MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Manitowoc County’s board of supervisors can’t agree on how to pay for necessary repairs to the county courthouse.
However, there seems to be consensus the work will eventually get done, which has been in question for some after a vote failed last month to start the project.
The 118-year-old Manitowoc County Courthouse needs new windows, a new HVAC system and a repaired dome. The estimated price tag is between $25 million and $30 million.
“It’s sad to have to borrow money like that, but I don’t think we have any other choice,” said Ann Wolf, a Manitowoc resident who spoke at the county’s executive committee meeting Monday night.
Last month, the county board fell short of the three quarters majority vote needed to start the work. It voted 13 to 11 to borrow $7.5 million to replace the windows and HVAC, along with an engineering study for the dome work.
“We had a majority, but we didn’t have 19 votes and they’re holding the project hostage because of the sales tax,” said Manitowoc County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer.
For the past 10 months, county supervisors have been discussing whether to pay for the project by raising property taxes or creating a sales tax.
The property tax route is projected to be an extra $25 to $30 per $100,000 of property value. It would be paid off in 20 to 25 years compared to 4 to 5 years with a sales tax.
Manitowoc is one of four counties in the state that does not currently have a sales tax.
“I’m defending the taxpayers from looting and stealing their money because we don’t need the sales tax and it will last forever,” said Ziegelbauer.
“It’s not a death sentence to have a sales tax,” said Susie Maresh, one of 25 Manitowoc County supervisors. “Other counties have it. Granted we don’t have to be like other counties, but why should we strap our property tax when we have the opportunity to do a sales tax?”
The county’s executive committee passed a resolution Monday to borrow $4 million to replace the courthouse windows and HVAC. It will go before the finance committee and full county board for approval.
County leaders say more precise numbers decreased the $7.5 million estimated price tag that failed last month to $5.77 million.
The executive committee opted to keep the engineering work out of its resolution vote.
“I want to make sure that we move forward with things that can get passed at the county board,” said Tyler Martell, the county board chair.
The discussion on the dome work and how it will be paid for will be taken up at a later time. A committee of the whole meeting is expected to be scheduled soon to discuss the funding mechanism issue more.
“I don’t think anybody is saying it’s not going to get done,” said Martell. “It’s a matter of how, when, and how you pay for it.”
Once that is all figured out, the work is expected to take three years to complete.
Ziegelbauer has said he will veto a sales tax. The county board would need 17 votes to override the veto.
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