The Battle to Sunset the Miller Park Tax is Finally Over

(MADISON)—Today, Senator Tim Carpenter released the following statement about the sunsetting of the Miller Park Tax:

“For more than a decade, I have fought to end the Miller Park five-county sales tax. Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington, and Waukesha County taxpayers were promised this tax would sunset in 2014. It’s 5 years later now and the sales tax still hasn’t ended. The citizens of those five counties have paid for the construction and ongoing maintenance of Miller Park.

“After the release of a revealing state audit of the Miller Park District’s performance in 2002, it became clear the sales tax was not going to end in 2014. Because of this, I began authoring amendments and bills to require the end of the sales tax by 2014. I even voted against the Senate confirmation of appointees to the Miller Park Board, which operates and oversees Miller Park, to show my displeasure that the five-county tax was not going to end as promised.

“I am happy to see this is finally happening. Taxpayers are tired of politicians creating new taxes with the promise they will sunset, they have become cynical that once a tax is created it will never end. I believe the integrity, credibility, and accountability of politicians is damaged when these promises are broken.

“I want to thank Senator Wanggaard for creating a bipartisan bill which will finally pass in the Republican controlled Legislature. The Miller Park Board has now committed to set a firm date of March 10, 2020 to end the sales tax. In the future, I sincerely hope promises made to the taxpayers are promises kept.”

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