Chairman Lipscomb Calls for Referendum on $60 Wheel Tax

MILWAUKEE – After listening to residents at Monday’s public hearing on the budget, which County Executive Abele did not attend, County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb Sr. has called for an advisory referendum on Abele’s proposed $60 wheel tax to allow all Milwaukee County voters an opportunity to have their voices heard on the issue.

Chairman Lipscomb released the following statement after the Finance and Audit Committee unanimously adopted his budget amendment calling for a referenda:

“We should let the residents vote on whether or not a $60 wheel tax is the right way to fund our transportation budget in the future.

“This year, County Executive Abele introduced his $60 wheel tax proposal with very little time for the public to consider it, and he failed to sell it to the citizens of Milwaukee County.

“Supervisors have listened to our constituents’ concerns about Abele’s $60 wheel tax, and balanced those concerns with the need for revenue by proposing to cut the wheel tax in half, from $60 to $30, and to cut expenditures by $13.6 million for 2017.

“The referendum question would read “Do you support County Executive Abele’s proposal for a $60 Vehicle Registration Fee (wheel tax) to provide designated funding for transit and transportation-related projects?”

“A referenda question on the April 2017 general election ballot provides County Executive Abele an opportunity to sell his $60 wheel tax proposal to the public.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.