News
October 18, 2024 | By Benjamin Yount
Policy Issues
Accountable Government Economy

Wisconsin Senate President Joins Opposition to Waukesha County Sales Tax

“If this passes, it tells me one thing. The people we elected to work for us are now more beholden to the bureaucracy than to the residents they work for," Senate President Chris Kapenga

A big name in Wisconsin, and Waukesha County politics has joined the opposition to Waukesha County’s proposed sales tax.

Senate President Chris Kapenga, R-Pewaukee, took to Twitter Friday as the latest Republican to urge county leaders to slow down on their push to create a 0.5% sales tax for Waukesha County.

“While most people's attention is on local, state, and national political elections, the County Board is taking less than three weeks from their tax increase proposal to final vote, happening Tuesday, October 22nd. With next to no opportunity for public input, it's hard not to question the motives of County leadership,” Kapenga said.

Waukesha County’s executive and finance committee approved the sales tax proposal on Monday. The full county board is set to vote on the plan Tuesday.

Waukesha County’s Republican Party chairman came-out against the rushed tax plan on Thursday, and the county’s Business Alliance did the same earlier in the week.

They too, all said Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow is rushing the proposal through the county board.

Kapenga said this is the wrong time to rush ahead on a tax proposal that would take $60 million out of the pockets of people in Waukesha County.

“The economy remains the number one issue for most voters right now. In the midst of an affordability crisis on everything from groceries to housing, the Waukesha County Board is about to pass a tax increase on county residents, making it even more difficult for people struggling to make ends meet,” he added.

Kapenga then took his criticism a step further.

“If this passes, it tells me one thing. The people we elected to work for us are now more beholden to the bureaucracy than to the residents they work for. I've seen it happen for years at the state level, where representatives who call themselves Republican over time begin to legislate and spend like Democrats. It stems from increasingly being out of touch with "We the People" and an inability to imagine cutting staff or services or making government smaller instead of larger,” Kapenga tweeted. “I am hoping this will not be the case in my own Waukesha County.”

Supporters of Waukesha County’s proposed sales tax say it will generate more than enough money to cover a $5 million budget gap.

Critics say the sales tax would actually generate more than $60 million a-year, which is far more than they say the county needs.

Kapenga said voters will not have a say on the tax itself, but said they can talk to their county supervisors, who will have a vote.

“My encouragement to the County Board is to not make the mistake of adding another tax when Waukesha County families are already struggling under the weight of Biden-Harris inflation. Difficult budget decisions are a part of everyday life for most households, and your residents will understand if services need trimming or projects need pausing,” Kapenga said. “And my encouragement to you, the boss, is to make sure you tell your workers what you think of this attempted tax increase. Contact your county supervisor as soon as possible and before Tuesday's vote!”

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