By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
BROWN COUNTY – State Rep. David Steffen (R-Howard) is seeking public input between now and Thanksgiving on legislation to close the Lambeau Field Stadium District.
He urged Brown County residents to complete an online survey at StadiumDistrictFuture.com by Nov. 25 to assist in making changes to the legislation he drafted.
Steffen, who announced the legislation last week, said the Stadium District has completed its threefold purpose to oversee the construction costs for renovating Lambeau Field, ensure the bonds related to lending money for the project were properly paid and oversee the half-percent sales tax during its duration to fund the stadium.
“All three of those statutory directives have been concluded,” he said. “In fact, nothing within the statutory directives exist for its continuation beyond 2015. For the last six years, the Stadium District has existed without true statutory function.”
“As that organization, that entity has fulfilled, satisfied its statutory responsibility, it is my opinion that this provides an opportunity for the community to discuss and decide whether it should be continued,” he said.
Steffen said the Stadium District exists as a “statutory artifact.”
“It no longer has purpose as articulated in state law, and therefore, has no real reason to continue,” he said.
Steffen said his bill is intended to:
• Permanently decommission the Stadium District, effective Sept. 15, 2022.
• Provide $600 refund checks to Brown County homeowners 30 days after the district closes, estimated to total $45 million.
• Transfer Lambeau Field ownership rights, responsibilities and ancillary revenue streams to the City of Green Bay, the original owner of Lambeau Field.
• Provide $12 million of new revenue to the Village of Ashwaubenon and Brown County, with each receiving $6 million.
• Inject $3 million of one-time Stadium District reserves into Brown County’s small businesses and community aesthetic efforts, with the Greater Green Bay Chamber and Green Bay Community Foundation each receiving $1.5 million.
Steffen said about $81 million exists in an operations and maintenance fund under the control of the Stadium District.
Under his proposal, he said $45 million of that would go toward the $600 refund checks to county homeowners.
Steffen said Ashwaubenon and the county would each receive $6 million over 20 years – a one-time payment of $2 million apiece and $200,000 a year in license plate revenue.
He said there would be $200 million in new revenue for the City of Green Bay, which would have to assume all lease obligations estimated to cost from $60 million to $100 million, while all revenue over expenses would remain with the city.
Steffen said he wants to hear from county residents about what they like, dislike or want changed in the legislation he drafted.
“I not only ask, but need, the input of the people of Brown County, as to whether or not they believe this is the right direction for the state, for the city and the county to go,” he said.
Opposition voiced
The legislation backed by Steffen has received opposition from those it would affect.
The Packers released a joint statement with the Village of Ashwaubenon in support of the current Stadium District structure.
“The Legislature designed and the voters deliberately chose the structure of a single-purpose, non-political entity to oversee Lambeau Field,” the statement said. “Voters chose to support that specific structure by binding referendum. Sales tax was collected specifically for the maintenance of Lambeau Field through the terms of the lease. It is fiscally and operationally responsible to continue to use the funding for the purpose it was collected. The District was not designed to dissolve until it fulfilled its obligations in the lease, which runs to 2033. The District’s work is not complete.”
State Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Allouez) said he sees several problems with the legislation as drafted.
“Someday there could be changes that all parties could agree to,” he said. “But the (stadium) referendum was passed by the county… Appointees of the county executive and Ashwaubenon have to be given consideration in any future structure. I’m not wavering from that.”
In addition, Cowles said he’s concerned about money intended for the stadium referendum being taken away from the Packers for maintaining Lambeau Field.
“I’m a long way from supporting this initiative,” he said.