On behalf of Building Advantage, I write to share our enthusiastic support for the 2 percent increase in local sales tax revenue for the City of Milwaukee. The issue before the Steering and Rules Committee is whether to adopt and enact new sales tax revenue to allow the City of Milwaukee to raise close to $190 million. Building Advantage encourages you to vote yes on this critical investment for the City of Milwaukee. This investment will help ensure that the construction projects, which continue to increase in the City of Milwaukee, continue without developers and investors having to worry about the future and solvency of a city where they are making hundreds of millions of dollars of investments. The current construction projects are employing thousands of union construction workers which are having a tremendous positive impact on our community. We need to keep this momentum going by shoring up the city’s finances.
Thank you for all you do and our sincere appreciation for considering our support.
Best,
Chris Mambu Rasch
Executive Director
Building Advantage
No one likes taxes, but they are necessary for quality civic life. (Note that Milwaukee has one of the lowest sales taxes of comparable cities.) Yes, it is a regressive tax, but that is the tool that our small-minded state legislature has given you. This tax will fund not only public works, fire fighting capabilities, law-enforcement, and an underfunded pension system, but also our marvelous public library system. Please do the right thing, as unpleasant as it may be for you as elected officials, and vote for the sales tax.
I fully support approving the 2% sales tax. It's a difficult position to take given the many unnecessary, petty, micromanaging, and frankly racist conditions imposed by Republicans in the state funding bill. But, I understand that's it's also a necessary step to ensure that Milwaukee can not only stay solvent but actually improve services and quality of life for the future. We will do what we have to now, and we'll continue to fight for our fair share of the taxes we pay and the freedom to govern ourselves without unnecessary interference from Madison. This is another step in a long fight to access resources that are available to all other comparable cities, and to push Milwaukee forward to be a city we can be even more proud of.
I support the proposed sales tax to maintain and increase the quality of life in the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. The sales tax will not only support public safety and the pension fund but will also support critical Milwaukee Public Library services. Libraries are anchors in our communities and must be supported to protect democracy, literacy, critical thinking skills and the joy of reading. Stabilization of funding for libraries is critical and overdue. It is time to act now.
I strongly urge the City Council to take expedited action to approve and accept the provisions of 2023 Wisconsin Act 12. The City of Milwaukee faces going into bankruptcy due to historical fiscal obligations and actions. Without additional tax revenues, the City will not have sufficient funding to meet it's critical and mandated municipal service obligations: public welfare, public works, law enforcement, pension payments, et. al. The only prudent and feasible source of these revenues are municipal sales taxes. The provisions of Wisconsin Act 12 provide the authorization and thus the funding needed to provide these services and avoid bankruptcy. Please be adult, accept the responsibility and take action rapidly.
This sales tax is a life line to the City in an effort to keep vital services alive while meeting obligations to the pension fund.
The needs are great in building back our police and fire levels for a safe environment, and to maintain library services which are
critical in boosting the substandard literary skills of our youth and adults.
I think approving a sales tax to continue supporting resources such as the Milwaukee Public Library is a good idea. Even though I do not live in Milwaukee County I would pay the extra fee for an out of county resident library card because you have such a great summer reading program that I wanted my son to participate in every summer. He loved putting that super reader sign in our front yard! Once or twice a week we would drive downtown or to the old library on 76th street near Mill Road to get books and/or come in for programs that were at the library. We would spend the day in Milwaukee and go for lunch, shop or hang out at the Lakefront. My Mother lives in Milwaukee County and would also support the sales tax as she is a big supporter of the library, parks, zoo, museum and anything else that makes Milwaukee special!
As a city resident, I feel it is imperative we do not go over the fiscal cliff and end up like Detroit. This tax is barely in line (lower) than other municipalities of our size. I encourage the Common Counsel to "do the right thing" and approve the tax so we can continue to have critical public resources like, libraries.
