The win sent the Rockets to 6-1 in the Woodland East, good enough for second place in the division. Next up, at New Berlin West on Friday, in a Woodland Conference crossover game.
Then it’s on to the WIAA playoffs, which begin Oct. 25-26.
As I’ve written about, the proposed Milwaukee County budget has mixed news for South Milwaukee, and includes the suggested closure of Grobschmidt Pool in 2020.
But this is not a done deal — and Supervisor Steven Shea wants to hear your thoughts on the county executive’s spending plan. See you Tuesday!
Chili, drink, break, salad and dessert will be served from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Grobschmidt Senior Center. Cost is $8 for adults, $5 for children 3-10.
All proceeds go to South Milwaukee Human Concerns!
It’s the month of Halloween so make sure to dress up and join us at Moran’s Pub for the after party and costume contest at 9:30PM. Top 3 contestants will win some cool prizes!
I can’t thank First Congregational for continuing to host this event — and to all of the organizations who have gotten behind it.
Please attend, bring a friend, and spread the word.
From organizer Pam Uhrig …
Guest attendance was 75 for the September meal sponsored by Masjid Al-Huda. The baked chicken and rice was served with delicious sides and the baklava was a big hit. My favorite is the falafel and humus!
This month Human Concerns will sponsor the meal on October 17th. Trinity will be November 21st, and Knights of Columbus will take Dec. 19th.
Last month, a coalition municipal, county, business, labor and community leaders gathered in South Milwaukee to announce plans for state legislation allowing Milwaukee County to host a binding referendum seeking a one percentage-point increase in its sales tax.
The announcement – made in South Milwaukee as part of the regular rotation of Intergovernmental Cooperation Council meetings of local mayors and village presidents – garnered significant media coverage, which you can get a flavor of here and here.
Here is the full press conference afterwards, and my remarks.
The bills (AB 521 and SB 471) were introduced in the last week.
They seek to allow the county to hold a binding referendum that, if passed, would increase the Milwaukee County sales tax to 6.6%, 6.5% if the Miller Park tax sunsets in early 2020 like it is supposed to.
If passed, the sales tax increase would generate approximately $160 million in revenue per year. As outlined in the bills …
25% of the revenue — or $40 million — would immediately go toward property tax relief.
7% of the revenue — about $11 million — would go towards additional funding for “public health infrastructure projects” across the county (think lead laterals, etc.).
The remaining revenue (about $109 million) would be split with the county and each of its 19 communities, based on population.
In the end, the ICC put off formal action the proposal, pending more details, and will discuss it more at its meeting next week.
Here is why I support the legislation …
If the sales tax is enacted, it would deliver significant property tax relief. This is an important point – as mentioned, 25% of the proceeds of the sales tax will be returned “off the top” to property taxpayers, likely in the form of a credit. One estimate puts this at about $900,000 in total tax relief for South Milwaukeeans annually.
The sales tax would be a huge lift for local budgets – and services. For South Milwaukee, proceeds from the sales tax could top $1 million annually. How we allocate this money will be decided by the Common Council, but options include additional property tax relief, putting it toward operating costs and capital projects, or adding to our reserves, or potentially all of those. I promise a robust conversation on where the money will be spent. For starters, it will give us some breathing room in our annual budgeting, allowing us to better in addressing items like the 15% increase in health insurance costs we are facing for 2020. I also hope these funds will go beyond just maintaining our current level of service. I look forward to working with our department heads and council to find ways to invest this money for the future of our city. From public safety to other city services to infrastructure, we have lots to do, and lots of needs.
It would help the county, too, and that’s a big deal for South Milwaukee. As I said in my remarks, South Milwaukee boasts a number of county assets, and anything that helps the county budget helps us. Could this extra funding perhaps permanently stave off elimination of bus routes 48 and 52? Could it lead to more investment in our parks, and capital projects like roads? Could it help reinvent Grobschmidt Pool for the 21st century? Or free up investment in the Oak Creek Watershed? Those are the types of things we’ll lobby for.
