Once a county in included within the jurisdiction of a district, the county
remains in the district until the district is dissolved. A district may dissolve by action
of the district board, subject to payment of the district's bonds and fulfillment of its
other contractual obligations. If a district is dissolved, its property must be
transferred to the counties in the district's jurisdiction, based on the tax revenues
derived from each county.
Bonding
This bill grants a district the power to issue bonds for purchasing, acquiring,
leasing, constructing, extending, adding to, improving, conducting, controlling,
operating or managing a public utility, which is defined to include a local professional
baseball park. The district is generally subject to the provisions which govern
revenue bonding of municipalities for public utilities. Under the bill, bonds issued
by the district must be secured only by the district's interest in any baseball park
facilities, including any interest in a lease with the department of administration,
by income from these facilities, and by certain specified taxes that the district is
authorized to levy. The district may not pledge its full faith and credit on the bonds
and the bonds are not a liability of the district.
A district may designate one or more accounts as special debt service reserve
funds, if, prior to each issuance of bonds to be secured by the special debt service
reserve fund, the secretary of administration makes certain determinations. In
order to create a special debt service reserve fund, the secretary must find that the
bond proceeds must be used in connection with a baseball park facility that is used
primarily to support the activities of a baseball park. The secretary must also find
that there is a reasonable likelihood that the bonds will be repaid without the
necessity of drawing on funds in the special debt service reserve fund and that the
amount of all bonds that would be secured by all special debt service reserve funds
of the district does not exceed $160,000,000. This limit does not include refunding
bonds or bonds whose proceeds are used to make a deposit into a special debt service
reserve fund or to pay issuance costs or capitalized interest costs. The secretary must
also find that the bonds, other than refunding bonds, will be issued no later than
December 31, 2000.
The bill establishes a formula for calculating the special debt service reserve
fund requirement for a special debt service reserve fund. If the special debt service
reserve fund requirement for a special debt service reserve fund is not met, the bill
expresses the legislature's expectation and aspiration that, if certain conditions are
met, the legislature would appropriate to the district the funds necessary to restore
the special debt service reserve fund to an amount equal to its special debt service
reserve fund requirement. This expression of legislative expectation and aspiration
has been referred to as a state moral obligation pledge. In addition to the state moral
obligation pledge, under the bill the state pledges that it will not limit or alter the
rights vested in a district under the bill before the district has fully performed its
contracts and has fully met and discharged its bonds.

In addition to provisions regarding bond issuance and security, the bill contains
a number of other provisions relating to bonds issued by a district. The bill also
contains provisions authorizing certain state funds and certain regulated financial
institutions to invest in bonds issued by the district. The bill provides that all moneys
received by a district, including proceeds from the sale of bonds, are trust funds to
be held and applied solely for the purposes provided in the bill, but limits the
personal liability of members of a district's board of directors with respect to the
issuance of bonds.
Under current law, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development
Authority (WHEDA) may issue bonds and notes for certain economic development
projects involving sports and entertainment home stadiums in an amount not to
exceed $35,000,000 plus such additional amounts as WHEDA considers necessary
or appropriate to fund a deposit into the capital reserve fund. The bill increases this
amount to $50,000,000 and also allows WHEDA to add, along with the capital
reserve fund deposits, the costs of issuing the bonds or notes and capitalized interest.
Under current law, these economic development projects are included in
determining compliance with an overall $200,000,000 cap on WHEDA economic
development loans. This bill amends this overall cap to exclude bonds issued for
these economic development projects involving sports and entertainment home
stadiums.
The bill however, prohibits WHEDA from issuing bonds to finance any single
professional baseball park in an amount exceeding $50,000,000, excluding bonds
issued to fund a deposit into a capital reserve fund, to pay costs of issuing the bonds
or to pay capitalized interest. In addition, the bill prohibits WHEDA from making
an economic development project loan to any professional baseball team unless
WHEDA determines that collateral adequate to cover the amount of the loan has
been pledged as security for the loan, exclusive of any ownership interest of the team
in a stadium.
Taxation
The bill authorizes a district to impose a sales tax and a use tax at a rate of no
more than 0.1%.
The bill exempts the income of a district from the income tax and the franchise
tax, and it exempts the interest on a district's bonds from the income tax.
Provision of services
The bill permits DOA to provide any services to a district, including
engineering, design and building construction services, upon request of the district,
for compensation agreed upon between DOA and the district, if the district has
entered into an agreement with DOA for the lease of land or other property granted
to the state, especially dedicated by the grant to use for a professional baseball park.
Other state agencies may provide assistance to the district, if a lease with DOA has
been entered into.
Contracting
The bill provides that a local professional baseball park district may enter into
contracts without limitation or restriction and, if the district has entered into an
agreement with DOA for the lease of land or other property granted to the state,

