What is Happening with Sales Tax Dollars

There is a false rumor going around that Washington County sales tax dollars are going to Milwaukee.  There is no truth to this.

There are some changes happening with the sales tax, and here is a quick breakdown.

County Sales Tax

The county collects half of a percent (1/2%) on all eligible sales.  100% of this money stays in Washington County.  The county has always shared a portion of this with municipalities in the form of shared services.  For the 2024-2025 budget, the county increased the portion it shares by $3 million per year will cities, villages, and towns in Washington County.  This revenue is being shared through grants and shared services, to ensuring that taxpayers will receive 100% of the benefit.  In West bend, this will be $1 million per year in grants to fund the replacement of lead laterals and the resulting road repairs, as nearly 850 homes in West bend have their water supplied through lead laterals.

State Sales Tax

The state collects five percent (5%) on all eligible sales.  The State gives back a portion of this to all local governments, including counties, cities, villages, and towns.  This is commonly referred to as shared revenue.  For 2024-2025, the State is increasing this shared revenue to all communities.  Washington County is getting an extra $1.4 million and Milwaukee County is getting an extra $7 million.  presumably, this is proportionate to the sales tax generated in these communities.

Local Sales Tax Increases for Milwaukee

The State is allowing some additional taxing privileges just to Milwaukee.  The city is being allowed to create its own sales tax (in Wisconsin only counties have sales tax) of two percent (2%).  The State is also allowing Milwaukee County to increase its sales tax from half of percent (1/2%) to a full one percent (1%).  They are increasing their tax to .9% (9/10%).  No other city or county in Wisconsin is being granted this privilege.  So if you buy something in the city of Milwaukee, the sales tax will now be eight percent (7.%) and if you buy something anywhere else in Milwaukee County, it will be six percent (5.9%).

Update: Eisenbahn Trail remains a potential route for Amtrak

On Thursday, the Federal Government announced that they are granting the Wisconsin Department of Transportations request to fund a study for the viability of running an Amtrak line from Milwaukee to Green Bay.  

Since preserving the Eisenbahn trail is a priority for me, I immediately reached out to our legislative liaison, who contacted the State Department of Transportation to see if the Eisenbahn Trail was still a potential route.  

Initially, based on somewhat vague information published by several news media outlets, it looked like the study would focus on a route through Slinger and Allenton, using existing rail lines. Unfortunately, we received word back late Friday afternoon that the study would not exclude the Eisenbahn trail.  So the County will need to continue its efforts to preserve the Eisenbahn trail.  Here is the response from the D.O.T.

Key aspects of the planned rail route:

Proposed Route Basics

• It would take 2 hours and 50 minutes to traverse the route by rail.  this compares to 1 hour and 45 minutes by car, according to google maps.
• It is planned to make 3 round trips daily.
• Two likely routes between Milwaukee and Fond Du lac are the existing rail line through Slinger/Allenton and the Eisenbahn Trail.
• If the Eisenbahn Trail is selected as the route, it appears that it would be the only new section of rail needing construction, as the remainder of the route would likely use existing rail lines.
• Several interchanges north of Appleton might need signal upgrades.
• Amtrak currently runs a bus service between Green Bay and Milwaukee, called Amtrak Throughway Connection Service, 2 times per day and averages 38% occupancy.

Proposed Stops

• It would have stops in Fond Du lac, Oshkosh, and Appleton.
• No stop is currently planned for West Bend.
• A previous version of this plan included a map showing the potential for stops in West Bend, Grandville Station (Milwaukee's northwest side), and Kaukauna.
• American Family Field wants a railroad station, although that station would have the option to service one or more routes from a couple different potential or existing routes.
• Any additional stop will likely add 10-20 minutes to the total travel time (per additional stop) between Milwaukee and Green Bay).

Eisenbahn Trail

• The Eisenbahn trail follows a decommissioned rail corridor, as part of the "Rails to trails" program.
• The Eisenbahn Trail is about 25 miles long, with about 13 miles in Washington County.
• The Eisenbahn Trail officially opened in 2006.
• The Eisenbahn Trail has been a cornerstone for economic revitalization for West Bend, with several major developments built just footsteps from the trail, and will likely be central to Kewaskum's efforts to revitalize their downtown.

The Passenger Rail Study

• The feasibility study is 100% federally funded.
• After the study is complete, any construction would be funded by a federal grant and would likely require some state funding.

Other Relevant Information

• Passenger rail service from West Bend to Milwaukee was discontinued due to low ridership.
• In 2023, Commuter Bus service from West Bend to Milwaukee was discontinued due to low ridership.
• Once the study is complete, if tis project is approved by the legislature and Governor, it would take 6-10 years to implement the proposed rail service.

It should also be noted that passenger rail line proposals that have been built have generally failed to come close to meeting ridership projections.

*Note-As I think of key details related to this issue, I am adding them to this post.

Re-election Campaign Announcement

I am proud to announce my intent to be re-elected to the Washington County Board of Supervisors, representing District 4 in West Bend. I have served on the County Board for 8 years, and chaired the Public Safety Committee for the last 4 years.  I have always strived to lead the discussion in ensuring a fiscally responsible and sustainable County Government for our residents.

During this last term, I was a leader in the efforts to preserve the Samaritan health center, which provides skilled nursing care for our impoverished senior and disabled community, by working to identify ways to make Samaritan a financially self-sustaining operation.  Samaritan is a vital part of our community.

I plan to be a leader in the effort to preserve the Eisenbahn Trail, which has become a cornerstone of our community and a key component for revitalizing our downtown.  Later this month, the federal government will announce its decision to approve or deny a request by the Wisconsin D.O.T. to fund a study of a possible Amtrak line from Milwaukee to Green Bay, and the Eisenbahn Trail is a possible route.  Passenger rail service from West Bend was discontinued due to low ridership, and this year the County discontinued our commuter bus route to Milwaukee due to low ridership.  Preserving the Eisenbahn Trail must be the priority.

I am also proud that the County will be sharing $3 million in sales tax revenue with the City of West Bend over the next 3 years, via a grant to replace lead lateral lines.  This will ensure that residents have safe drinking water. As part of this project, the roads in those same neighborhoods will need to be dug up and repaired, making this program a double-win for residents in these neighborhoods and support for the city’s road repair efforts.  West Bend has roughly 850 homes that have lead laterals, and a majority of them are in my district, so this issue is especially important to me. 

I am also a big supporter of shared services.  When governments share services, we reduce duplication, and can use the savings to increase the value taxpayers receive for their tax dollars.  Hartford and Germantown have each started the process of combining 911 dispatching with the county, allowing those communities to reprioritize those funds in a way that better meets taxpayer needs. I hope over the next 2 years to find ways in which we can partner with the City of West Bend to share services, which will free up financial resources so that the City can increase their road repair budget or fund an additional firehouse.

I ask for you support in my re-election campaign.