limited to no more than 2 dogs and 2 cats, or 3 animals (3 dogs, or 3 cats) of any 1 of the 2 species, shall be kept in or upon 1 residential unit or by 1 or more persons constituting 1 residential unit, unless the premises be licensed as a kennel. Get more information regarding this ordinance.

Anyone applying for a new operator's license must complete the Responsible Beverage Server Training course or show proof that they have been a licensed operator in the last two years in another Wisconsin municipality.

Information for obtaining an Operator's License can be found here.  

State Statutes and the City of Sun Prairie Ordinances requires all dogs five (5) months of age or older, to be vaccinated for rabies and licensed. Licenses are valid as of January 1st and expire on December 31st of each year and are to be purchased on an annual basis.

Additional information on how to obtain a Dog License can be found here.

Not every business that operates in the city is licensed by the City of Sun Prairie.  The City licenses some types of businesses while the county and state license other types of businesses.  You can contact our office at 837-2511 to inquire about licenses issued by the City of Sun Prairie.  If you have a problem with a particular business, you can contact the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin at 800-273-1002.

Yes.  There are Notary Publics in the City Clerk's Office.  This service is provided at no charge.

Answer: No.

Businesses that are open to the public and have no appropriate alcohol license cannot sell or give away or provide tastings of alcohol, including beer, wine, or spirits, to the public.

An alcohol license is required to serve alcohol beverages. Wis. Stat. s. 125.04(1) states that no person (person includes individuals, corporations, LLC’s, etc.) may sell or engage in any other activity for which this chapter provides a license without holding the appropriate license. The City of Sun Prairie forfeiture for violation of this statutory provision ranges from $250 - $500. The penalty under state law is a forfeiture of up to $10,000, nine months in jail, or both (Wis. Stat. s. 125.04 (13)).

If a business does not have an alcohol license, alcohol beverages cannot be sold or given away. Wis. Stat. s. 125.09(1) prohibits “consumption” of alcohol in unlicensed public places. For example, a business at an unlicensed premise cannot have an open house, grand opening, or event that caters to the general public and serves alcohol.

Any charge made directly or indirectly for the alcohol beverage requires the person in charge to hold the appropriate license. The term “sale” is broadly defined. “Sale” is a transfer with consideration or transfer without consideration, if made to evade law, or any shift, device, scheme, or transaction for obtaining an alcoholic beverage (Wis. Stat. s. 125.02(20)).

     - Examples of indirect charges include, but are not limited to, a ticket price including an alcohol beverage, cost of a meal including an alcohol beverage, a purchase of a service with a “free” alcohol beverage, or a donation required in order to consume an alcohol beverage.

Wis. Stat. s. 125.315 prohibits the “giving” of fermented malt beverages to evade law (i.e., businesses such as credit unions, barbershops, salons, etc., giving away beer to customers without a fermented malt beverage license). Wine and spirits also cannot be given away in the same manner under Wis. Stat. s. 125.67. Again, the penalty under state law is a forfeiture of up to $10,000, 9 months in jail, or both (Wis. Stat. s. 125.66).

In the last 10 years, the City of Sun Prairie has been one of the fastest growing communities in Dane County. As of January 2021, the city's population was 35,895. Please call 608-837-2511 or email us for more information.

  The community room at the Westside Community Center is available for renting through the Recreation Department. You may reserve the Community Room by visiting Recreation Web page , by phone at 608-837-3449, or via email. The Community room at City Hall is currently not available for renting. 

The Sun Prairie Recycle Center is located at 1798 South Bird Street. To view the hours the Recycle Center is open, please visit the Department of Public Works page.

Raffles are governed by the Wisconsin Division of Administration.  If you have questions regarding Raffles, please call 608-270-2552 or 800-791-6973 or visit their website.

The best way to obtain information regarding the public schools is by visiting the Sun Prairie School District website.

Marriage licenses are available at the Dane County Clerk's Office.

