MMAC and teachers union spend big in battle over MPS referendum

When Milwaukee Public Schools turned to city voters for more funding in 2020, it was smooth sailing. The dynamics are different this year as the district asks voters for more funding April 2.

The 2020 referendum passed with 78% of the vote, providing the district with up to $87 million in annual funds as it committed to expand arts and music programs that were nearly extinct in many schools.

This time around, its case could be considered less exciting: it's simply trying to maintain staff and avoid cuts as state education funding has fallen behind inflation.

Another challenge: The district is facing a deep-pocketed opponent.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has spent over $400,000 campaigning against the MPS referendum, finance reports filed this week show.

That's more than the Vote Yes for MPS campaign, which is funded by the teachers union and other public schools supporters. That group has spent about $277,000 as of March 18. That's less than the same campaign had spent at this time in 2020.

If the referendum passes, the city property tax rate for schools would rise by an estimated $2.16 per $1,000 of property value, bringing the total property tax rate for schools to $10.10 per $1,000 of property value. For a $100,000 home, that's an increase of $216.

It would ultimately allow MPS to collect an additional $252 million annually, which district officials say is necessary to maintain its schools, programs and staff.

Here's how much money groups have spent for and against the referendum.

MMAC spends over $400,000 against MPS referendum

MMAC, a member organization of southeastern Wisconsin businesses, is now helmed by Dale Kooyenga. He said the organization decided to oppose the referendum after surveying its board members, noting that commercial property owners account for 40% of the city's property tax base.

MMAC's campaign against the referendum is funneled through a committee called "Enough is Enough," which is required to file finance reports with election officials. Those reports show MMAC donated $400,000 directly to the committee. MMAC also donated about $16,000 in staff time to the effort.

The committee also received $25,000 worth of media communications work donated by CFC Action Fund, City Forward Collective's partner 501(c)(4) organization. Colleston Morgan Jr., who is the executive director of City Forward Collective and administrator of CFC Action fund, said an error on the MMAC group's finance report listed City Forward Collective as a contributor when it should have listed CFC Action Fund.

Working with Platform Communications, the campaign spent about $100,000 on TV ads opposing the referendum, $79,000 on mailers, $60,000 on text messages, $37,000 on digital ads, and about $28,000 on radio. It also paid Platform Communications about $40,000 for consulting, audience research, a website and creative assets.

More: MMAC launches TV, radio, digital ads urging residents to vote against MPS referendum

Vote Yes for MPS committee spends $277,000, with more in the bank

The Vote Yes for MPS committee, which already existed to support the last MPS referendum in 2020, was revived to generate support for this spring's referendum.

It has raised slightly more than the MMAC committee, but spent less as of March 18. Since January, the campaign has raised about $467,000 and spent about $277,000. Along with some cash the group started with in its balance, that leaves the campaign with over $205,000 to potentially spend in the remaining days before the election.

The largest chunk of the campaign's funding has come from the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, the union that represents MPS staff. In addition to financial contributions, MTEA paid for its own staff to work on the campaign, with that time totaling about $45,000.

The campaign also received $30,000 from the D.C.-based Alliance for Youth Organizing, $25,000 from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, $25,000 from the political action committee of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC) and $25,000 from Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT).

The campaign also raised about $18,000 from individual donors, with the largest, $1,000, coming from former school board president Bob Peterson. Some politicians contributed via their own candidate committees, including: school board members Megan O'Halloran and Missy Zombor, state Sen. Chris Larson, Milwaukee Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic and Milwaukee county Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez.

The committee also had support in canvassing from LIT, BLOC and Power to the Polls. Canvassing expenses totaled about $50,000. The campaign also paid about $14,000 for handouts, and $59,000 for mailers.

Milwaukee Attorney Dan Adams' committee sends mailers with personalized tax info

Milwaukee attorney Daniel Adams, who worked as a prosecutor before starting his own criminal defense firm, registered the the first opposition committee, Milwaukeeans for Affordable Housing, in February.

Adams emerged as a political figure in 2014 when he ran and lost a campaign as a Democrat for a state Assembly seat representing downtown Milwaukee. In that campaign and since then, Adams has voiced support for independent charter schools and private schools that receive public funding and compete with MPS.

Adams' anti-referendum committee got most of its funding, $25,000 out of about $38,000, from MMAC's Enough is Enough committee.

It also received about $6,000 from Milwaukee Works, a nonprofit that Adams incorporated in 2015. That organization published ads critical of opponents of former county executive Chris Abele, who said he had donated to the organization at some point but didn't say how much. As a nonprofit, Milwaukee Works doesn't have to disclose its donors.

The anti-referendum committee also received about $12,000 from individuals, including former MPS superintendent William Andrekopoulos who has come out against the referendum, who now lives in Arizona, and City Forward Collective president Colleston Morgan Jr., who lives in Mequon.

Adams said the committee's largest expense was direct mailers that showed property owners what their individual tax hikes would be if the referendum passes. It spent over $17,000 on mail. It received a voter list from CFC Action Fund.

Contact Rory Linnane at [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @RoryLinnane. 

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MMAC and teachers union spend big in battle over MPS referendum