A local state senator is disappointed about a recent sale approved by the Wisconsin State Building Commission.
State Senator Andre Jacque stated on WOMT’s Be My Guest program Monday that the commission met to talk about selling two former State of Wisconsin Buildings that the Wisconsin DNR and Department of Public Instruction used.
The New Franken Republican says the buildings were appraised at $45 million and $52 million, but that’s not what the state wanted.
Sen. Jacque explained that, “The state was basically saying ‘hey, we got two bids that came in, let’s sell it for $12 million dollars.’ And that’s a pretty substantial hit to taxpayers in terms of evaluation.”
One of the former members of the building commission called it a sweetheart deal.
Sen. Jacque said at minimum, it was not good for taxpayers.
“I was disappointed because that is one of those things that if you had all four Republicans voting against, it would have come back again,” he stated. “I don’t see we are going to get any less of an offer than where we were at.”
The sale passed 7-1, meaning the buildings will sell for just $12.6 million.
Sen. Jacque was the only one to vote no and said the process should not have been rushed through.
The Wisconsin Department of Administration called the sale a “big step forward to saving taxpayers millions in deferred maintenance and to build what’s possible in downtown Madison.”