If you were born in Wisconsin a copy of your birth certificate is available in the Wisconsin Vital Records Office at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, located at:

1 W Wilson St

Madison, WI 53703

PH 608-266-1371

Passports are available at the Post Office. At some locations, they may even take your passport photo. Please visit the USPS website for more information.

Click here to go to the official United States Postal Service's Office's website. Or you can call (608) 834-0952 to reach someone at the local Sun Prairie office.

EMS is an acronym for Emergency Medical Services.  The profession was born from the battlefield in the Napoleonic era when Napoleon’s physician Dominque-Jean Larrey used horse-drawn carts as the first “ambulance” to move injured soldiers off of the battlefield to a treatment area.  The idea made its way to the United States during the Civil War.  In WWI, the United States Army used non-physicians in the trenches to treat casualties; in WWII, these men entered combat and became the corpsmen and medics we know today.  In the 1950s, civilian programs began developing and by the mid-1960s, the EMS profession in the United States started to take shape. Click Here for more EMS History 

1. Early detection
2. Early reporting
3. Early response
4. On-scene care
5. Care in transit
6. Transfer to definitive care

The public should know that we work hard, we train hard, and we are grateful for the privilege of being able to help others in their times of need.  And we are human, too. We do this job because it's our choice to be there and help people. If your loved one's heart stops, we will do everything we know how to save them as if they were our own family. If we have to tell you that we can't save them, you should know that we hurt, too. Our job means that we sometimes have to see awful things that most people cannot imagine. Our job means that we miss out on a lot of things with our families. We do this job because we’re smart and strong and we have the mettle it takes, and a simple ‘thank you’ means the world to us.

Emergency Medical Services professionals object to the term “ambulance driver”.  The education and training required to work as a paramedic can take a full year to achieve and cost in excess of $6000.  Additionally, the Sun Prairie paramedics dedicate themselves to serving the community at great personal sacrifice including loss of family time, a job that is inherently dangerous, and considerable physical and mental stresses.  The City of Sun Prairie is committed to providing its citizens the highest possible pre-hospital medical care, and so all Sun Prairie EMS employees are state-certified paramedics; many have also earned the distinction of being Nationally Registered Paramedics through the NREMT.

In EMS, there is no such thing as a lunch or dinner break, and the paramedics must provide their own meals. They are required to be ready to respond at all times during their 24-hour shift, and so each crew will typically try to bring groceries with them at the start of their shift, but when they cannot, they will make a quick trip to the store. Sometimes they might stop by a restaurant if they have not had time to prepare a meal at the station. In order to be judicious with City resources, the crews are diligent to make sure that such a stop coincides with a trip they were already making, such as on the way back from an incident or the hospital.

 A Sun Prairie Police Officer (within the City) or a Dane County Sherriff's Deputy might respond before or with the ambulance crew. The Sun Prairie Fire Department might respond to a serious car accident, fire, or carbon monoxide emergency.  These additional resources are sent when the information that is provided to the 911 dispatcher suggests that they might be helpful, or necessary in an emergency.

Lights and sirens are only used in emergent situations, which means that the situation is time sensitive, and the transportation needs to be faster than normal. We always try to get to the patient and then to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible, but it's not always necessary to use the lights and sirens.  Whether to use our lights and sirens is decided on a case by case basis based on the information that we have available to us either on our way to a call, or after we meet our patient.

Running is risky – if they were to trip and fall, then they would be of no help to the person who needed them, and they would probably become a patient themselves.  Running prevents them from surveying a scene thoroughly, and they might overlook a hazard like a protective dog, a weapon in the room, downed power lines, or similar.  Running also elevates their own heart rate and respirations, which does not create a sense of calm for their patients, and makes it difficult for them to think clearly and act deliberately.

