The Milwaukee County Board today voted 13-6 to override County Executive Scott Walker's veto of an advisory referendum on whether to provide property tax relief by shifting funding for mass transit, parks, recreation, culture and paramedics from the property tax levy to an increase in the sales tax.
"Now that this referendum question has been approved, the public will weigh in on Nov. 4 whether they want to reduce the property tax levy, the most hated tax in Wisconsin, to the lowest level since 1997," said Board Chairman Lee Holloway. "By establishing a new tax levy base of approximately $183 million, property taxes would be $67 million less than the 2008 level of $250 million. In the future, due to strict limits set by the state, the levy could only increase by 2 percent of that new, lower base or by the percentage increase in the County's equalized assessed value."
The yes-or-no advisory referendum question will read, "Shall the State of Wisconsin grant Milwaukee County the authority to provide property tax relief of at least sixty-seven million dollars ($67 million) by levying a one percent county use and sales tax to be used to remove the following three items from the property tax levy: parks, recreation and culture; transit and emergency medical services (EMS)?"
"Because a sales tax is spread more evenly to everyone, including those who don't live here, it's highly unlikely the additional sales tax would outweigh your property tax savings," said Supervisor Gerry Broderick, chairman of the Parks, Energy & Environment Committee. "In this way, the sales tax can be a solution, not a problem."
"If you save $165 on your property taxes, you would have to spend $16,500 a year on taxable goods and services - groceries and other tax-exempt purchases don't count - to equal those savings. Owners of property worth higher amounts would save even more," said Supervisor Michael Mayo Sr., chairman of the board's Transportation, Public Works & Transit Committee. "We can also help the environment by adding more routes for people to get to school and jobs."
"Approving this referendum in November would give Milwaukee County residents true property tax relief," Supervisor John Weishan Jr. said. "This referendum will prioritize emergency medical services through the paramedics program, along with transit, parks, recreation and culture. These major quality of life services are important to our constituents."
In addition to Holloway, Broderick, Mayo and Weishan, the board members voting to override the veto today were Toni Clark, Elizabeth Coggs, Christopher Larson, Theodore Lipscomb, Marina Dimitrijevic, Willie Johnson Jr., Patricia Jursik, Peggy West and Johnny Thomas.
The board members voting against the veto override today were Mark Borkowski, Paul Cesarz, Lynne De Bruin, Joseph Rice, Joe Sanfelippo and Jim "Luigi" Schmitt.
Later today, Walker issued the following statement about  today's veto:
"The promise of property tax relief through a sales tax has not been successful in the past. In 1991, the board passed a sales tax increase, yet property taxes went up 55 percent in the 10 years that followed. Issuing an advisory referendum that has no legal mandate on county or state government detracts from the real debate that must occur to find new ways to provide core county services. Together with the city's latest wheel tax, those voting for a sales tax increase are well on their way to creating a tax island, and giving Milwaukee County the highest sales tax in the state."

The Milwaukee Brewers today announced details for a postseason lottery that will give fans an opportunity to register for the right to purchase tickets to individual 2008 playoff games to be held at Miller Park.
In addition, season seatholders who currently have their postseason order forms are reminded that Friday is the deadline for payment of 2008 postseason tickets.
Fans interested in registering for the postseason lottery should go to www.brewers.com and look for the link to "Postseason Ticket Opportunity." With inventory expected to be very limited, it is likely that only a limited number of fans will be selected to purchase tickets through the lottery.
Registration for the postseason ticket opportunities will begin at noon (Central Time) on Friday and will close at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
The Brewers will conduct a random selection of winners from the pool of registrants for each of the three postseason series. The N.L. Division Series (NLDS) winners will be selected on or around Thursday, Sept. 18, and will have the opportunity to purchase up to four tickets to one game of the 2008 NLDS.
Winners for N.L. Championship Series and World Series drawings will be selected from the same of pool registrants at later dates. Registrants (including winners of previous drawings) will be eligible for each drawing.
There is no charge to register for the opportunity. Additional rules and information are available at www.brewers.com.
The team said 2008 postseason tickets also may be secured by placing deposits on 2009 full season ticket plans.

Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. oversees more than 10 percent of the total U.S. direct life insurance market, based on the most recent data from A.M. Best.
The latest data reaffirms Northwestern Mutual's No. 1 rank in U.S. individual life insurance market share, a position the financial security company has held since 2000.
Significantly outpacing the industry year-over-year, Northwestern Mutual increased its total U.S. direct life insurance premium by 9.0 percent from first quarter 2007 to the first quarter 2008, compared with the overall industry average of 0.9 percent.
"We have close to 3.5 million policyowners and take great pride in helping each of them with their financial security planning," said Edward Zore, Northwestern Mutual president and chief executive officer. "In uncertain economic times, life insurance is a flexible financial asset that can provide protection, cash value and confidence for Americans as they take control of their financial future. Regardless of one's life stage, life insurance is the foundation of any sound financial security plan."
Northwestern Mutual has always received the best possible insurance financial strength ratings from Standard & Poor's, Fitch Ratings, Moody's and A.M. Best, which affirmed the company's A++ rating in March 2008.
Northwestern Mutual expects to provide $5 billion in dividends to policyowners in 2008.

Twelve local television stations will unite later this month to conduct the first digital TV transition test designed to prepare viewers for the end of analog television on Feb. 17, 2009.
During 5 p.m. programming on Monday, Sept. 15, the local television stations will each be making special efforts to inform viewers of the DTV transition and help viewers determine if they are ready for the changes that are coming in 2009.
During their 5 p.m. newscast, WDJT-TV, Channel 58 (Weigel Broadcast Group); WISN-TV, Channel 12 (Hearst-Argyle Television); WITI-TV Channel 6 (Local TV LLC); and WTMJ-TV, Channel 4 (Journal Broadcast Group) will alert viewers and explain how the test will work.  At approximately 5:10 p.m., each of the stations will simulate the termination of analog broadcasting by removing the video signal that feeds the analog transmitter for 60 seconds causing the screen to show simulated static with special instructions the viewer will need to know in order to receive a digital television broadcast signal in the future. For those viewers already viewing digital television broadcast signals, they will receive a graphic on their television screen informing them that they are DTV ready.
Also during 5 p.m. programming, WBME-TV, Channel 49 (Weigel Broadcast Group); WCGV-TV, Channel 24 and WVTV-TV, Channel 18 (Sinclair Broadcast Group); WMVS-TV, Channel 10 and WMVT-TV, Channel 36 (Milwaukee Area District School Board); WPXE-TV, Channel 55 (ION Media Networks); WVCY-TV, Channel 30 (VCY America);  WWRS-TV, and Channel 52 (Trinity Broadcasting Network) will provide on-screen education on the DTV transition.
Finally, each station listed above will direct viewers with questions to call a  DTV Answers Hotline to be established.
The test is an unprecedented cooperative effort between Milwaukee Television Stations, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, DirecTV, Dish Network, and AT&T. The DTV Answers Hotline is being sponsored by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA). 

Potawatomi Bingo Casino's new Off-Track Betting Room opened today as part of the casino's 500,000-square-foot, $240-million expansion.
With the opening of the Off-Track Betting Room, guests can experience horse and greyhound racing via simulcasts in a new non-smoking amenity located just off the Casino's skywalk on the third floor.
"With dozens of LCD screens featuring races from tracks across the country, our guests are truly in for a great experience," said Off-Track Betting Room manager Paul Lurenz. "It's just one more amenity that makes Potawatomi Bingo Casino bigger and better than ever."
In addition, the Casino's new Poker Room opened Aug. 27. The new, non-smoking Poker Room, located next to the Off-Track Betting Room, includes the addition of five tables, bringing the number of tables to 20, with all of them featuring Shuffle Master technology.

