Here's When The 5-County Miller Park Sales Tax Will End

RACINE COUNTY, WI — Back in 1996, a Wisconsin state assemblyman from Racine was the legislator who cast the deciding vote to enact a five-county 0.1 percent sales tax to help support the construction and maintenance of Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The move cost Republican George Petak his job after he lost a recall election to Democratic State Rep. Kim Plache. The election earned Petak a dubious place in state political history after he became the first Wisconsin state legislator to be removed from office in a recall election.

Now, about 23 years later, the end of the Miller Park Stadium tax is one step closer to reality. The Racine County Board on Tuesday heard a presentation from Mike Duckett, executive director of the Miller Park tax district.

During that presentation, local authorities learned that the district expects to certify the end of the tax by March. That certification will then be sent to the state Department of Revenue to notify retailers and retire the tax thereafter.

For more on the end of the sales tax, read the Miller Park District's Frequently Asked Questions.

Miller Park Stadium Tax Timeline

Dec. 2019 - Jan. 2020

• District receives adequate funding to initiate final debt defeasance process. Defeasance in this case means that bonds have enough cash set aside in order to retire the debt.
• Final defeasance process begins

Feb. 2020

• District receives legal opinion from bond counsel that all debt is legally defeased.

March 2020

• District receives adequate funding to fulfill escrow accounts for all future contractual obligations.

March 10, 2020

• District certifies the end of the 0.1 percent Miller Park sales tax to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
• The Department of Revenue initiates process with retailers to end the 0.1 percent Miller Park sales tax.

Source: Miller Park Sales Tax District