In most cases, we are able to respect a patient's wishes as to which hospital they would like to go to. If you aren't sure which hospital to go to, the paramedics can help you decide which one may be preferred based on the patient's medical condition and/or any insurance they may have. In some cases, the patient's emergency dictates which hospital we will need go to. For example, serious trauma patients will almost always be transported to UW Hospital because they are the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the area. A woman in labor would be brought to Meriter or St. Mary's since UW doesn't normally treat OB/Gyn patients. If a patient is very sick and needs to be seen and treated by a doctor within minutes, we may take them to St. Mary's Sun Prairie Emergency Center as it is the closest hospital where they can receive stabilizing care before continuing on to their hospital of choice.

When you call 911 simply let the dispatcher know of the special circumstances.  Also, completing a File of Life card and keeping it on your refrigerator for each family member can help once the ambulance arrives.  For advanced concerns, consider alerting Sun Prairie EMS in advance if your child or loved one lives in the area and has specific needs that will influence how the paramedics care for them.  There are several options available for us to ensure that we are aware of you special needs and can respond to it appropriately.  

Sun Prairie EMS will provide ambulance transportation to all patients, no matter their medical condition or their ability to pay.  Hospital emergency rooms, however, triage patients based on how serious their medical condition is, regardless of how they got there.  In some cases, people might take an ambulance to the hospital only to find themselves in the same waiting room they would have entered had they driven their own car.

Locally, the Madison Area Technical College offers paramedic training, and many Sun Prairie EMS paramedics received their training there.  Other programs exist around Wisconsin and in neighboring states, and scholarship programs are available (search the internet for the most updated information).  If you’d like to get a first-hand look at what it’s like to be a paramedic in Sun Prairie, please contact us and we’ll be glad to give you a tour of the station! Fill out a job interest card here.

When a driveway is being replaced, modified, or a new driveway is installed, you need to complete a Driveway Permit. The fee for the permit is $25. Permits applications can be accessed here.

Check Bid Opportunities page for current bid and subscribe on the specific sites. 

A Street Opening Permit is required to create any opening or excavation within the City of Sun Prairie in any:

• public street
• Public alley
• Public way
• Public ground
• Public sidewalk
• City-owned easement

The fee for the permit is $100. Permit application can be accessed here. 

Visit our Permits page to find out when an Erosion Control or Stormwater Management Permit is required.

The 1st Dollar Credit is a credit on your property tax bill for any real estate parcel on which at least one improvement by the land owner is located. The credit should be automatically applied to all qualifying properties. This value is calculated every year by the Department of Revenue after considering the projected number of claims and school property tax rates (for K-8, Union High, and K-12 school districts).

The credit on the 2024 property tax bills for eligible parcels is $92.42. For taxpayers who pay their taxes in 2 or more installments, the credit is applied equally to each installment.

Multiply the assessed value of your property by the mill rate, add the refuse and recycling costs, subtract the state lottery credit amount (if eligible), and subtract the first dollar credit (if eligible).

Visit our Volunteer with the Museum page for more information about becoming a museum volunteer.

Visit our Donate to the Museum page for more information about donating items to our collection.

Visit our Conducting Historical Research page for more information.

KSUN can be seen on Charter TV: 983 and TDS TV: 13/1013 and online at sunprairiemediacenter.com/ksun. KIDS-4 can be seen on Charter TV: 984 and TDS TV: 14/1014. 

Visit our User Guidelines page for more information about our policies.

No. the Sun Prairie Fire Department has specified through ordinance that all key access boxes be Knox Box brand. Knox offers the most fail safe and secure program available. Call 608-837-5066, ext. 3 for more information.

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Please contact the Human Resources Department if you have missed a deadline for a job posting.  If we have not yet received a sufficient number of applications, your information may be considered.  If a significant amount of time has passed after the posted deadline, we may be too far in the selection process for your late application to be considered.  We encourage everyone to review our various job descriptions and sign up to receive a system-generated emails when new jobs are posted.  Please contact us if you have any questions. 

Sun Prairie does an annual testing process for police officers. This is normally done in the spring of each year. Persons interested in this process should fill out a Job Interest Card and we will send you an email when the Police Officer Recruitment process begins.

