A New Berlin voter is raising concerns about a mailer sent by the city explaining a $3 million public safety referendum on the November ballot, saying he believes the flyer goes beyond informing voters and instead encourages the m to support the measure.They shouldnt be doing it. They should not be doing this, Joe Mikolajczak said. Mikolajczak brought the mailer to TMJ4 and said he believes the information presented by the city favors passage of the referendum.I believe it is a pro pamphlet to vote for the referendum, Mikolajczak said.The $3 million referendum asks voters to allow the city to increase its tax levy to hire additional police officers and firefighters. If approved, the owner of a $400,000 home would pay about $166 more per year in property taxes. TMJ4 spoke with other New Berlin voters who received the flyer and found differing opinions about its message.When asked whether the flyer influenced their vote, one voter simply said, No.Another said, No, I think it just informed.But another voter saw it differently. When asked whether the mailer appeared to be trying to influence voters, the person responded, Oh sure. Absolutely. City says mailers were meant to inform votersTMJ4 reached out to the City of New Berlin about the concerns.The city said it sent two flyers to inform residents about the November 3 ballot question, including why the City is requesting additional Police and Fire staffing, the proposed staffing additions, the estimated property tax impact, and what a Yes or No vote would mean. The mailings focused on explaining the referendum question approved by the Common Council, including what voters are being asked to decide, the proposed funding, its intended uses, and the operational needs that led to the staffing request. The city maintains the mailers were intended to provide factual information to residents. Political attorney weighs inTMJ4 also asked political attorney Michael Maistelman to review the pamphlet. Maistelman has represented Gov. Tony Evers and former Gov. Jim Doyle and represented Tim Russell, who worked for Scott Walker during the John Doe.(This is a correction from earlier, which incorrectly stated he worked for former Gov. Walker.) The government has every right to educate the voter, to inform the voter, Maistelman said.But he said there can be a line between informing voters about a ballot question and encouraging them to vote a particular way.My concern is if it looks at it as a whole, if the emphasis is to encourage someone to vote a certain way, then that is a problem, Maistelman said.The city disagrees that its mailers crossed that line, maintaining that the materials were designed to provide residents with factual information about the referendum.Maistelman said a citizen who believes a violation occurred can file a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission and ask the agency to review it.How to contact the Wisconsin Elections CommissionResidents who have concerns about an election-related issue can contact the Wisconsin Elections Commission directly.The commission can be reached by phone at 608-266-8005, toll-free at 866-VOTE-WIS (866-868-3947) or by email at [email protected]. Its office is at 201 W. Washington Ave., 2nd Floor, Madison, WI 53707, and regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.mThis story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less