MILWAUKEE - Thousands of voters in southeast Wisconsin found a referendum on their ballots.
Ballot issues
What we know:
In Whitefish Bay, voters rejected the school district's request to approve $135 million for school renovations. With 100% of the vote in, the NO votes racked up 52.1% of the vote – the YES votes were at 47.9%.
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South Milwaukee voters overwhelmingly supported a referendum to spend $425,000 on the city's public library. The vote totals showed the voters said YES to the referendum by a nearly two-to-one margin. With the passage, property taxes are expected to increase $60 for a home assessed at $225,000.
In Port Washington, a referendum sparked by the Vantage Data Center project passed by a nearly two-to-one vote on Tuesday. The referendum is related to tax incremental financing (TIF). That is where the local government pays for public improvements now using future tax revenue the property will generate.
With the passage of this referendum, future TIFs over $10 million would require voter approval.
Great Lakes Neighbors United provided the following statement:
"Tonight, democracy worked the way it's supposed to," said Christine Le Jeune, spokesperson and founding member of Great Lakes Neighbors United. "Over 1,000 residents signed the petition that put this measure on the ballot, and tonight Port Washington voters spoke with one clear voice. The people deserve a seat at the table when their tax dollars are on the line."
"We are not against development," added Michael Baester, founding member. "We are for development that the community understands, supports, and has chosen together. Tonight proves that when citizens organize and engage, their voices can be heard."
The Source: Information in this post was based, in part, on previous FOX6 News reporting on the referenda.