especially dedicated by the grant to use for a professional baseball park, the district
may utilize the services of DOA to let contracts for engineering, architectural or
construction work, except that DOA may not serve as a general contractor for such
work. Whether the district contracts independently or through DOA, the district is
not subject to any state requirements for public notice of proposed contracts,
competitive bidding, contractual service procurement procedures, preference for
procurements from Wisconsin firms, preferences for purchases of American-made
or recycled or recovered materials or preferences for purchases from the department
of corrections or from handicapped work centers or nondiscrimination in contracting.
Regarding the construction of baseball park facilities, a district and DOA are
required to ensure that, for construction work and professional services contracts,
a person who receives such a contract agrees that his or her goal shall be to ensure
that at least 25% of the employes hired because of the contract will be minority group
members and at least 5% of the employes hired because of the contract will be women.
It is also a goal of the district and DOA to ensure that at least 25% of the aggregate
dollar value of contracts awarded by the district and DOA, in the areas of
construction of baseball park facilities, professional services related to such
construction and services for the development of baseball park facilities are awarded
to minority businesses and at least 5% of the aggregate dollar value of such contracts
are awarded to women's businesses. The district is also required to hire a person to
monitor the district's and DOA's compliance with minority contracting goals.
Finances
The bill permits a local professional baseball park district to invest its moneys
in any investment it considers appropriate. Under the bill, a district is permitted to
invest its moneys in the local government pooled-investment fund, which is
managed by the state investment board.
Open meetings and
records, audits, ethics
Laws requiring, with certain exceptions, open meetings of governmental bodies
and public access to public records apply to a district. The legislative audit bureau
is permitted to audit the records of a district. Members of the board of directors of
a district are subject to the statutory code of ethics for local public officials. The bill
also creates additional standards of conduct applicable to district board members
that are similar to the standards of conduct applicable to state public officials. The
bill expressly prohibits district board members from accepting free or discounted
admission to professional baseball games.
Other
Current law provides that, if a tenant who is required to construct
improvements exceeding $50,000 at the tenant's own expense on land leased to the
tenant under a lease with a term of 30 years or more defaults or breaches a condition
of the lease, the landlord may commence an action to recover the property after a
one-year redemption period free from all liens, claims or demands of the tenant in
the same manner as a mortgage foreclosure except without a sale of the property.
The bill creates an exception under that statute for leases to which a district is a
party.