The City does not currently have a short-term rental use or license defined by city ordinance and therefore do not have any standards in addition to those required by the State of Wisconsin or Dane County. Short term rentals and lodging establishments, such as hotels, are regulated under the same administrative code in Wisconsin State Statutes with licensing and health inspections being the same. 

A short-term rental is considered to be the lease of any residential dwelling, or part thereof, for periods less than 30 days whereas rooming for a period of 30 days or more is considered a conventional lease arrangement. The term "Hotel" means a place where sleeping accommodations are offered for pay to transients, in 5 or more rooms, and all related rooms, buildings and areas. In simpler terms, if an establishment is planning to operate 5 or more rooms under the same legal entity, it would considered be a hotel by the state.

Short-term rentals are required to have a Dane County license, regardless of municipal treatment, as well as state license for remittance of room taxes. Should any complaint be issued against a short-term rental, staff will contact Dane County to verify compliance with an issued license.

The future land use (FLU) map is contained in the City's Comprehensive Plan and identifies areas by their primary intended uses, character, and densities. The FLU map contains different land use categories that together illustrate the city's land use vision. These categories are not zoning districts and do not establish binding performance criteria for land uses, nor are they intended to list every possible use that may be permitted.

 Zoning is the most common method of land use control used by local governments and is one of the main regulatory tools through which the Comprehensive Plan is implemented. Zoning refers to the division of land into distinct areas or zones, each with specific regulations dictating land use, building heights, density, and other factors. The primary purpose of zoning is to regulate land use and development in a manner that promotes orderly growth, protects property values, and ensures the health, safety, and welfare of the community.

 Refer to "Mapping the Future" - a guide to planning and zoning on the Planning Division's Website.

A zoning permit is required from the Planning Division for any addition of use, change of use, or reactivation of a prior use for all permitted non-residential uses. Any parking lot expansion or site alteration also requires a zoning permit. Construction of a one- or two-family dwelling unit no longer requires a separate zoning permit from the Planning Division and shall be submitted directly for a building permit through the City's web-based application software system, OpenGov. 

An interactive map of the city's zoning districts is available on the Planning Division's website. This map is updated regularly as zoning map amendments, i.e. "Rezones," are approved by the City Council. 

Refer to Section 17.12.050 for statements regarding the purpose and intent of standard zoning districts contained in the zoning ordinance.

The City's zoning ordinance considers attached decks and porches as an extension of the primary structure and are therefore subject to those applicable setback requirements of Section 17.24.030. The following exceptions may be considered:

• Terraces, steps, uncovered porches, decks, stoops, or similar appurtenances that do not extend more than three (3) feet above grade may be setback up to eight (8) feet from the rear lot line. 
• Balconies or similar appurtenances, such as a deck, that extend more than three (3) feet above grade may extend into a required rear yard up to six (6) feet.
• A front or street yard setback reduction for terraces, steps, uncovered porches, decks, stoops, or similar appurtenances to residential buildings may be considered as long as they are not located closer than fifteen (15) feet from any street right-of-way and do not extend above the floor level of the adjacent building entrance.

 Refer to Section 17.24.080 - Intrusions into required yards

All fences, landscape walls, or decorative posts may be located on any property line abutting a side or rear yard and a minimum of two (2) feet from the street yard property line (also referred to as the right-of-way). The maximum height of any residential fence, landscape wall, or decorative post shall be six (6) feet except when located within 20-feet of a street yard property line, the maximum height is four (4) feet. 

 For residential lots fronting more than one street, a six (6) foot tall fence may be located within 20-feet of a street yard property line on the side yard with administrative approval of a special use permit (SUP) as long as the fence is setback appropriately to allow landscaping on its external side and the increase in height does not obstruct vision for intersecting streets, driveways, sidewalks or other traffic areas. A six (6) foot tall fence may be located within 20-feet of a street yard property line in the front yard with approval of a conditional use permit (CUP), subject to the same conditions as an SUP. A CUP requires a public hearing with the City’s Plan Commission. 

