Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward hopes your scoops of ice cream in the future will help lead to better roads and other city infrastructure improvements.  The city became the latest community in the state to be eligible to enact a Premier Resort Area Tax (PRAT), joining the likes of Sister Bay, Ephraim, Rhinelander, and Wisconsin Dells. The 0.5 percent tax can be applied to tourism-related purchases, and the funds collected can only be used for infrastructure improvements. Ward says the city has been pursuing the PRAT since Sturgeon Bay voters voted overwhelmingly to approve it in 2018. Despite the efforts of Rep. Joel Kitchens, the measure that would have allowed a Sturgeon Bay PRAT was removed from previous budgets. Ward says his economic development committee’s collective jaws dropped when they heard from Kitchens that they were included in the budget, and believes it will be a tremendous benefit to the community.

Ward estimates it will cost the average Sturgeon Bay family an estimated $30 a year, but the bulk of the money collected through the PRAT would come from tourists. If the city does not need to pass another referendum approving the tax, Ward says the next steps would be to work with area businesses to determine the products that would be subjected to the PRAT.