MILWAUKEE — Voters on Tuesday, April 4th REJECTED a referendum calling for a $60 wheel tax in Milwaukee County. This was an advisory referendum — meaning the results are non-binding.
County Executive Chris Abele has said he would continue to push a $60 wheel tax in Milwaukee even if voters overwhelmingly rejected it on the April 4th ballot.
Abele said during a forum on March 20th that the increased vehicle registration fee was necessary to avoid service cuts and steep fare increases aboard Milwaukee County Transit System buses. Both county and independent analysts say the bus system faces a major shortfall in coming years, the result of declining passenger revenue and state aid cuts.
The county board defeated Abele’s proposal last fall, settling on a $30 vehicle registration fee and punting the question about the larger tax increase to voters in a non-binding referendum.
“It probably makes it more difficult,” Abele said, when asked if he’d continue to support the $60 tax even if 80 percent of voters disapprove, “but all of our jobs as elected officials is to not just make easy decisions.” More from Fox 6 Now has the complete story here > Voters REJECT advisory referendum calling for $60 wheel tax in Milwaukee County