 Fences should remain out of all easements when possible. Please consult with city staff if easements, or other natural areas such as wetlands, are present on your property. All fences require a building permit from the Building Inspection Division prior to installation: https://cityofsunprairie.com/197/Fences 

Refer to Section 17.36.200 - Fencing standards

A Web Application (Current Planning Projects) is available on the Planning Division's website for viewing development projects approved by the Planning Division for construction. This web app includes current planning and zoning projects under review by city staff for either consideration by Plan Commission or administrative approval. 

 Current planning and zoning projects include new construction, new uses or change of use requiring a conditional use permit (CUP), land divisions (subdivisions/plats), annexations, conceptual plans for a planned development, and amendments to the zoning ordinance, zoning map, and Comprehensive Plan. This web application represents planning and zoning level review only and does not represent the issuance of building permits. 

Planned Developments are special districts aimed at revitalizing neglected areas in the community and supporting types of development that the city’s zoning rules don't allow. They seek to enhance the city's appearance and economy by giving more flexibility in how sites are designed and developed, allowing for more creative land use and design options. 

 Planned developments allow for changes to specific land rules and other regulations. In return for this flexibility, they must uphold higher standards in site design and architecture compared to regular developments. These projects follow special procedures and need a public hearing, combining steps from zoning map changes and conditional use processes, along with extra requirements. Planned developments are initiated by property owner(s) and are evaluated for consistency with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and other adopted plans and policies.

 The Planned Development Proposal Process is outlined on the Planning Division's website: https://cityofsunprairie.com/1782/Planned-Development-Proposal-Process

Refer to Section 17.12.080 - Planned development (PD) district procedures.

A duplex house and twin house are both considered to be single-family residences attached on one side to another single-family residence. The duplex house is distinguished from the twin house merely by having both units located on a single lot. Converting a duplex to a twin home requires a certified survey map (CSM) to be submitted to the City's Planning Division for administrative review as a minor land division. If the residence is served by a single sanitary lateral, a plumbing maintenance agreement shall be submitted with the CSM and signed by all land owners and recorded with the Dane County Register of Deeds in conjunction with recording of the CSM. Please note that a CSM must be prepared by a registered land surveyor per State of Wisconsin Statutes. 

 Refer to Section 16.24.010 - Land divisions by certified survey.

No. The City is responsible for enforcing its adopted Code of Ordinances. Many subdivision organizations such as a Homeowner's Association (HOA) have its own set of rules and guidelines established to guide use, allowable structures, and design, generally referred to as a Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions. These covenants are recorded in the Dane County Register of Deeds office and are privately regulated and enforced. The city does not regulate private covenants.

The Sun Prairie Fire and EMS is currently a combination (having both paid on premise and career members) department that staffs both Stations are 24/7.

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• Have your carts at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day.
• The cart lid should be closed. If it is overflowing, it will not be collected.
• Leave space between the carts so the truck's mechanical arms can grab each cart to empty them.

Please visit the Recycle Center page to review the center's hours.

Review a list of materials accepted (PDF) at the Recycle Center.

Potholes can be reported though Request Tracker.

City of Sun Prairie does not offer an animal control unit. Call Public Health of Madison & Dane County for the following situations: aggressive animals (Sun Prairie PD), animal bites (Sun Prairie PD), animals in traffic causing safety hazards, dogs in unauthorized park areas (or Sun Prairie PD), investigation of cruelty/neglect complaints, rabies quarantine, sick or injured animals (wild or domestic), and stray or running at large domestic animals. The number to call is (608) 267-1989. This agency does not respond for barking dogs (call Sun Prairie PD) or wild animal nuisances.

You can access the residential refuse and recycling schedule and  map by clicking here. 

You may pay tickets / citations at the records bureau windows located in the lobby of the police departments at either 300 East Main Street or 2598 West Main Street. The records bureau is open from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays). Please note that payments are accepted in the form of cash, money order, check, debit card and credit card. (There is a 2.35% service fee to use a credit or debit card). The Sun Prairie Police Department also accepts payments for tickets / citations online. There is a service fee of 2.35% to make online payments, as well. To pay online, you will need your citation / ticket number and the amount due on your citation. After authorization of your payment, you will be sent a confirmation email that you should keep for your records. Call 608-837-7339 with any questions.

