GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – After months of back and forth, Green Bay and Brown County leaders have agreed on a funding plan to build a new expo hall.
Approval from Green Bay’s Redevelopment Authority, believed to be one of the biggest hurdles in moving forward the county’s sales and room tax plans, was reached Tuesday afternoon.
Standing side by side, Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt and Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach proclaimed to the RDA that their differences in funding the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena’s replacement have been resolved.
“The opportunity that we have right now is to work together versus pulling ourselves apart,” said Streckenbach.
Schmitt had been against Streckenbach’s plan to use excess room tax revenue to pay for the new expo hall.
Schmitt spent the last few weeks trying to get a better deal for the city, in particular, money to maintain the KI Convention Center in downtown Green Bay.
In a prepared statement, Streckenbach told the RDA that the KI and downtown has his support.
“I look forward to working with the mayor in his future efforts to keep the KI Convention Center and downtown Green Bay up to date and successful in attracting events to our downtown area,” said Streckenbach.
Schmitt tells WLUK….
“We needed to hear that because it wasn’t spelled out in the agreement at all. While it is in the spirit of the agreement, we really are going to trust that the county is going to look out for the KI Convention Center and the downtown.”
The mayor and county executive’s renewed cooperation was enough for the RDA to unanimously sign off on the exact plan that it denied a month earlier on a 2 to 4 vote.
“We knew that we were in support of it, just how were we going to get there?” said Harry Maier, chairman of the RDA.
Under the plan, $78 million in room tax revenue would help pay for the $93 million expo hall. $15 million would also come from the county’s half percent sales tax plan.
The county’s six-year half-percent sales tax increase will pay for a variety of infrastructure projects, including road repairs, an addition the jail, and library upgrades.
County leaders have said the sales tax plan is contingent on the room tax plan.
“Right now I think everything is in place for us to see this plan through,” said Streckenbach.
All municipalities in the county that collect room tax must sign off on the room tax agreement. Five of seven have already approved it.
The room tax plan still needs final approvals from Green Bay’s City Council and the Brown County Board.
Both are expected to pass the agreement within the next two weeks.
