By Darryl J. Enriquez - Special to The Freeman

Dec. 5, 2013

Elected county officials have for months voiced their disdain over any new regional tax to finance the potential replacement or retrofitting of the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

On Monday, formal talks will begin on creating and presenting such a resolution to the full County Board,  possibly by later this month. Discussions will be held by the board’s powerful Executive Committee. Decker is the committee’s chairman.

The opposition resolution has been introduced by County Board Supervisor Jennifer Grant.

“We want it completely off the table,” Decker said of the consideration of a new regional tax. “County Executive Dan Vrakas and I have both stated our opposition to the tax. This resolution lets the state Legislature know the feeling of the County Board about the tax.”

Decker says he’s sure that county supervisors oppose the tax, and the board will easily approve the resolution.

What has drawn concern is the formation of a new regional task force with the charge of examining the need for a new Milwaukee arena. The task force also will discuss ways to finance cultural and entertainment venues.

Some have expressed fear that a new regional tax, like the controversial one used to build Miller Park, will be again used to pay for a multipurpose downtown Milwaukee arena.

Erroneous information has circulated that the stadium tax can be extended to pay for the arena.

Mike Duckett, head of the Miller Park board, told the County Board last summer that the stadium tax can only be used for Miler Park debt retirement and maintenance. Duckett said he expects the 0.1 percent stadium tax could be retired as early as 2018.

A new tax district must be approved by state lawmakers, and the Waukesha County resolution, if approved, would encourage them to not allow the creation of a new district, Decker said. The Racine County and Ozaukee County Boards have already passed resolutions opposed to a new regional tax.

The arena and financing mechanisms for cultural and entertainment venues are being explored by the Regional Cultural Entertainment Capital Needs Task Force, a group of advisers from southeast Wisconsin. Waukesha County has at least two representatives on the task force.

Its next meeting will be Dec. 13th at the Zoofari Conference Center, 10001 W. Bluemound Road, from noon to 2 p.m. The meeting will be open to the public.

Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, helped create the task force.

“Our hope is that the group would spend the next year or so to come up with some recommendations,” Sheehy said. “There’s no proposal to do anything now. The tax force members should air all of their concerns.

“I come at it with the belief that Metropolitan Milwaukee would become a much more economically prosperous region if we can address these challenges together.”

Decker said he and Vrakas want “data-driven information” that proves the entire region will benefit from a new downtown Milwaukee arena.

“We know it will benefit downtown,” Decker said. “What we want to know is what will it do for us? What’s the payback? That’s what we need to know.”

Sheehy said that Decker had valid questions that should be answered by the task force.

“Those are great questions, and I think he’s right and that information needs to be put on the table so we can make decisions.” Sheehy said. “He’s  absolutely right. There needs to be a good case made if - and I’m saying if - there is going to be a regional tax.”