It’s ‘no way’ on new tax

Local leaders join county in opposing a regional arena tax

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

If there’s one thing local lawmakers can agree on right now, it’s that Racine County doesn’t need another Miller Park taxing fiasco.

The Racine County Board unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday evening opposing any regional taxation that would help support a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The resolution also opposes any extension of the Miller Park tax.

Ideas are still being explored as to how to fund a renovation of the BMO Harris Bradley Center – or even a new arena – but both the county board and other area entities have made it clear that the money should not be coming from Racine County.

Racine County Executive James Ladwig said, “Racine County wanted to be proactive and clear in our opposition to being part of any financing plan for a new NBA and entertainment arena or any improvements to the existing Bradley Center.”

Ladwig told the Burlington Rotary Club Monday that he began banging drum of opposition recently and then asked the County Board to back him with a resolution.

“It just frustrates me,” he said of the specter of a regional tax. “They want to beat you over the head with the regional tax concept, but shouldn’t (the benefit from) that flow both ways.”

Ladwig said Racine County receives virtually no economic benefit from a downtown Milwaukee arena, so why should its residents be asked to help pay for it.

City of Burlington Mayor Bob Miller heartily agreed.

“I would agree with the county executive and the County Board,” Miller said. “Why is Racine County and the City of Burlington paying for an arena that benefits downtown Milwaukee?”

Miller then said it would be interesting to see what would happen in Milwaukee County if he proposed, say, a multi-million dollar waterpark in the City of Burlington – and asked Milwaukee to help pay for it.

“I think the reaction would be ‘no way,’” said Miller.

He added that there are no plans at this time for the city to take action and adopt its own resolution, but rather he and the council would wait and see what funding proposals are suggested.

The Town of Burlington isn’t going to wait, though. At last week’s Town Board meeting, the supervisors and Town Chairman Ralph Rice unanimously agreed to draft a resolution that echoes what the County Board adopted.

Rice said Tuesday evening that the town – and other area governments – had more than enough to worry about without being taxed for something his citizens may or may not use.

“By golly, we have enough things to take care of right in this area for our people,” Rice said. “Let’s do that.

“We have enough work here to try and balance our own budget without putting more on the back of our taxpayers.”

The resolution approved by the County Board points out that Racine County and all of the local municipalities in the county have quality of life assets that are covered in local budgets without imposing an additional tax on taxpayers who live outside Racine County.

The resolution also formally opposes any extension of the Miller Park stadium tax, in any way that deviates from the original purpose.

That tax proved to be a political hot potato when it was approved in 1996. State Sen. George Petak, who represented the Racine area was essentially the deciding vote in that instance – a vote that drew the ire of local taxpayers and cost Petak his job in the next election.

When Petak changed his vote in favor of the tax he said he believed Miller Park would create on economic benefit for the entire region, not just Milwaukee.

That type of thinking, however, has faded with the passage of time and difficult reality of current budgets.

“In my opinion, the residents of Racine County have zero desire to be part of it,” Ladwig said Tuesday.

This story includes reporting by Editor in Chief Ed Nadolski.