MILWAUKEE — For the second time in five years, Milwaukee Public Schools will ask residents to increase their property taxes to fund the district through a referendum. MPS estimates every homeowner would pay an extra $216 per $100,000 of home value. That increase is one of the reasons the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce publicly opposed the referendum.
During an appearance on Wisconsin’s Afternoon News, MMAC President Dale Kooyenga says there is not enough information to support the tax increase:
“The business community is asking: If we are going to spend a quarter of a billion dollars, what is the plan? And there is no plan.”
If voters approve the measure on April 2nd, MPS says it would provide funds for career and technical education programs, attract and retain teachers, and would further develop art, music, language, and physical education.
MPS claims this situation would be different if funding from the state matched inflation. If it had, MPS would be working with an additional $210 million in funding. MPS now faces a shortfall of $200 million because state funding has remained stagnant.
That’s not a sufficient argument for Kooyenga: “If you look at the last referendum, that raised $88 million. Since then the system has not improved. Attendance has gone down. In that time, they have received $800 million in federal funding and it’s the same story.”
Kooyenga said this increase in the property tax levy would create problems for employers trying to attract talent.
“You’re looking at significant increases in the cost of living in Milwaukee; making Milwaukee one of the most expensive housing markets in the Midwest,” Kooyenga said. “For affordable housing, for attracting and retaining businesses, and simply accountability, MMAC has come out against the MPS referendum.”
Renters would feel the impact of the tax increase as well, according to Kooyenga. MPS projects taxpayers would see a one-time tax increase in property taxes if the measure passes. Those who vote in the April 2nd Spring Elections will have the opportunity to vote for or against the measure.
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