The Green Bay Packers offered their strongest opposition yet to the proposal to dismantle the Lambeau Field stadium district.
The Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District and its seven-member board are proposed to be eliminated by a Republican who lives in Howard.
The assets and liabilities of the district would be transferred to the city of Green Bay, but only $81 million would be set aside for operations and maintenance of the stadium through at least 2031. He would give the money to Brown County property owners.
The Packers said that the proposal would bust the lease between the team, the city and the board.
They would be forced to sort out who would make up the operations and maintenance funding deficit if Rep. Steffen's legislation is enacted. The Packers public affairs director said that the proposed legislation is foolish.
It would be a violation of trust and an illegal evisceration of the lease. Immediate major litigation would prevent it from taking effect.
The bowl is in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Finance Committee of the city was explained to by Steffen on Tuesday, with other council members also attending the virtual meeting. The discussion was mostly academic because there is no chance the proposal will become law this year. He wants to bring it back in January of 2023.
The renovation of Lambeau Field led to the creation of the district. It should be dissolved because it completed all its duties in 2015. The maintenance fund was created by a half-cent sales tax which ended in 2015. He would give money to the Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation.
The 10% Lambeau Field ticket tax would be shifted to the city to help pay for the team's maintenance costs.
Excess ticket tax can be used on certain projects.
Changes to the ticket tax and other actions in the proposal would violate the three-party lease, which prohibits changes to the ticket tax and imposes penalties for attempting to do so, according to the Packers.
Popkey said that changing the ticket tax could endanger money the Packers receive from the NFL for Lambeau Field improvements. The team has made improvements to Lambeau Field. The team added another $300 million to the Titletown District without public financing. It got loans from the NFL.
The financial structure that is in place would not allow the NFL to approve money for the stadium. Popkey said that if that were to go away, it could jeopardize our ability to get additional funds.
Changes to the lease, such as the elimination of the stadium board and the maintenance fund, would not matter if the Packers were not impacted financially. He and the Packers don't agree on what constitutes financial impact.
One state assemblyman can potentially drive a wedge in a relationship that has been successful. Popkey said that the proposal was bad for the city, the community, and the Packers.
Ted Thompson was among the Green Bay Packers who died in 2021.
Packers playoff ticket costs are high as fans wait for opponent to be decided.
The city might need to borrow money for about five years to meet its new obligations, as has been acknowledged before.
Barbara Dorff, the finance committee chairwoman, said she was not surprised by the Packers warning that the matter could end up in court.
I didn't feel threatened by what Mr. Popkey said. She said that it was probably what could happen.
The stadium board has failed to adequately oversee the district's finances according to a theme he raised Monday.
The board does not have optimal internal controls due to the size of its staff. The audits did not suggest any improprieties. The board was advised to keep an eye on transactions.
There are concerns regarding transparency and oversite by a non-accountable to the voter government entity.
The county executive, the mayor of Green Bay and the president of Ashwaubenon make up the district board.
Bill Galvin, who is a stadium board member, was told by Steffen that he had not reviewed any invoices, work orders or open bidding for any contractors.
Galvin did not reply.
The Green Bay council members asked questions but did not take a stance on the proposal, unlike the Ashwaubenon village board members who heard the proposal in November and were against it. Dorff was the exception.
She said that she wouldn't be interested in a relationship that risked.
Contact Richard Ryman at (920) 431-8342 or rryman@gannett.com. He can be followed on social media by following him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRyman.
The Packers say the effort to dismantle the Lambeau stadium district would end up in a lawsuit.
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