WI assembly approves $471m in Brewers stadium subsidies, because it’s less than $507m

The Wisconsin state legislature voted on around half a billion dollars in public subsidies for renovations to the Milwaukee Brewers‘ stadium last night, and if you’re looking for signs that the fix is in, you’ve got plenty of evidence. The latest iteration of the funding package passed 69-27, winning supermajorities of both assembly Republicans (46-16) and Democrats (23-11). Gov. Tony Evers, who previously opposed the legislature’s version of the plan in favor of his own $360 million subsidy proposal, now says, “We’ve got to get it done. I’m ready to support it as is.” And Milwaukee’s Democratic mayor and Milwaukee County’s Democratic county executive now back the plan as well.

The key to getting these Democrats on board, it appears, was last week’s tweak to cut Milwaukee County’s contribution from $5 million a year to $2.5 million a year (about $73 million in total present value to about $37 million), while the city would still put in $2.5 million a year but would be able to credit it against a state fee for administrating local sales taxes. (More on that in a minute.) Wisconsin Rep. Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee, said after voting for the revised stadium subsidy bill: “I said from the start, if there was not a fix on the Milwaukee issue I could not support this bill. I am very pleased with the amendment.”

The legislation is a bit of a mishmash of different funding streams, some up front and some paid out over three decades, but my best estimate previously was that it would amount to $507 million in public funds. Trimming the county contribution by just over $36 million would reduce the taxpayer price tag to $471 million, but with more of the share falling on the state budget instead of the city and county, that seems to have been enough to allay some Democrats’ hesitance.

(The state sales tax administrative fee credit thing is weird — the state is taking out 1.75% of proceeds from a new city sales tax surcharge, and the new bill would siphon off any of that money that isn’t needed for actual administration and give it to the Brewers, raising the question of what happens if that doesn’t cover the full $2.5 million a year. But whether you consider this city money or state money, it’s definitely money that otherwise would stay in some public treasury.)

[UPDATE/CLARIFICATION: WisPolitics reports that the state will be charging the city an additional 1% in administrative fees — other local governments will only pay 0.75% — until such time as the Brewers stadium contribution is paid off. So whether this is truly a state or city cost depends on which counterfactual you use, go and argue this amongst yourselves if you so choose.]

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, meanwhile, would put in $100 million toward renovations, meaning he’d be on the hook for less than one-fifth of the costs while reaping all of the revenue benefits. He would, however, extend his stadium lease from 2030 to 2050 and stop spreading anonymous rumors that the team could move to Nashville, and that was apparently enough for the assembly to consider it $471 million in tax money well spent: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said, “It’s simple math. If the Brewers leave, dollars follow,” which, yeah, gotta say, not as much as you think.

Those not thinking this would be money well spent, meanwhile, include most Wisconsin voters, who as previously reported here told pollsters last month that they oppose “tax money being used to pay for improvements to the Brewers baseball stadium, sometimes called a stadium subsidy” by a 55-29% margin. The poll was done by a group opposed to the subsidy, and including that “sometimes called a stadium subsidy” clause could certainly have nudged a few people into the “oppose” camp, but that’s still a pretty hefty margin. Guess regular Wisconsinites don’t appreciate what a bargain they’re getting by only spending $471 million instead of $507 million on the local rich guy’s new concessions concourses and upgraded scoreboard, somebody needs to assemblysplain anchoring at them.

NOTE: I’ll be part of a town hall on the Brewers subsidy plan, hosted by Wisconsin state senator Chris Larson, tonight at 5:30 pm CT. Sign up for the Zoom session here if you want to check it out.