If you have been the victim of a personal or property crime, and wish to report it to the police for investigation, an officer will need to speak with you directly. We do not take these types of complaints over the phone.

You can either come to the police department to file the report or call our main number at 608-837-7336, and an officer will be dispatched to your location.

Those interested in scheduling a tour of the police department should contact the Sun Prairie Police Department Records Bureau at 608-837-7339. The records bureau is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Sun Prairie Police Department does not install car seats; however, the Sun Prairie Volunteer Fire Department provides certified technicians to inspect your child car seat, and show you how to correctly install and use it free of charge. Schedule your appointment today!

More information available on the Sun Prairie Volunteer Fire Department page.

Visit our Parking Restrictions page for more information.

Sun Prairie area residents can renew their license plate stickers at both Pick N' Save locations (east and west) and Woodman's. Residents seeking to renew their license stickers should bring their license plate number to the store and their I.D. Clerks will process the renewal and provide the citizen with a new license plate sticker at the counter / kiosk.

• Pick N' Save East at 640 East Main Street
• Pick N' Save West at 2538 Ironwood Drive
• Woodman's at 1099 South Grand Avenue

Fingerprint services are temporarily suspended as of Monday, March 11, 2024.

The Sun Prairie Police Department has temporarily suspended fingerprint operations for the general public. Other area agencies that offer the same service are listed below with their days and times.  Please call the agency beforehand to ensure the information has not changed.

Madison Police Department

(608) 266-4075

Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

McFarland Police Department

(608) 838-3151

By appointment only

Only offer electronic fingerprinting

Middleton Police Department

(608) 824-7300

Wednesdays only 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (appointments encouraged, but not required)

Only offer electronic fingerprinting

UW Police Department

(608) 265-3279

Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. (appointments encouraged, but not required)

Offer both electronic and ink

Waunakee Police Department

(608) 849-4523

Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Only offer ink fingerprinting

To report a crash, please call 9-1-1 or our non-emergency number, 608-837-7336. You must exchange names, addresses, and license numbers with the driver and / or occupants of the vehicle struck.

If law enforcement is not contacted, self report the accident to the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles.

Those interested in scheduling a ride along should fill out the Citizen Observer Application. This form should then be either mailed or dropped off at the police department. Should you have any questions, please contact the Sun Prairie Police Department Records Bureau at 608-837-7339.

Dog licenses are processed through the Clerk's office.

Requests for police records may be submitted through the following link - https://sunprairiewi.justfoia.com/publicportal/home/track.

Requests will be fulfilled as soon as practicable and without delay based on the order in which they were received. Ten working days generally is a reasonable time for responding to a simple request for a limited number of easily identifiable records. For requests that are broader in scope or that require locating, review, or redaction of many documents, a reasonable time for responding may be longer.

When 3 or more inches of snowfall occurs, the City declares a "Snow Emergency." Parking is prohibited on all streets until the snow emergency has been cancelled. Cars parked on a City street in violation of a Snow Emergency may be ticketed or towed. There is a $50.00 fine for parking in violation of a Snow Emergency.

Snow Emergency warnings are called in to local radio and TV stations. You may also check the city website and our Facebook or call the Department of Public Works at 608-837-3050.

Another option is to sign up for Nixle. Nixle is free and every time a Snow Emergency is declared, an alert will be sent out to those that are signed up. Information can be received online and via e-mail. Residents receive messages by phone as part of their text-messaging plan (otherwise standard text message rates apply). The system is simple to use and provides an easy sign-up process. Register now and learn more at the Nixle website.

Nixle’s Community Information Service is built exclusively to provide secure and reliable communications. Its authenticated service connects City agencies to citizens in real time, delivering information to residents of geographically targeted areas and neighborhoods. Citizen questions about the service and its capabilities can be answered through the Frequently Asked Questions page on the Nixle website. Should you need additional assistance, Nixle provides free citizen support via email.