Others would contribute. This is an important note: Estimates say almost 30% of the sales tax collections will come from people who live outside of Milwaukee County. Be it vacationers headed to the beach (Grant Park Beach?), fans to a ballgame (a Rocket football game?), attendees to the 2020 DNC Convention, or visitors to a show (at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center?), our out-of-county friends should have to contribute toward those assets and the governments that support them. It can’t just be on the back of Milwaukee County property taxpayers anymore.
It lets voters decide. This is most appealing of all. In the end, love or hate the idea of an additional sales tax, all this legislation seeks to do is allow Milwaukee County voters decide on whether or not they want one. It does not ask for one extra dollar from the state. That is democracy in action, giving power to the people to have their voices heard.
This is also is a step
toward solving the bigger problem we face in funding of local governments: an
overreliance on property taxes.
Property taxes paid by
Milwaukee County and Wisconsin residents are among the highest in the nation …
there is no hiding from that. But that is in part because there are few other
sources of revenue available to fund our budgets. Our sales tax is among the
lowest in the nation. We need a balance, and this would help provide that.
Passage would also help
us deal with this reality: Property taxes are not enough. They do not provide
enough to pay for the services you have rightfully come to expect from us.
A decade of state-imposed levy limits, cuts in state aid and unfunded mandates have taken their toll. We need this relief. South Milwaukee residents and business owners need this relief.
As I said in my remarks
…
Every community is dealing with this to some degree — urban,
rural, big, small, rich, poor, red, blue, with no regard to
geography. This has to stop, and we need help to do it. We want to be effective partners with the state, and
to be part of the solution. But we need the state legislature to give us the
tools to truly invest in our communities.
I look forward to seeing the legislature and governor step up to do that, with passage and signing of these bills.
Lots happening around town the next few days! Please support these local events, at this special time of year. Like the Rocketober Facebook page for updated schedules and information.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10
3-8 p.m. Crusher
Beer Garden at the South Milwaukee Downtown Market. Celebrate Da Crusher with
this first-time event featuring an outdoor screening of old Crusher matches.
And while you’re there enjoy the last market of the season!
SATURDAY,
OCTOBER 12
8 a.m.-noon.
Friends of the Mill Pond and Oak Creek Watercourse Fall Cleanup. Meet in the
high school parking lot for signup. Free lunch served noon at the Grobschmidt
Pool.
7:30 p.m.
Milwaukappella 2019.2, featuring Six Appeal. Presented by Landaas & Company
Investments, a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field. South
Milwaukee PAC.
SUNDAY,
OCTOBER 13
10 a.m.-2 p.m. South Milwaukee Ace Hardware Free Hot Rod, Classic Car and Truck Show. (rescheduled from September)
1-4 p.m. Friends of Grant Park Trek ‘n Treat. Registration is $2/participant at Area 5. Families trek through the 7 Bridges, stop at learning stations and receive treats. Pavilion has refreshments for sale and activities.
4-6:30 p.m. South Shore Soup. The South Shore Chamber presents a micro-granting soup dinner supporting creative projects in Cudahy, St. Francis, and South Milwaukee. Knights of Columbus Hall.
Your Rocket seniors. (Thanks, Kim Slusar, for the photo.)
On Senior Night, seniors led the way to an impressive South Milwaukee victory, 30-8 over Brown Deer on Friday night at Spaltholz Field.
Elijah Anderson ran for three touchdowns, and Danny Klemstein added a fourth — and senior Luis Ortiz added a field goal — as South Milwaukee moved to 5-2 and stayed tied with Whitnall atop the Woodland East.
Senior quarterback Tarek Slusar threw for 74 yards and ran for 49. Senior Calvin Kluz led the team with four catches for 54 yards.
This weekend’s Rocketober schedule includes a key Woodland Conference football game tonight, as well as opening night for the Halloween Lights on Edgewood. Tomorrow is a terrific magic show at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.
Check out the full schedule and updates at the Rocketober Facebook page. It’s going to be a great month of October!
