MILWAUKEE – Supervisor John F. Weishan, Jr., is proposing creative solutions to help fund Milwaukee County parks, which have suffered from a lack of investment and budget cuts due to the county’s growing structural deficit.
“Our parks are struggling, and we need to come up with solutions now. If we don’t try new and novel solutions, we risk losing more parks facilities to neglect, and we risk losing public access to the creep of privatization,” said Weishan.
Weishan’s proposal includes three components:
1. A county-wide 50/50 raffle, which half the money that is raised going to the winner, and half going to Milwaukee County parks.
2. A new scratch-off lottery ticket with all the proceeds after administrative costs going to Milwaukee County parks.
3. A special Wisconsin license plate that residents can purchase to show their support for Milwaukee County parks.
Milwaukee County would need to apply for a license and be approved by the Wisconsin Division of Gaming to hold the raffle.
Weishan’s proposal for a scratch-off lottery ticket would require action by the state legislature.
The Wisconsin DMV requires 500 signatures from supportive residents and a $15,500 fee for a unique license plate. At least 620 residents would need to purchase the license plate for the County to break even on the cost.
The Intergovernmental Relations Committee considered Weishan’s proposal today and recommended adoption by the full Board of Supervisors, which meets next on June 25.
