ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – Brown County’s Executive Troy Streckenbach delivering his State of the County Address Tuesday night and rolling out his big plan for the future.
That plan includes replacing the aging Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena with a new Expo Hall.
Streckenbach suggests funding the development with the existing Room Tax that will be available in 2029.
“Those Room Tax dollars are currently committed to the existing Resch debt, KI debt, and the KI expansion debt,” said Streckenbach.
In the meantime, he’s proposing a temporary 72-month sales tax to cover the gap.
“The new expo hall will tie the Green Bay’s Legends District and the Titletown District in Ashwaubenon together, creating an economic development corridor for the greater Lombardi Avenue area,” explained Streckenbach. “This will enhance Brown County as a tourist destination and build a community that attracts investment, businesses, hardworking families, and millennials to our area.”
He says the sales tax would eliminate County bonding for 6 years, provide debt relief while investing $225 million in critical infrastructure for the community.
“It will fund $60 million worth of infrastructure and capital needs. It will fund $20 million for mental health and jail capacity. I will fund $20 million for improving our libraries. It will find $5 million for the STEM Innovation Center. I will provide $1 million for our museum. It will provide $10 million for public safety and our medical examiner’s facility and provide for the $15 million that’s responsible and needed for the funding for the gap that will take place from now until 2029. Lastly, it will provide for the maintenance dollars that are needed to maintain this corner,” explained Streckenbach.
It will also reduce Brown County’s property taxes by $6 million over that span.
“This is an investment in our community, it’s an investment in our long-term success and it makes us a regional powerhouse that we ought to be when we’re the 3rd largest city and the 4th largest county,” Streckenbach said.
The County Board plans on debating the suggestion on May 8.