I say this a lot: South Milwaukee is as reliant on a strong Milwaukee County as any community. With almost 30 percent of our land owned by the county and county assets like Grant Park, the Oak Creek Parkway and Grobschmidt Pool, a strong county is a strong city in many ways.
With that in mind, County Executive Chris Abele released his executive budget on Tuesday, and it had mixed news for us.
First, the good news, which includes more than $1.4 million of capital investment in South Milwaukee in 2020-21.
The proposed capital budget includes $113,000 in funds to plan for reconstruction of the road leading into Wil-o-Way Grant — with another $888,000 for construction in 2021. For anyone who has driven to Picnic Areas 7-9 and the Wil-o-Way facility recently, you know it’s long overdue. This is also an example of a city-county partnership — South Milwaukee has co-written an application for a Community Development Block Grant to cover some of the costs.
And the proposed capital budget includes more than $606,000 for Oak Creek bluff stabilization along Oak Creek Parkway at Emerson’s Appleton Electric foundry, east of the Mill Pond/Lagoon. The steep slope has begun to fail, raising the threat of it collapsing completely, according to the county. The project — in addition to the large Oak Creek streambank restoration project that wrapped up last year further west — would reduce that risk, and limit the amount of sediment runoff into the creek during heavy rainstorms.
See full proposed capital budget here. Pages 55 and 72 have details on the Wil-o-Way Grant and Oak Creek projects.
Now, the bad news …
The budget headed to the Milwaukee County Board for consideration calls for the closure of Grobschmidt Pool. More details on page 370 here.
This is disappointing, but not surprising, especially given the water damage done to pool mechanicals in August, declining usage, its small capacity, and the proximity of other pools like Sheridan (not to mention indoor public pools blocks away at South Milwaukee Middle School and the YIM.)
The capital needs sealed the pool’s fate more than anything.
As the county executive’s chief of staff told me this week: “Between $75-80k of expenditures are required to get the facility back into shape from the water damage earlier this year. These are inclusive of clean up and mold prevention, furnace replacements, pool pump repairs, water main repairs, water heater replacements and asbestos remediation/removal.”
I have asked County Executive Abele and County Supervisor Steven Shea to find some money to do a long-range plan for the future of the pool — or whatever else should replace it, and they have committed to exploring it.
It would be a chance to ask the community what they’d like to see replace Grobschmidt vs. simply reinvesting in a decades-old structure that was becoming less and less popular.
That way, some good might come out of this.
And one more note, a heads up: The county budget could be a lot worse in 2021. County Executive Abele has made it clear that without passage of legislation enabling a Milwaukee County sales tax referendum — and ultimate passage of that referendum by voters next spring — cuts will likely be more significant in for 2021. As he wrote in his budget memo …
We began the 2020 budget process with yet another gap, this time projected at $28 million.
Over the past decade, Milwaukee County has steadily increased the amount of revenue we send to the state, while the state aids we receive in return have remained flat or declined. Unfortunately, we are heavily reliant on an antiquated funding system that also limits our ability to raise revenue locally.
By working together and by making the best of the situation at hand, we have set ourselves on a better path. On the heels of unprecedented collaboration through last year’s budget process, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and the administration began to work together to find a solution to our budget challenges. Chairman Theodore Lipscomb and I launched the Fair Deal Workgroup to create a new partnership with the State of Wisconsin to protect public services and invest in our future. This effort has built an even larger partnership among legislators, the business community, local governments and community-based organizations called Move Forward MKE.
This group has introduced legislation to put the fiscal question to Milwaukee County voters and ask for a 1 percent sales tax increase, with property tax relief. Were legislature and voters to choose this option, we believe that next year we will have the power to adequately fund public services, maintain facilities, provide tax relief and invest in our community. This option will allow us to generate the revenue we need to stop making cuts to critical programs and services and start to invest in the future with confidence.
First, it has a day-part. It’s a workshop for high school and college age students who love a cappella. Instructors lead classes at beginning, intermediate and advanced skill levels in all aspects of modern a cappella: Vocal Percussion, Beatboxing, Arranging, Technique, Choreography and Presentation.
