Jeff Stone hates taxes, not spending

Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Greendale, is one of those anti-tax Republicans who's all for TABOR, Bride of TABOR, whatever. He hates taxes.

He doesn't hate spending quite as much, though, especially when it's someone else's money.

Stone has been aggressively lobbying for a sewer expansion for Franklin that would open what is now a largely rural area to development.

Franklin officials have pitched the $42.5-million project to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, which would have to change its boundaries to take in the new area.

And Stone is beating the drums for it, even though he has been told that the project would push MMSD's capital budget increase into the 6% range -- about triple what would be allowed under Bride of TABOR. There's always the referendum option, of course, but it would be a very hard sell to get taxpayers in the rest of the district to pay for Franklin's growth.

When the issue came up at an MMSD committee meeting, Stone attended, although it is virtually unheard of for a legislator to show up to lobby on an issue. Stone did get up and express his support for the sewer expansion. Commissioners let him know that MMSD was going to pass a 2% budget increase, just as the Republicans in the legislature wanted, and that the Franklin project would put the budget well over that limit. Stone didn't offer any alternatives.

Jeannette Bell, West Allis mayor and MMSD commissioner:

"Generally, you create a TIF district or businesses pay for that," said Bell, whose community has used tax-incremental financing districts to fund West Allis' redevelopment. "I don't know if West Allis taxpayers will want to pay for a huge sewer out in Franklin when they've had to invest in their own economic development."

If a referendum won't fly, maybe Stone can get the legislature to amend Bride of TABOR to make an exception for pork supported by Republican lawmakers.