New Prague residents pushing back on new $10M police station

Pushback to the $10M New Prague police station

Some New Prague residents are frustrated about a $10 million project and future tax increase that was approved by the city without a public hearing.

“We really don’t get a voice when everything’s already done,” Brian Paulson, a New Prague resident, said. “Feels like they don’t really care about our taxes.”A multimillion-dollar blueprint is becoming a reality in New Prague.

According to the city, a new police station will give the police department more space to do their jobs while creating a central hub for first responders.

“A police station may be needed, but maybe they could reduce the scope,” Paulson said.

Some residents are worried about a tax increase to fund the project.

“We have the school tax increases, the county, all sorts of tax increases. So it just really compounds, and then our food is getting more expensive,” Paulson said.

Paulson wanted to voice those concerns in front of the city council, but officials did not hold a legally required public hearing before they decided to move forward with construction.“There was an error made. No one knows exactly who made the error, but when you do CIP bonds for projects, they are supposed to go to a public hearing letting the public have their opinion on the say,” said New Prague Mayor Charles Nickolay. “That did not happen; the council went ahead and approved the bond issuance with our bond council.”Nickolay, who previously served as mayor, returned to office in May 2025 after the former mayor, Duane J. Jirik, resigned.

Nickolay said the city caught the mistake two months after it gave the project the green light. He explained that a tax increase is on the horizon, but the amount is still a question mark.“I told our city administrator I’d like to get between that 5, 7 to 8 percent tax increase that would be in effect for next year, but we’ll have to see once we get in that budget process,” Nickolay said.

Nickloay called the lack of a public hearing a “mistake” and ensured transparency in the future.“Everything else was done out there in the public, there was nothing done behind closed doors like everyone’s implying,” he said. “I think overall, the majority of the citizens in New Prague understand that we do need a new police station and are supporting it.”The city will discuss this topic at the next city council meeting on Monday.
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