Then, there’s part two; the evening concert, open to the public, everyone welcome! The show begins performances by student workshop participants. It’s a chance to hear some of the best young voices in the midwest! Then, after intermission, a dazzling concert by the sensational, award-winning, international a cappella supergroup Six Appeal!
If you love a cappella music you’ve got to see and hear Six Appeal! Tickets for students and seniors – $19 in advance. Discount packages available. Children 4 and under are free.
If you are a student of a cappella, you can’t do better than learning from Six Appeal and our other professional instructors! Tickets for the day-side workshop are $45 and include classes, lunch, dinner and a great seat for the big show!
Ticket sales raise money for scholarships and benefit the many community service efforts of The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field.
South Milwaukee PAC has the rare opportunity to host the pre-tour preview of an all-new Illusionary Spectacular – ABRACADABRA Live on Tour from the Co-Creator of Broadway’s The Illusionists franchise Saturday, October 5. This show will feature five World-Class Magicians/Illusionists/Escape Artists/Sleight-Of-Hand Specialists along with a supporting cast of talented dancers and visual artists – not to mention Five Magnificent Macaws and Cockatoos who will appear from nowhere and fly high and low directly above the audience, ABRACADABRA promises “Thrills and Skills” in an all-ages family-friendly format.
World Champion Grand Illusionist Brett Daniels, in partnership with Legendary Rock and Broadway Promoter, Arny Granat’s Grand Slam Productions will stage magic and illusionary acts that have drawn industry raves “Magnificent!…Flawless!….A Dazzler!” – Variety. Genii Magazine said “Masterful! -Breathtaking! – A Killer Finish!” The International Conjuror’s Magazine said “The Audience Gasped!” and “Just When You Think You’ve Seen It All…” The Philadelphia Daily News lauded “The Entire Family Will Be Charmed!” Audiences will witness Five “The Best of the Best” Magicians together onstage presenting the Latest and Greatest Magic and Illusion as well as several New World-Premiere Illusion Acts Never Before Seen On Any Stage Anywhere On Earth!
From the South Milwaukee Fire Department Facebook page … “SMFD Chief Joe Knitter and Lt. Kurt Egner were on hand this morning to receive a generous donation in the amount of $860 from our good friends at the Milwaukee Sausage Company, 1200 Milwaukee Avenue. These funds were raised from the sale of 430 pounds of their specially formulated Firehouse Sausage . . . that’s 1290 sausages sold!!! Along with another $45 in cash donations they received, these funds have been earmarked to support our Stop the Bleed initiative that will provide training and special bleeding control kits initially in all public-access municipal buildings. SHOP LOCAL – SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES”
Quite a bit going on recently, and I’ll start with some budget news from Milwaukee County.
County Executive Chris Abele released his executive budget on Tuesday, and, in addition to “saving” bus routes 48 and 52, it calls for the closure of Grobschmidt Pool. More details here.
I’ll blog about the county budget more in coming days, but this is disappointing, but not surprising news, especially given the water damage done to pool mechanicals in August, declining usage, the facility’s small capacity, and a lifeguard shortage.
Some other news of note …
We received about 2.75 inches of rain in the past day or so in South Milwaukee, as measured by the Wastewater Department.
The South Milwaukee football team moved to 4-2 with a 24-0 victory over Milwaukee Lutheran, their third shutout win this fall. The game began Friday night, was stopped due to lightning at halftime, and resumed Monday. Next up: Brown Deer at 7 p.m. on Friday at Spaltholz Field. Go Rockets!
“South Milwaukee Spooktacular: A Citywide Halloween Party” got some great publicity this week. Mark your calendars to attend … and if you’re a business or organization wanting to be a part of this, please email me ASAP at brooks@smwi.org.
It’s Da Crusher, of course! Shot the night of Crusherfest, as we unveiled this statue to the world. Do you have a photo you’d like to share on the blog? Send it along.
South Milwaukee Blog 