Milwaukee’s commercial real estate professionals are enthusiastic about Walker’s “Wisconsin is open for business” agenda and are glad to see that he is trying to balance the budget without raising taxes, according to Jim Villa, president and chief executive officer of the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin (CARW).
“I think that’s where most people in real estate are,” Villa said. “They’re looking at the real estate impact without getting caught in the specifics.”
Villa was Walker’s chief of staff for five years when Walker was Milwaukee County executive.
Now working in the private sector on behalf of commercial real estate professionals, Villa said the industry is strongly supportive of Walker’s pro-business agenda and believes that state government will help bring more business opportunities to the state and Milwaukee area.
“In the last three to four weeks, we’ve had a lot of members ask us how they can get tax abatement or contact the Department of Commerce or say they have a client that wants to bring jobs here and ask how to contact the governor’s office,” Villa said. “I would say those requests are up 100 percent compared to last year.”
Commercial real estate professionals have diverse viewpoints, but know that their business depends on a strong economy and a strong job market, Villa said. The more people that are working, the greater the demand is for commercial real estate.
“We need to increase the number of people gainfully employed,” he said.
The state needs to hold the line on taxes and solve its financial problems to strengthen the economy, and Walker’s actions seek to accomplish those goals, Villa said.
“The state has to get a handle on spending and do it without raising taxes,” he said.