Milwaukee-based Rexnord Industries LLC announced today the appointment of Darryl  Mayhorn as president of its Aerospace Group.
The unit supplies high-performance, engineered bearings and mechanical seals to the commercial air transport, regional aircraft, business aircraft, helicopter and military aircraft markets for use in engine systems, flight control systems, airframe structures and landing gear systems.
Mayhorn will report to Robert Hitt, president and chief executive officer of Rexnord.
"Darryl's leadership experience and demonstrated success with product development, quality improvement and delivery performance provide the necessary attributes to help us leverage and expand our capabilities to drive customer loyalty, innovation and growth," Hitt said. "In addition, Darryl is well suited to continue the Aerospace Group's growth trajectory through his proven track record of serving customers, which will expand the group's global profile."
Mayhorn most recently was group president of Danaher Corp.'s Aerospace Group, which consists of six aerospace businesses with 17 manufacturing and service locations throughout the world.
Prior to joining Danaher, Mayhorn held leadership positions within Eaton Corp.

Marquette University has approved the establishment of a Center for Real Estate. The center will be housed in the College of Business Administration under the direction of Mark Eppli, Ph.D., Bell Chair in Real Estate.
"The CRE will focus on advancing real estate knowledge and enhancing business practices through education, research, and outreach to the Milwaukee and Wisconsin business communities, as well as regional and national audiences," Eppli said.
Real estate programming has been a focus for the college since 2002 when the Bell Chair was created. A real estate major also was established that year. Marquette's program is the only commercial real estate program taught at Jesuit colleges and universities.
In 2003-04 a real estate concentration in the Master of Science in Applied Economics was approved.
Joining Eppli in the center will be associate director Nicole Truog, whose past experience includes eight years in the banking industry with LaSalle Bank in Chicago. A Marquette University alumna, Truog received her master's degree in urban development and public policy from Loyola University Chicago. She's also an adjunct faculty member in Marquette's Graduate School of Management.
The center's faculty includes Anthony Pennington-Cross, Ph.D., associate professor of finance and former senior economist in the research division at The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, as well as others from the College of Business Administration and Marquette Law School.
Eppli said the new center will focus on the undergraduate experience through the Real Estate Club, site visits, job shadowing and mentoring, and applied classroom assignments. An MBA specialization is planned for the future.
"We will focus on applied empirical research in both commercial and residential real estate," Eppli said. "In doing so we will engage the real estate community and provide continuation of outreach efforts, including the successful Associates in Commercial Real Estate program, will also be part of the center's programming."
The Real Estate Center is entirely supported through external funding from more than 40 companies and individuals, mostly from the commercial real estate sector.
The center will foster research in predatory lending, credit availability, the effects of tax incremental financing districts, the determinants of retail sales and rents in planned shopping centers and other topics.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle launched the state's new fall tourism advertising campaign, "Originality Rules," as part of a unified competitive branding strategy.
The new campaign will cover economic sectors and government agencies. The fall ads, which will run from Sept. 7 through Oct. 31, will highlight the "passionate, proud and spontaneous" nature of Wisconsin's people and the original ways they embrace the fall season.
"Our state culture is one that nurtures creativity and originality, and not only makes Wisconsin a great place to visit, but also a great place to do business and raise a family," Doyle said. "The fall tourism campaign showcases the original ways Wisconsin's people celebrate fall, and resonates with so many key audiences - visitors, residents, employees and employers."
The fall tourism ads are among the first to emerge from the state's new brand platform, "Originality Rules," announced by Doyle in March.  The brand strategy is a strategic framework from which a new theme line, advertising concepts and marketing materials is being developed.
The campaign is a departure from previous fall campaigns, as it focuses on personal interpretations of fall color, rather than on the traditional scenic shots of fall foliage. The campaign is built around two sets of "Wisconsin Originals:"  Jake, John and Dick Leinenkugel of Leinenkugel Brewing and Sam Llanas and Kurt Neumann of the BoDeans band.
In the spots, the spokespersons discuss their unique ways of experiencing autumn in Wisconsin before asking, "What does fall mean to you?"
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism is placing $1.1 million worth of advertising in regional media, anchored by the two 30-second television spots airing in the Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee and Madison markets. The campaign also includes a variety of online and print advertising.
"This new campaign is such a genuine reflection of who we are and why visitors choose to vacation here, and that's the power of a good brand,” said Wisconsin tourism secretary Kelli Trumble. "Our fall advertising is just the beginning of building on our reputation as a passionate and proud state, with our people willing to express themselves in original ways and create incredibly fun experiences for travelers."
In 2007, the fall season accounted for $3.1 billion of the nearly $13 billion overall economic impact total for the state.
For more information, visit http://agency.travelwisconsin.com.

Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLC, a national labor and employment law firm, will open new offices in Milwaukee and Chicago market.
The new downtown Milwaukee office will be located in the Plaza East Office Center at 330 E. Kilbourn Ave.
Charles Pautsch, formerly of Wessels, Pautsch & Sherman P.C., will join Constangy as a key attorney in its labor relations practice and will lead the new offices.
Pautsch will be joined by two former Wessels' attorneys Brian Nuedling and Lisa Baiocchi.
Neil Wasser, national chairman of the Atlanta-based law firm, said, "The addition of our new Chicago and Milwaukee locations to our 14-office network marks a new chapter for Constangy. We look forward to this opportunity to expand quality labor and employment law services to our clients with operations in the Midwest."

Kenosha-based Snap-on Tools Inc. today unveiled a new compact, lightweight 3/8-inch cordless impact wrench.
With 230 foot-pounds of bolt break away torque, the CT4410 allows technicians to rev it up and get jobs done quicker and easier, the company said. The patented super heavy duty impact mechanism and the heat-treated alloy gears deliver strength and durability and reduce the chance of breakage.
Featuring an oversized trigger for precise control, a cushion-grip handle for less strain, a cushion-mounted motor for reduced vibration and a one-handed forward/reverse switch to easily change directions, the new wrench allows technicians to work longer with less fatigue.
The CT4410 comes with a 14.4-volt battery system that includes dual rail slide-on batteries with self-aligning terminal block for longer battery life.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Brenner, publisher of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will discuss the future of the daily newspaper as an American institution in the digital age at an upcoming Milwaukee Press Newsmaker Luncheon.
The event, which will take place at the Newsroom Pub in downtown Milwaukee on Wednesday, Sept. 24, will begin at noon. Members of the Milwaukee Press Club and the public are invited to attend.
Daily newspapers throughout the nation are facing challenges of declining advertising revenues, declining circulations, challenges in attracting younger readers and the migration of readers and advertisers to the Internet.
In response, the Journal Sentinel is one of many major metropolitan American newspapers that have announced staff cuts in recent months.
At the Newsmaker Luncheon, Brenner will discuss the strategies the Journal Sentinel and other daily newspapers across the nation will deploy to survive and be relevant in a 24-hour, electronic news cycle. She will discuss how these changes will affect employees, readers, advertisers and the community.
The Press Club presents the Newsmaker Luncheons monthly to shed light on issues of the day. The public is invited to attend the luncheons. The cost to attend is $15 for MPC members, $20 for non-members, $10 for students. Lunch is included. Pre-registration and advance payment is required and may be done online at www.milwaukeepressclub.org.

MAC Dental Center plans to build a new four-story, 32,000-square-foot office building in downtown De Pere. Read more in SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com/#news.

The BizTimes Stock Index fell 2.06 points to close at 140.48 Wednesday, and the stock market dipped sharply today after the U.S. Labor Department reported that jobless claims rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 444,000, up 15,000 from the prior week. The Dow Jones Industrials Average fell by more than 250 points this morning. The largest local decliners this morning were Weyco Group Inc. (down $1.88 to $51.52), Bucyrus International Inc. (down $1.77 to $51.63), A.O. Smith Corp. (down $1.59 to $40.76) and Rockwell International Inc. (down $1.54 to $44.65). The BizTimes Stock Index was created by Small Business Times and is monitored by North Shore Bank. The index, which measures the stock values of publicly held companies based in southeastern Wisconsin, is updated daily and can be viewed at www.biztimes.com.

Last week's blowout anniversary party exemplified how fortunate Milwaukee is to be the home Harley-Davidson Inc., according to Doug Neilson, author of today's Milwaukee Biz Blog.