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American Family Field. Photo by Jeramie Jannen.
Milwaukee County Government, already facing a significant budget deficit, stands to lose an additional $2.5 million due to the stadium deal with the Milwaukee Brewers and the state of Wisconsin.
The stadium contract is the latest problem plaguing the county’s finances, which are facing huge overtime bills, lower-than-expected sales tax revenues and rising health care costs, all of which are poised to blow through the 2024 budget. Current projections put the county in a funding gap of up to $19 million.
In 2023, the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team reached a deal with state legislators and Governor Tony Evers that would see taxpayers fund $500 million in renovations to American Family Field in exchange for a guarantee that the team would remain in Milwaukee until at least 2050.
As part of the agreement, the state is withholding $2.5 million a year in revenue sharing payments to the county. State legislation gave the county a new financial mechanism to cover these costs, but it wasn’t signed into law until county policymakers finalized the 2024 budget. The county will withhold the $2.5 million annually through 2030.
The bill contained revenue changes that could have offset the impact of the cuts, but they had not previously been considered because they were passed after the adoption of the fiscal year 2024 budget, according to a July report from Joe Lammers, the county’s director of strategy, budget and performance.
The county was supposed to have a surplus that would cushion the impact of cuts in state aid, but that is no longer the case.
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Originally, the fiscal 2024 budget was supposed to be an anomaly in recent years for the county: a surplus and full of new investments in government services and infrastructure, all thanks to a new 0.4% sales tax approved by Milwaukee County.
However, cost overruns, mostly due to overtime at the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and the Community Reintegration Center (CRC), have pushed the county’s fiscal outlook into the red in the first few months of the year. Now, county officials are expecting sales tax revenues to fall far short of expectations, essentially doubling the county’s budget deficit.
According to the Comptroller’s Office, the county is on track to have a budget deficit of as much as $19 million by the end of this year, with $2.5 million of that deficit directly attributable to the American Family Field stadium contract.
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Miller Park Stadium Tax Details
MKE County: Brewers ballpark subsidy strains county budget – Graham Kilmer – July 28, 2024 Governor signs Brewers subsidy deal at American Family Field – Evan Casey – December 5, 2023 Governor Evers signs bill to keep Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin through 2050 – Governor Tony Evers – December 5, 2023 City Council and Mayor spar over Brewers contract – Jeramy Janine – November 29, 2023 Brewers stadium deal passes state legislature – Shawn Johnson – November 14, 2023 Statement from County Mayor David Crowley on bipartisan bill to keep Brewers in Milwaukee – County Mayor David CrowleyNovember 14, 2023 Governor Evers Signs Bipartisan Plan to Keep Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin Through 2050 – Governor Tony Evers – November 14, 2023 Swing, Miss, and a Bat in the Stands – State Senator Chris Larson – November 14, 2023 Supervisor Vergelis Responds to State Senate Vote on Brewers Stadium Funding – Supervisor Peter Vergelis – November 14, 2023 Murphy’s Law: Civil Intimidation Works Again in the Brewers’ Advantage – Bruce Murphy – November 14, 2023
More information on the Miller Park Stadium Tax can be found here.
