Minimum School Aid

As I mentioned in last week's e-update, I am now going to spend some time going into further detail on the motions I am trying to get included in the 2021-23 state budget.

The first would provide a minimum level of state aid for every public school student, regardless of the school they attend or where they live. Under my proposal, every school district would receive at least $1,000 in state aid per student.

Because of our state’s current school funding formula, higher property value districts get less state aid than lower property value districts. That either puts more of a strain on those local taxpayers or results in cuts to education programs and staff.

My budget motion will particularly benefit such local school districts as Washington Island, Gibraltar and Sevastopol, which have very high property values per student and generally receive little aid from the state. I would like to point out that just because a district may have high property values, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone who lives there is wealthy.

An identical motion was included in the 2019-21 budget and was ultimately approved by the Joint Finance Committee and the full state Legislature. Nevertheless, it was partially vetoed by the governor, who used the designated funding to expand eligibility for supplemental per-pupil aid for all districts.

In speaking with members of the Joint Finance Committee, they would be supportive of my motion. Their fear, however, is that Gov. Evers would again use his line-item veto power to spread the money around to every district, thereby defeating the purpose.

When the governor was superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction, he acknowledged in his “Fair Funding for Our Future” proposal that Wisconsin should be providing a minimum level of state aid for every public school student.

Sturgeon Bay PRAT

Another budget motion I have submitted would allow the city of Sturgeon Bay to implement a 0.5 percent premier resort area tax.

Revenue generated from a PRAT can be used to pay for infrastructure-related projects within a particular jurisdiction. Under state law, only municipalities that have at least 40 percent of their equalized assessed property values used by tourism-related retailers can be authorized to charge a PRAT.

However, municipalities that do not meet this threshold can still be granted a waiver by the Legislature if a strong enough case can be made.

Although Sturgeon Bay does not surpass the 40 percent requirement, it still relies heavily on tourism for its local economy. The city offers Door County residents larger stores and a variety of other opportunities to do business, and as a result, hundreds of thousands of visitors travel on their local streets each year.

That is why I found it important to pursue this specific budget motion.

The city is seeking the tax to share the cost burden of street maintenance and reconstruction projects with the tourists who use the local roads. An eight-member citizens committee has determined that the city needs to increase street replacement and maintenance spending by approximately $720,000 per year.

The revenue that is generated from the tax will allow the city to change the target cycle for street resurfacing projects from 55 years to 25 years.

More than 71 percent of Sturgeon Bay voters supported the premier resort area tax in an advisory referendum question in April of 2018. City officials have told me they are prepared to hold a binding referendum if they are granted the PRAT waiver.

Memorial Day Message

Before we gather this extended weekend to enjoy the company of our friends, family and community, I would like to take this opportunity to focus on the real reason we recognize Memorial Day: to remember our heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country’s freedoms.

We must continually strive to support the cause for which they died and never forget their memory. Although Memorial Day is only one day out of the year, we have a responsibility to honor our fallen servicemen and women by how we live our daily lives.

Following a recent period of social unrest, political turmoil and economic struggles, it may appear that we, as Americans, are more divided than ever. However, I believe there is far more that brings us together than tears us apart. Our shared heritage and values of justice, free government and individual opportunities all represent the bonds that unite us.

It is up to us to set aside our differences and be better neighbors and citizens every day of the year.

So, as we appreciate the blessings of liberty this weekend with our friends and loved ones, I encourage you to take some time to remember those who sacrificed so much so we can continue to be the land of the free. Let us also strive to uphold and promote the ideals that they defended with their lives and aspire to be a state worthy of these heroes.