Information regarding alarm permits for residential and businesses can be found on the Security Alarm Permit page.

The Sun Prairie Police Department has free cable locks available for pick up at the following locations:

• City Hall Police Department, 300 East Main Street
• Westside Community Building Police Department, 2598 West Main Street

If you are a gun owner and do not currently have a safety lock of some sort on your firearm, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to help make your home and our community as safe as it can be. No I.D. or additional information is needed for pick up. In addition, you may pick up multiple locks. 

We hope you will take advantage of this free firearm cable locks program. We appreciate your help in keeping Sun Prairie and our surrounding communities the safest they can be. If you have questions, please contact the Sun Prairie Police Department at 837-7336.

Bicycle licenses are available at the police department during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). You can also complete the application online. There is no fee to register a bike. The license is valid for the lifetime of the bicycle. The following information is needed to obtain your bicycle license and sticker:

• Color of bike
• Make and model of bike (new or used)
• Seat, frame, fender, and rim colors
• Serial number of bike
• Speed
• Tire size
• Type of brakes (hand, coaster)

Information on our Med Drop Program can be found here.  Med Drop

Call Sun Prairie Utilities at 608-837-5500, submit it on the Sun Prairie Utilities Website

Over 40 parks, with varying amounts of available activities are located within City of Sun Prairie limits. Parks and open space locations can be found by visiting Parks and Open Space.

Sign up begins around March each year, after previous participants are notified about renewing their participation. Individuals or groups interested in volunteering for this program should visit the Blooming of Sun Prairie.

TIF is short for tax increment financing. TID is short for tax increment district. Tax increment financing (TIF) is the economic tool available by creating a tax increment district (TID).

When a tax increment district (TID) is created, the value of the property at that point in time is set as the base value. The taxes created by the base value continue to pay out to the taxing jurisdictions at the same rate, while the increased value from the base rate that are paid in new taxes are leveraged to fund additional improvements that will continue to increase the value of the property further over the base value. Each TID has a set life that is allowed to have this fund available. When the life of the TID comes to close, all of the taxes then will be released to the taxing jurisdictions.

Graphics source: Vierbicher & Associations

The goals of the City of Sun Prairie’s use of TIF include:  

• The diversification of its economic base through the retention and expansion of existing businesses
• The redevelopment of the areas that are blighted or in need of redevelopment    
• The attraction of new industrial uses and employment centers    
• The assistance to other projects of special community interest 
• The establishment of new employment opportunities for our residents  
• The expansion of our local tax base

To reserve a park shelter with Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry, follow these steps:

1. Online Reservations: Visit our Facilities Rental page and use the online reservation system to check availability and submit a request.
2. In-Person Reservations: You can also visit our office during regular business hours (8:00 am–4:30 pm, Monday through Friday) to reserve a facility.

Shelters and gazebos are available for private rental from May 1 through September 30, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, with specific fees based on shelter type and residency status. The Wetmore Park East Shelter is available from March through December.

For more details on shelter availability, fees, and terms, please review our Facilities Rental page. Contact us at Rec@cityofsunprairie.com or (608) 837-3449 with any questions.

Refund/Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be made at least 10 days prior to the reservation date to qualify for a refund, minus a $20 withdrawal fee.

Yes! Dogs are welcome in City parks, provided that:

• The dog must be under the control of the owner at all times
• The dog must be on a non-retractable leash, held in hand at all times, that is no more than 6 feet in length
• The dog must be properly licensed in the municipality that it primarily resides in
• The owner must pick up after the dog
• Only service dogs permitted in playground areas, tennis courts, pickleball courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts, athletic fields, baseball diamonds, the Family Aquatic Center, the Tom & Rita Tubbs Splashpad and Playground, park restrooms/changing facilities, or ice rinks.

For more information on the rules and regulations of City of Sun Prairie parks, please see Chapter 12.44 of the Sun Prairie Municipal Code.