I support approving this tax to continue supporting city resources such as the library
On behalf of Building Advantage, I write to share our enthusiastic support for the 2 percent increase in local sales tax revenue for the City of Milwaukee. The issue before the Steering and Rules Committee is whether to adopt and enact new sales tax revenue to allow the City of Milwaukee to raise close to $190 million. Building Advantage encourages you to vote yes on this critical investment for the City of Milwaukee. This investment will help ensure that the construction projects, which continue to increase in the City of Milwaukee, continue without developers and investors having to worry about the future and solvency of a city where they are making hundreds of millions of dollars of investments. The current construction projects are employing thousands of union construction workers which are having a tremendous positive impact on our community. We need to keep this momentum going by shoring up the city’s finances.
Thank you for all you do and our sincere appreciation for considering our support.
Best,
Chris Mambu Rasch
Executive Director
Building Advantage
No one likes taxes, but they are necessary for quality civic life. (Note that Milwaukee has one of the lowest sales taxes of comparable cities.) Yes, it is a regressive tax, but that is the tool that our small-minded state legislature has given you. This tax will fund not only public works, fire fighting capabilities, law-enforcement, and an underfunded pension system, but also our marvelous public library system. Please do the right thing, as unpleasant as it may be for you as elected officials, and vote for the sales tax.
I fully support approving the 2% sales tax. It's a difficult position to take given the many unnecessary, petty, micromanaging, and frankly racist conditions imposed by Republicans in the state funding bill. But, I understand that's it's also a necessary step to ensure that Milwaukee can not only stay solvent but actually improve services and quality of life for the future. We will do what we have to now, and we'll continue to fight for our fair share of the taxes we pay and the freedom to govern ourselves without unnecessary interference from Madison. This is another step in a long fight to access resources that are available to all other comparable cities, and to push Milwaukee forward to be a city we can be even more proud of.
Test comment of support.
I support the proposed sales tax to maintain and increase the quality of life in the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. The sales tax will not only support public safety and the pension fund but will also support critical Milwaukee Public Library services. Libraries are anchors in our communities and must be supported to protect democracy, literacy, critical thinking skills and the joy of reading. Stabilization of funding for libraries is critical and overdue. It is time to act now.
I fully support institution of the city sales and use tax.
I strongly urge the City Council to take expedited action to approve and accept the provisions of 2023 Wisconsin Act 12. The City of Milwaukee faces going into bankruptcy due to historical fiscal obligations and actions. Without additional tax revenues, the City will not have sufficient funding to meet it's critical and mandated municipal service obligations: public welfare, public works, law enforcement, pension payments, et. al. The only prudent and feasible source of these revenues are municipal sales taxes. The provisions of Wisconsin Act 12 provide the authorization and thus the funding needed to provide these services and avoid bankruptcy. Please be adult, accept the responsibility and take action rapidly.
This sales tax is a life line to the City in an effort to keep vital services alive while meeting obligations to the pension fund.
The needs are great in building back our police and fire levels for a safe environment, and to maintain library services which are
critical in boosting the substandard literary skills of our youth and adults.
I think approving a sales tax to continue supporting resources such as the Milwaukee Public Library is a good idea. Even though I do not live in Milwaukee County I would pay the extra fee for an out of county resident library card because you have such a great summer reading program that I wanted my son to participate in every summer. He loved putting that super reader sign in our front yard! Once or twice a week we would drive downtown or to the old library on 76th street near Mill Road to get books and/or come in for programs that were at the library. We would spend the day in Milwaukee and go for lunch, shop or hang out at the Lakefront. My Mother lives in Milwaukee County and would also support the sales tax as she is a big supporter of the library, parks, zoo, museum and anything else that makes Milwaukee special!
This sales tax is crucial for maintaining the library's excellent services and programs.
I support approving this tax to continue supporting resources such as the library which is invaluable to the city of Milwaukee.
I absolutely support the sales tax increase.
The GOP-led state budget does not give Milwaukee its fair sharer
I look forward to the day, which will happen, that the GOP does not govern our state and you continue to lead us.
As a city resident, I feel it is imperative we do not go over the fiscal cliff and end up like Detroit. This tax is barely in line (lower) than other municipalities of our size. I encourage the Common Counsel to "do the right thing" and approve the tax so we can continue to have critical public resources like, libraries.
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