MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Members of the Manitowoc County Board approved a 0.5% sales tax Tuesday night in a vote 18-6. This will be the first time Manitowoc County has ever had a sales tax.
Manitowoc County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer said, “I’m not happy about the sales tax passing. But I think it’s necessary for our long term health.”
Ziegelbauer has been vocal about opposing a sales tax. The goal of the sales tax is to remedy a $6 million deficit from the Human Services Department in Manitowoc County.
“We have to add a couple million dollars, maybe two, or two and half million dollars, to the Human Services budget to move forward,” Ziegelbauer said.
Ziegelbauer says it will halt property tax increases for those in the county.
“This resolution gives us the opportunity to hold property taxes for a generation,” H=he said. “So that’s one of the effects of the sales tax.”
Finance Community Chair Biff Hansen says the decision was a necessity.
“We looked, we went to different places, we thought we were getting close, but it just didn’t work out,” he explained. “We couldn’t again, raise more than 12-and-a-half percent on property taxes, so we decided, well, let’s try this.”
Property taxes were previously increased to fund a renovation of the courthouse. Hansen also told FOX 11 that they need to spend the money wisely.
“The problem is that we as supervisors as the county board have to be very, we have to make sure that we don’t waste that money that we get,” he said.
The 0.5% sales tax in Manitowoc County is in addition to the 5% state sales tax. It will take effect on January 1, 2025.
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