The Green Bay Packers are currently at odds with city leadership over a potential deal that would reduce the amount that they’re currently paying for rent (story HERE). This is revenue that ultimately helps you, the taxpayer.

In exchange, they say that the majority of their possible savings would go towards stadium improvements.

This is a bad proposal for Green Bay taxpayers, and all efforts to reduce revenues the team would contribute to the community that supports them should be rejected.

Revenue from the team would support the entire Green Bay community. Stadium improvements would not.

While we all love the Packers, any improvements at our expense would only go towards helping the team make more money.

How often do you use the amenities at the stadium? The majority of residents don’t use those resources very often.

Now, how often do we use city services and infrastructure? You will use them every day.

And as the community continues to develop, we’ll need everyone to do their part to make sure that we continue to get what we need to benefit all of us as often as possible. Not just on game day.

Look at other major media markets with sports franchises. There are examples of teams that are constantly taking revenue from communities, or trying to reduce their contributions forcing those areas to cut back on services and resources that they really need.

Those needs don’t go away. And we pick up the cost while the teams contributes nothing.

A real solution is for the team to maximize outside revenue from NFL fans visiting our community. We haven’t heard that possibility mentioned from the team when its come to these stadium improvements.

The draft is coming. There is real opportunity there.

We need to explore all of our solutions before we start giving back less to the taxpayers.