Germantown Again Talks of Secession; Americans for Prosperity Wants High Taxes and Spending to End

MILWAUKEE – With the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Board voting Tuesday night to increase the property tax levy 4.9 percent, Americans for Prosperity is making sure residents are aware of the tax increase and spending by the MATC Board. The proposed increase is part of the $333 million spending plan, and includes increases in wages, salaries and health care to name a few. Germantown has been attempting to secede from the technical colleges’ district for about a year now, with this newest proposed increase fueling the discussion.

“Germantown residents have every right to be upset over this,” said AFP State Director Mark Block. “It’s a tax increase, plain and simple. And not only is it a tax increase, it’s a huge tax increase. And not only is it a huge tax increase, it was never voted on by the citizens of Germantown. Something just isn’t right about that.”

• The $333 million spending plan, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, includes $1.5 million more for increased wages and salaries, $2 million more for health care, $4.5 million more for benefits which includes $2 million to pay for a mandated change in accounting for retirement benefits, and an increase in energy costs that is $400,000 beyond inflation

• According to GermantownNow, MATC costs taxpayers $1.77 of every $1,000 property value, while Moraine Park Technical College costs $1.34 and Waukesha County Technical College costs $1.09. The proposed increase would raise the tax rate of the MATC district by 1 cent, while the WCTC district is considering a 3.8 percent increase which translates into a 1 cent decrease.

“A tax increase is bad enough, but one that is never voted on by the citizens simply cannot be tolerated,” said Block. “It’s no wonder the Wisconsin numbers that were released last week show a decrease in State Personal Income; with taxes like this Wisconsinites can hardly pay for the $4-a-gallon gas Tammy Baldwin is giving us.”