Marquette Law School and the Public Policy Forum have developed a new website to gain input on how to fund Milwaukee’s cultural and entertainment needs.
Among the topics to be addressed on the site are whether more public funds should be used to fund “quality of life” attractions like the Milwaukee Symphony, Milwaukee County Parks and the Milwaukee County Zoo, and where those funds should come from.
The site is designed to gain insight from area residents about the cultural and entertainment assets in the region, and gather ideas about financing options for the facilities. Through a simulation, visitors to the site can construct a funding plan and determine revenue options to pay for that plan, and then publish their proposals on social media.
The Public Policy Forum released a report in September that detailed $445 million in cultural asset funding that will be needed over the next 20 years. The figure includes funding a new arena, completing deferred maintenance and making capital improvements to the Milwaukee region’s cultural institutions, like the Milwaukee Art Museum, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts and Milwaukee County Zoo.
The organizations plan to launch the site during On the Issues with Mike Gousha on Thursday, June 4, from 12:15 to 1:15 at Eckstein Hall on Marquette’s campus. PPF president Rob Henken and Marquette Law School associate dean for academic affairs, Professor Matt Parlow, will discuss the site with Gousha. Registration for the event is available here.
