Board votes to end stadium sales tax, state wants it off the books by March 31

MILWAUKEE -- You will soon be paying less in sales tax. The board that oversees the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District voted on Tuesday, March 10 to certify the end of the 0.1% sales tax that helped build Miller Park -- and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue wants the tax off the books by March 31.

A major league debate erupted on the tax when it was approved by the state legislature in 1996, amid fears the Brewers could move to a city willing to help finance a new ball field. It's been on the books since 1996, raising hundreds of millions of dollars.

Right now, the tax is in effect in five counties:

Miller Park's original cost was $392 million -- including the ballpark, roads, etc. Officials say the stadium sales tax brought in $609 million.  $254 million of that amount went directly to the stadium. The rest was used for interest payments and capitol improvements.

Statement from Don Smiley, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District

Supporters of the original tax said it was needed to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee. A recent study commissioned by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) found Miller Park sparked $2.5 billion of economic impact over the last 20 years.

"Twenty years ago, MMAC made the case to our members and to state policymakers that keeping Milwaukee a major-league city was a wise investment," said MMAC President Tim Sheehy. "This independent study shows that the actual return on that investment has exceeded our expectations."

Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) said sunsetting the tax is a matter of principle. When he voted to approve the tax, it was supposed to end in 2014.

"A promise is a promise," said Senator Carpenter. "When I tell people, 'I voted for Miller Park,' if you tell people the tax is on and it's going to end on a certain date and you don't do it, I think you lose a little bit of your credibility on issues."

Now that the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District board of directors has voted to retire the sales tax, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue will start the process to shut down the tax. Again, that process should be complete by March 31.

Statements from other officials

Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave

State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine)