BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Brown County supervisors are expected to consider a proposal at their Wednesday meeting to implement a temporary half-percent sales tax.
County Executive Troy Streckenbach expects his proposal will generate $147,000,000 over six years.
That money would fund nine debt and infrastructure projects, including replacing the aging Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena with a new expo hall.
More than 40 business leaders have gotten together to form ‘Forward Brown County,’ a group that supports Streckenbach’s proposal.
Kramer Rock is the group’s president.
“The roads, the infrastructure, and the Brown County Jail…these things are going to have to be done. I’m tighter than bark on a tree, and nobody likes to spend money on taxes, but this is a valid encapsulation of things that have been put off for way too long.”
Last week, the Brown County Taxpayers Association urged the county board not to take action on the matter Wednesday, feeling there has not been enough time to consider the plan since it was unveiled May 2.
Rock does not share in that stance.
“We’re a republic. County supervisors are elected and designated to make decisions. If they choose not to make the decision, there’s nothing that I can do about it.”
Taxpayers Association President Rich Heidel says he personally does not support the plan, expressing concerns with some of the projects that are being ‘thrown into one large Santa Clause bag,’ instead of having to stand on their own merits.
Rock feels Streckenbach’s plan is the better way of undertaking the nine projects, expressing concern if the projects were bonded individually.
“I don’t know about you, but $10,000,000 per year being sent out to some financial institution is not an efficient use of the taxpayers’ money.”
Forward Brown County joins other local groups that have expressed support for the plan.
Residents can weigh in during a series of ongoing listening sessions.