This bill will be referred to the joint survey committee on tax exemptions for a
detailed analysis, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB1-engrossed, s. 1 1Section 1. 13.94 (4) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,6,132 13.94 (4) (a) 1. Every state department, board, examining board, affiliated
3credentialing board, commission, independent agency, council or office in the
4executive branch of state government; all bodies created by the legislature in the
5legislative or judicial branch of state government; any public body corporate and
6politic created by the legislature including specifically a professional baseball park
7district
; every provider of medical assistance under ch. 49; technical college district
8boards; development zones designated under s. 560.71; every county department
9under s. 51.42 or 51.437; every nonprofit corporation or cooperative to which moneys
10are specifically appropriated by state law; and every corporation, institution,
11association or other organization which receives more than 50% of its annual budget
12from appropriations made by state law, including subgrantee or subcontractor
13recipients of such funds.
AB1-engrossed, s. 2 14Section 2. 13.94 (10) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,6,2015 13.94 (10) Financial status of local professional baseball park districts.
16As promptly as possible following the end of each state fiscal biennium in which there
17are outstanding bonds or notes issued by a local professional baseball park district
18created under subch. III of ch. 229 that are subject to s. 229.74 (7), the legislative
19audit bureau shall submit a report to the cochairpersons of the joint committee on
20finance concerning the financial status of that district.
AB1-engrossed, s. 3 21Section 3. 16.70 (14) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,7,2
116.70 (14) "State" does not include a district created under subch. II or III of
2ch. 229.
AB1-engrossed, s. 4 3Section 4. 16.82 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,7,104 16.82 (6) May provide any services to a local professional baseball park district
5created under subch. III of ch. 229, for compensation to be agreed upon between the
6department and the district, if the district has entered into a lease agreement with
7the department under sub. (7), except that the department shall not act as a general
8contractor for any construction work undertaken by the district. No order or contract
9to provide any such services is subject to s. 16.705, 16.75 (1) to (5) and (8) to (10),
1016.752, 16.754 or 16.765.
AB1-engrossed, s. 5 11Section 5. 16.82 (7) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,7,1612 16.82 (7) May enter into a lease agreement with a local professional baseball
13park district created under subch. III of ch. 229 for the lease of land or other property
14granted to the state and especially dedicated by the grant to use for a professional
15baseball park. The lease agreement may be for such rental payments and for such
16term as the secretary determines.
AB1-engrossed, s. 6 17Section 6. 16.854 of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,7,19 1816.854 Services provided to professional baseball park districts. (1)
19In this section:
AB1-engrossed,7,2020 (a) "Minority business" has the meaning given in s. 560.036 (1) (e).
AB1-engrossed,7,2121 (b) "Minority group member" has the meaning given in s. 560.036 (1) (f).
AB1-engrossed,7,2422 (c) "Women's business" means a sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture
23or corporation that is at least 51% owned, controlled and actively managed by
24women.
AB1-engrossed,9,2
1(2) Subject to the requirements of s. 16.82 (7), the department may, upon
2request of any local professional baseball park district, if the district has entered into
3a lease agreement with the department under s. 16.82 (7), take charge of and
4supervise engineering or architectural services or construction work, as defined in
5s. 16.87, performed by, or for, the district for compensation to be agreed upon between
6the department and the district. In connection with such services or work, the
7department may furnish engineering, architectural, project management and other
8building construction services whenever requisitions therefor are presented to the
9department by the district. If the district has entered into a lease agreement with
10the department under s. 16.82 (7), the department may also assist the district, upon
11request of the district, in letting contracts for engineering, architectural or
12construction work authorized by law and in supervising the work done thereunder.
13The department may award any such contract for any combination or division of
14work it designates and may consider any factors in awarding a contract including
15price, time for completion of work and the qualifications and past performance of a
16contractor. In awarding contracts under this section for the construction of baseball
17park facilities, as defined in s. 229.65 (1), the department shall ensure that any
18person who is awarded a contract agrees, as a condition to receiving the contract, that
19his or her goal shall be to ensure that at least 25% of the employes hired because of
20the contract will be minority group members and at least 5% of the employes hired
21because of the contract will be women. It shall also be a goal of the department to
22ensure that at least 25% of the aggregate dollar value of contracts awarded for the
23construction of such facilities in the following areas are awarded to minority
24businesses and at least 5% of the aggregate dollar value of contracts awarded for the

1construction of such facilities in the following areas are awarded to women's
2businesses:
AB1-engrossed,9,33 (a) Contracts for the construction of baseball park facilities.
AB1-engrossed,9,54 (b) Contracts for professional services related to the construction of baseball
5park facilities.
AB1-engrossed,9,66 (c) Contracts for the development of baseball park facilities.
AB1-engrossed,9,11 7(3) It shall be a goal of the department, with regard to each of the contracts
8described under sub. (2) (a), (b) and (c), to award at least 25% of the dollar value of
9such contracts to minority businesses and at least 5% of the dollar value of such
10contracts to women's businesses. Sections 16.85, 16.855 and 16.87 do not apply to
11services provided or contracted by the department under this section.
AB1-engrossed, s. 7 12Section 7. 18.03 (5s) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,9,1513 18.03 (5s) Upon the request of a local professional baseball park district
14created under subch. III of ch. 229, the commission may serve as financial consultant
15to assist and coordinate the issuance of the bonds of a district.
AB1-engrossed, s. 8 16Section 8. 19.42 (13) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,9,2017 19.42 (13) (a) All positions to which individuals are regularly appointed by the
18governor, except the position of trustee of any private higher educational institution
19receiving state appropriations and the position of member of the district board of a
20local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229
.
AB1-engrossed, s. 9 21Section 9. 19.59 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,9,2522 19.59 (1) (a) No local public official may use his or her public position or office
23to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of
24himself or herself or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which
25he or she is associated. A violation of this paragraph includes the acceptance of free

1or discounted admissions to a professional baseball game by a member of the district
2board of a local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229.

