CHICAGO – The sales tax surcharge that financed improvements to the Green Bay Packers' home at Lambeau Field has officially ended and about $18 million in surplus revenues are headed to local governments.
Gov. Scott Walker signed Senate Bill 233 on Nov. 30 permitting the distribution of excess sales tax revenue from the local professional football stadium district to Brown County and municipalities in the county.
Brown County will receive 25% of the revenues for redeveloping the Brown County arena. The remaining 75% will go to municipalities based on their population to use for property tax relief, tax levy supported debt relief, or economic development.
"Both Brown County and its municipalities must first adopt a resolution specifying the purpose and the amount of money that will be used," the governor's office said.
More than $300 million of revenue was collected from the 0.5% sales tax surcharge that began in 2001 for Lambeau Field renovations.
The Green Bay-Brown County Professional Football Stadium District issued $175 million of debt to finance the public's share of the $300 million upgrade to the home of the National Football League team but retired the debt early in 2011.
Brown County continued to collect the sales taxes to pay various operational expenses and to fully fund a special reserve but met all requirements earlier this year and the tax ended in September with some surplus.
