MILWAUKEE — In a close race, the city passed a $252 million referendum for Milwaukee Public Schools Tuesday.
It's a decision that both voters in favor and against the measure said will impact them and the city greatly.
Just a few hours after it passed TMJ4 received a call from a viewer concerned about how this will impact their future.
They left us a voicemail that said: “I am going to have to sell my house to live somewhere else because I can’t afford the taxes that they’re going to charge me for my house.”
We called that resident back and they connected us to a Milwaukee landlord also worried about the rise in taxes.
We also spoke to the mother of an MPS student who voted in favor of the referendum.
“I have great faith that MPS will do exactly what they need to do to get these children what they need,” said Latoya Bradford.
As a proud mother of an MPS student the decision to vote yes for the referendum was an easy one for Bradford.
She was also pleased to see the measure pass and know cuts won't be coming to her daughter's school.
“I was excited about it and, just being transparent, I want them to do the right thing with the funding and make sure the children get what they need. That’s what I'm rooting for.”
However for others in the region like Adam Fischer, news that the $252-million proposal passed elicited a different emotion.
“I was irate,” he said.
The Milwaukee native owns and manages 23 properties in the city. He tells TMJ4 that a hike in taxes means higher rent for his tenants.
“We're talking 50 dollars up to 150 dollars per month on somebody who's living paycheck to paycheck, asking ‘can I pay my groceries, can I pay my rent?’”
He said that's why he voted no on another tax bump in the city.
Although it passed, the vote was extremely close with just over 1,700 votes separating the results.
MPS superintendent Keith Posely spoke publicly on Wednesday to share thanks to voters for pushing the funding through. While acknowledging the financial worries many residents are now facing.
"We do not take this investment from taxpayers lightly,” said Posely. “We heard the feedback during the process, and we will work to include this feedback as we move forward."
Only time will tell now how these funds will be used to better MPS schools and how impactful the taxes will be for its residents.
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