3This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from using the title or prestige
4of his or her office to obtain campaign contributions that are permitted and reported
5as required by ch. 11.
AB1-engrossed, s. 10 6Section 10. 19.59 (1) (g) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,10,77 19.59 (1) (g) 1. In this paragraph:
AB1-engrossed,10,98 a. "District" means a local professional baseball park district created under
9subch. III of ch. 229.
AB1-engrossed,10,1010 b. "District board member" means a member of the district board of a district.
AB1-engrossed,10,1311 2. No district board member may accept or retain any transportation, lodging,
12meals, food or beverage, or reimbursement therefor, except in accordance with this
13paragraph.
AB1-engrossed,10,1814 3. A district board member may receive and retain reimbursement or payment
15of actual and reasonable expenses for a published work or for the presentation of a
16talk or participation in a meeting related to processes, proposals and issues affecting
17a district if the payment or reimbursement is paid or arranged by the organizer of
18the event or the publisher of the work.
AB1-engrossed,10,2519 4. A district board member may receive and retain anything of value if the
20activity or occasion for which it is given is unrelated to the member's use of the time,
21facilities, services or supplies of the district not generally available to all residents
22of the district and the member can show by clear and convincing evidence that the
23payment or reimbursement was unrelated to and did not arise from the recipient's
24holding or having held a public office and was paid for a purpose unrelated to the
25purposes specified in subd. (3).
AB1-engrossed,11,6
15. A district board member may receive and retain from the district or on behalf
2of the district transportation, lodging, meals, food or beverage, or reimbursement
3therefor or payment or reimbursement of actual and reasonable costs that the
4member can show by clear and convincing evidence were incurred or received on
5behalf of the district and primarily for the benefit of the district and not primarily
6for the private benefit of the member or any other person.
AB1-engrossed,11,117 6. No district board member may intentionally use or disclose information
8gained in the course of or by reason of his or her official position or activities in any
9way that could result in the receipt of anything of value for himself or herself, for his
10or her immediate family, or for any other person, if the information has not been
11communicated to the public or is not public information.
AB1-engrossed,11,1412 7. No district board member may use or attempt to use the position held by the
13member to influence or gain unlawful benefits, advantages or privileges personally
14or for others.
AB1-engrossed,12,215 8. No district board member, member of a district board member's immediate
16family, nor any organization with which the district board member or a member of
17the district board member's immediate family owns or controls at least 10% of the
18outstanding equity, voting rights, or outstanding indebtedness may enter into any
19contract or lease involving a payment or payments of more than $3,000 within a
2012-month period, in whole or in part derived from district funds unless the district
21board member has first made written disclosure of the nature and extent of such
22relationship or interest to the ethics board and to the district. Any contract or lease
23entered into in violation of this subdivision may be voided by the district in an action
24commenced within 3 years of the date on which the ethics board, or the district, knew

1or should have known that a violation of this subdivision had occurred. This
2subdivision does not affect the application of s. 946.13.
AB1-engrossed,12,83 9. No former district board member, for 12 months following the date on which
4he or she ceases to be a district board member, may, for compensation, on behalf of
5any person other than a governmental entity, make any formal or informal
6appearance before, or negotiate with, any officer or employe of the district with which
7he or she was associated as a district board member within 12 months prior to the
8date on which he or she ceased to be a district board member.
AB1-engrossed,12,179 10. No former district board member, for 12 months following the date on which
10he or she ceases to be a district board member, may, for compensation, on behalf of
11any person other than a governmental entity, make any formal or informal
12appearance before, or negotiate with, any officer or employe of a district with which
13he or she was associated as a district board member in connection with any judicial
14or quasi-judicial proceeding, application, contract, claim, or charge which might give
15rise to a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding which was under the former member's
16responsibility as a district board member within 12 months prior to the date on which
17he or she ceased to be a member.
AB1-engrossed,12,2318 11. No former district board member may, for compensation, act on behalf of
19any party other than the district with which he or she was associated as a district
20board member in connection with any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding,
21application, contract, claim, or charge which might give rise to a judicial or
22quasi-judicial proceeding in which the former member participated personally and
23substantially as a district board member.
AB1-engrossed, s. 11 24Section 11. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place,
25insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF - See PDF for table PDF
AB1-engrossed, s. 12 1Section 12. 20.505 (1) (ka) of the statutes, as affected by 1995 Wisconsin Act
227
, is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,13,123 20.505 (1) (ka) (title) Materials and services to state agencies and certain
4districts
. The amounts in the schedule to provide services primarily to state agencies
5or local professional baseball park districts created under subch. III of ch. 229, other
6than services specified in pars. (im), (is) and (kb) to (kr) and subs. (2) (k) and (5) (ka),
7and to repurchase inventory items sold primarily to state agencies or such districts.
8All moneys received from the provision of services primarily to state agencies and
9such districts
and from the sale of inventory items primarily to state agencies and
10such districts
, other than moneys received and disbursed under pars. (im), (is) and
11(kb) to (kr) and subs. (2) (k) and (5) (ka), shall be credited to this appropriation
12account.
AB1-engrossed, s. 13 13Section 13. 20.505 (1) (kc) of the statutes, as affected by 1995 Wisconsin Act
1427
, is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,14,215 20.505 (1) (kc) Capital planning and building construction services. The
16amounts in the schedule to provide capital planning services under s. 13.48 (5) and
17building construction services under subch. V of ch. 16 on behalf of state agencies and
18local professional baseball park districts created under subch. III of ch. 229
. The
19secretary of administration may credit moneys received for the provision of building

