The Lambeau tax: Part 1

It's been nearly a decade since voters approved a half percent sales tax for the renovation of Lambeau Field . But we aren't just paying for the stadium. Taxpayers are also paying millions of dollars to operate and maintain the stadium. The Packers call it an ideal partnership. But some say it's just not right.

It was a vote that divided the community. Voters had to choose between their pocketbooks and their Packers. Fifty-three percent of the people chose the Packers.

While everyone knew the sales tax would pay for the stadium project, many voters probably didn't know what else they were going to pay for.

"I would venture to say over 99% of the people who voted on this tax had no idea of what the extent of these operating expenses would be," said Richard Parins, president of the Brown County Taxpayers Association .

Your tax dollars go towards the Packers light bill, heating bill, water bill. We pay for people to shovel at the stadium. Another place your money goes: police officers and security guards on game day.

• Click here to read a detailed list of the expenses at Lambeau Field.

In fact, since the renovated stadium opened, taxpayers have paid $16 million of the sales tax to the Packers, to pay part of the costs of operating and maintaining the stadium.

"I think everybody's always in shock when they get the real numbers to what it costs to operate an entity like the Packers and the stadium," Parins said. The taxpayers association opposed the Lambeau plan from the start.

"It wasn't about the Packers," Parins said. "It was about taxpayers' monies being used to subsidize private businesses."

Parins maintains public funds should not be used to help a private business. The Packers argue that a private business should not be responsible for all of the costs associated with a public facility.

"We've always considered it a public asset," said Jason Wied, vice-president of administration for the Packers. "It's our home but it's not owned by the Green Bay Packers. It's owned by this community and we've treated it that way."

That's why the costs are shared, according to Wied.

"This shouldn't fall on the backs of one party to this agreement," Wied said. "So the discussion was how could we have a blend of people supporting the long term operation and maintenance of Lambeau Field."

Here's how that's done.

In 2009, the Packers received $9.9 million for operations and maintenance from the stadium district. That's the government board that acts as the landlord for Lambeau Field. The stadium district board allocates the money raised by the sales tax.

Of that $9.9 million, $6.4 million came from the ticket tax. Every time the Packers sell a ticket to the stadium, 10% of the price goes to pay for operations and maintenance.

Taxpayers chipped in $2.9 million from the sales tax.

$600,000 came from a combination of voluntary sources, including the sale of Packers license plates, commemorative bricks and tiles, and an income tax check off.

So where is our money going?

• $30,299.88 paid for internet access
• $144,522.08 was used for snow removal
• $890,235.03 was used to pay for police officers and fire fighters on game day
• $2,242,719.88 was spent on salaries and fringe benefits for facilities, security and cleaning staff
• $2,992.183.99 was spent on utilities

But those numbers don't tell the whole story.

"Actually our budget is much higher," Wied said.

The majority of the costs, $7.7 million, were paid directly by the Green Bay Packers. That's a point Parins readily admits.

"They are paying some of it," Parins said. "There's no question about that. It's always been described as a kind of partnership."

He just doesn't think taxpayers should be part of that partnership. For the Packers, it's an essential piece of the whole plan.

"We're pretty proud of the way it works and it is helpful to the Packers and we appreciate that partnership very very much," Wied said.

The stadium district board reviews the maintenance work at the stadium and reviews the expenses, but only to make sure no money goes towards football operations. The amount of tax money the team gets from the district is set.

Those multi-million dollars payments will continue until the year 2031, but the tax will end well before that.

We'll have more on that Wednesday night.