Supervisor Burgelis Addresses Stadium Funding Concerns

MILWAUKEE – Today, Supervisor Peter Burgelis testified on the 2023 Assembly Bills 438 and 439 during a legislative committee. The bills pertain to the funding and lease requirements for American Family Field.  Supervisor Burgelis made the following statement:

“We support keeping the Brewers in Milwaukee, but not with local property tax levy support. Pulling shared revenue from Milwaukee County directly affects programming and services that our most vulnerable residents rely on,” said Supervisor Burgelis. “Stadium funding is not why we agreed to an increased sales tax under Act 12. It was to avert financial ruin due to unfunded pension mandates. Let’s not pilfer Milwaukee County services; instead, we should utilize state surplus funding, a large portion of which came from Milwaukee County.”

The County Board passed resolution 23-559 in May, emphasizing the County’s position against using tax levy dollars for the stadium’s funding, given more pressing fiscal priorities in Milwaukee County. The resolution also voiced support to retain the Brewers in Milwaukee without leaning on local property tax levies.

In addition, the Board passed resolution 22-727 in 2022, authored by Supervisor Burgelis, calling upon the stadium board to develop the 13,000 untaxed parking spaces surrounding American Family Field.

For additional information please email Peter.Burgelis@milwaukeecountywi.gov or call 414-278-4255.

Full Stadium funding remarks: 
Chairman Swearingen and Committee Members,

Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today on 2023 Assembly Bills 438 and 439, as they relate to a number of significant provisions as it relates to funding and lease requirements for American Family Field, as well as governance and management of the field.

As you may be aware, the County Board adopted resolution 23-559 this summer stating that the County is opposed to the use of County tax levy dollars to help fund the stadium as more urgent, higher funding priorities exist in Milwaukee County but that the Board supports legislation to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee without local support.

Should a 0.9% County sales tax have been applied to the touted $2.5 B economic impact over the past 20 years, the County would benefit about $1.1M a year- far less than the county’s contribution in the drafted legislation.

But the bill wants to pull this contribution from shared revenue. That takes away Milwaukee County programming and services that are most vulnerable residents depend on.

Shared Revenue’s purpose is to support local governments that provide services to their residents.

Choosing to prioritize a ballpark instead of our most vulnerable morally bankrupts state government.

I heard from non-Milwaukee County legislators that revenue from the increased sales tax is the sole justification to require local participation.

Stadium funding isn’t why we agreed to increase sales tax under Act 12 and avert financial ruin.
Unfunded pension mandates were.

Changing the rules on what County sales tax revenue can be used for- redirecting that from pension obligations to stadium support wasn’t part of the shared revenue deal and pulls the rug out from under Milwaukee County taxpayers.

This amounts to going back on your word to the Milwaukee County Board and going back on your word to Milwaukee County taxpayers.
A five-million-dollar hole in the budget means Milwaukee County will have to make tough budget cuts- again.

Which senior centers should Milwaukee County close? Which mental health or food share programs? Which swimming pools or bus routes should we close?

I authored resolution 22-727 last year asks to start a conversation about putting the stadium board’s 14,000 untaxed parking spaces (note that the author earlier mentioned 7,500). I fully and wholeheartedly support the mentioned amendment that would look at development around the stadium that can support the stadium- just like neighborhoods do at most other stadiums.

Let’s keep the Brewers here, allow tailgating culture to keep thriving and keep investing in the stadium, but don’t pilfer Milwaukee County services to do it—

It’s no longer County Stadium, the Stadium belongs to the State of Wisconsin.

Use the state’s $7 billion surplus funding- most of which came from Milwaukee County and southeastern Wisconsin in the first place.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.