1construction and capital planning services on behalf of state agencies and such
2districts
to this appropriation account.
AB1-engrossed, s. 14 3Section 14. 20.566 (1) (gd) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,14,74 20.566 (1) (gd) Administration of special district taxes. From the moneys
5received from the appropriation account under s. 20.835 (4) (gb), the amounts in the
6schedule for the purpose of administering the special district taxes imposed under
7s. 77.705 by a district created under subch. III of ch. 229.
AB1-engrossed, s. 15 8Section 15. 20.835 (4) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,14,149 20.835 (4) (g) County taxes. All moneys received from the taxes imposed under
10subch. V of ch. 77 s. 77.70 for distribution to the counties that enact an ordinance
11imposing taxes under that subchapter section and for interest payments on refunds
12under s. 77.76 (3), except that 1.5% of those tax revenues collected under that
13subchapter section shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.566 (1)
14(g).
AB1-engrossed, s. 16 15Section 16. 20.835 (4) (gb) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,14,2116 20.835 (4) (gb) Special district taxes. All moneys received from the taxes
17imposed under s. 77.705, for the purpose of distribution to the special districts that
18adopt a resolution imposing taxes under subch. V of ch. 77, and for the purpose of
19financing a local professional baseball park district, except that of those tax revenues
20collected under subch. V of ch. 77 3% for the first 2 years of collection and 1.5%
21thereafter shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.566 (1) (gd).
AB1-engrossed, s. 17 22Section 17. 24.61 (2) (a) 7. of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,14,2423 24.61 (2) (a) 7. Bonds issued by a local professional baseball park district
24created under subch. III of ch. 229.
AB1-engrossed, s. 18 25Section 18. 25.17 (3) (b) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,15,2
125.17 (3) (b) 10. Bonds issued by a local professional baseball park district
2created under subch. III of ch. 229.
AB1-engrossed, s. 19 3Section 19. 25.50 (1) (d) of the statutes, as affected by 1995 Wisconsin Act 27,
4is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,15,125 25.50 (1) (d) "Local government" means any county, town, village, city, power
6district, sewerage district, drainage district, town sanitary district, public inland
7lake protection and rehabilitation district, local professional baseball park district
8created under subch. III of ch. 229,
public library system, school district or technical
9college district in this state, any commission, committee, board or officer of any
10governmental subdivision of this state, any court of this state, other than the court
11of appeals or the supreme court, or any authority created under s. 231.02, 233.02 or
12234.02.
AB1-engrossed, s. 20 13Section 20. 66.04 (2) (a) 3p. of the statutes is created to read:
AB1-engrossed,15,1514 66.04 (2) (a) 3p. Bonds issued by a local professional baseball park district
15created under subch. III of ch. 229.
AB1-engrossed, s. 21 16Section 21. 66.066 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,16,217 66.066 (1) (a) "Municipality" means any city, village, town, county, commission
18created by contract under s. 66.30, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation
19district established under s. 33.23, 33.235 or 33.24, metropolitan sewerage district
20created under ss. 66.20 to 66.26 or 66.88 to 66.918, town sanitary district under
21subch. IX of ch. 60, a local professional baseball park district created under subch.
22III of ch. 229
or a municipal water district or power district under ch. 198 and any
23other public or quasi-public corporation, officer, board or other public body
24empowered to borrow money and issue obligations to repay the same out of revenues.

1"Municipality" does not include the state or a local exposition district created under
2subch. II of ch. 229.
AB1-engrossed, s. 22 3Section 22. 66.066 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1-engrossed,16,84 66.066 (1) (c) "Revenue" means all moneys received from any source by a public
5utility and all rentals and fees and in the case of a local professional baseball park
6district created under subch. III of ch. 229 includes tax revenues deposited into a
7special fund under s. 229.685 and payments made into a special debt service reserve
8fund under s. 229.74
.
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