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Would the four suburban counties taxed to build the Milwaukee Brewers stadium provide local tax money for stadium improvements?

By Tom Kertscher
NO

Legislation to provide $546 million in public funds for American Family Field improvements would not require contributions from the suburban Milwaukee counties of Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha.

The Republican-led bill is scheduled for an Assembly vote Oct. 17, 2023.

The state would contribute $411 million and the city and county of Milwaukee a total of $135 million. The Milwaukee Brewers would contribute $100 million.

Exempting the suburban counties would be a change from the funding formula that built the stadium.

A 0.1% sales tax imposed in the five counties raised $609 million over 24 years for construction of what was originally known as Miller Park, which opened in 2001. The tax ended in 2020.

The board of the state-created Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, which enacted the sales tax, has members from the five counties.

The district owns 64% and the Brewers own the rest of the stadium.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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