Proposed Wisconsin budget limits funding for Streetcar

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The transportation budget was made public around 9:00 Tuesday night and passed along party lines. 

The plan drastically restricts how the city can fund the street car project. 

The budget says Milwaukee can't use state funds to build or operate the Streetcar and the City can't use TID money to operate the Streetcar. 

TID money is paying $59 million of the construction, which would still be allowed. It's unclear if the city will need TID money to operate the Streetcar. 

In a statement, Mayor Tom Barrett said in part, "We've asked the city attorney to review the motion that the Joint Committee on Finance passed last night and once we have that information we will be in a better position to plan and move forward."

All four democrats on the finance committee voted against the plan. 

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I'm the champion for the street car cause I'm not, that's the mayor but the fact that you think you can sit from your perch up here in this building and make decisions for local government, for a local community that you're not even part of…shame on you," says State Sen. Lena Taylor (D) Milwaukee - 4th District. 

The state budget still has to pass the Assembly and the Senate. Meanwhile, construction is already underway on the project and it's expected to be operational by the middle of next year.