Rep. Cory Mason Introducing Bill Removing Racine County from Stadium Tax District

Saying the five-county taxing district to support Miller Park is unfair to Racine County residents, Representatives Cory Mason (D-Racine) and Bob Turner (D-Racine) are sponsoring a bill in the state Legislature to remove Racine County from the taxing district.

Established in 1996 to help pay for the construction and maintenance of Miller Park, the one-tenth of one percent tax imposed on Racine County was set to expire, at the latest, in 2014. With that date possibly getting pushed to 2018, and citing how few benefits county residents reap from the stadium, Mason and Turner want Racine County taken out of the five-county tax district.

“It’s time to stop requiring Racine County’s residents to pay for a baseball stadium that overwhelmingly benefits Milwaukee,” said Mason in a joint press release. “At a time when Racine’s families are struggling to find jobs, and our community is being forced to make dramatic cuts to public safety, basic services, and public education, this sales tax is more untenable than ever.”

Mason's district includes parts of the City of Racine, Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant.

He and Turner are circulating the bill for co-sponsors. They plan to introduce the bill next week.