Following Wednesday’s heat that reached a heat index near 100 degrees, southeast Wisconsin is expected to see scattered storms and rain Thursday afternoon and into the night.

While there could be some scattered storms through the morning, the bulk of potential stormy weather will come later in the afternoon and through the evening, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Michaela Heeren.

“With these storms, we do have a lot of instability, so there is that potential for some gusty winds and hail with the stronger storms,” Heeren said.

Going into the afternoon, there is a line of storms developing in central Wisconsin moving southeastward. The storms won’t be a “fast moving line,” but more of a “broken line,” affecting areas on and off throughout the afternoon and evening hours, Heeren said.

The storms are expected in the Milwaukee area around 5 p.m. but could arrive as early as 3 p.m. Strong storms exit the area around 9 p.m., but there is a chance of scattered storms through Friday morning.

Heeren said precipitation would likely be “closer to a tenth of an inch,” but that any of the storms have the possibility for heavy rain potential and an “inch is definitely in the realm of possibilities.”

Tristan Hernandez can be reached at thernandez@gannett.com.

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. – The sales tax grew, but the returns have not.

Now Milwaukee County is expecting its budget deficit to grow as high as $19 million. The tax increase started Jan. 1.

It leaves county leaders looking for solutions on how to properly spend your money.

On a Wednesday afternoon at Burghardt Sporting Goods in Fox Point, for fifth-generation owner Brian Burghardt, the post-pandemic spending spike is swinging back toward reality.

“There was a ton of pent-up demand,” Burghardt said. “I think that we’re flattening out a little bit right now. Business is still strong, but we’re not enjoying the same trend as we have in the previous couple years.”

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Slower retail sales spells smaller sales tax collections, which is part of the reason the Milwaukee County Comptroller’s Office said it’s now looking at a $19 million deficit, even after raising the sales tax from 0.5% to 0.9%.

“Our sales tax budget assumed a 3%, I believe, increase over last year’s number,” said Cynthia “CJ” Pahl, Financial Services Manager for the Milwaukee County Comptroller’s Office. “And when we’re not hitting that, and we’re not even hitting last year’s budget, that’s when we’re in trouble.”

Pahl said overtime for the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, a food contract at the Community Reintegration Center and a $2.5 million payment as part of the American Family Field funding fix are to blame as well.

“It’s not good,” said Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor. “It’s not good at all.”

They are hoping a little more business could help everyone.

The Milwaukee County Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance is looking at ways to offset the deficit, which could include using extra money from other departments.

The office will present a plan to address the deficit in September.

What is taxable?

According to the state, sales tax is imposed on retailers who make taxable retail sales, licenses, leases, or rentals of the following products in Wisconsin (unless an exemption applies):

• Tangible personal property
• Coins and stamps of the United States that are sold, licensed, leased, rented or traded as collector’s items, above their face value.
• Leased tangible personal property affixed to real property, if the lessor has the right to remove the leased property upon breach or termination of the lease agreement. Exception: A lessor’s charge for the lease of tangible personal property affixed to real property is not taxable if the lessor of the leased property is also the lessor of the real property to which the leased property is affixed.
• Certain digital goods

In addition, certain services which are sold, licensed, performed, or furnished at retail in Wisconsin are subject to Wisconsin sales or use tax, unless the service provider or the buyer is exempt from tax on that transaction.

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Tangible personal property is personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched, or that is in any other manner perceptible to the senses. Examples include:

• Clothing
• Computers
• Office equipment
• Electricity
• Gas
• Steam
• Water
• Prewritten computer software, regardless of how it is delivered (i.e., physical media or download)

Only certain services sold, performed, or furnished in Wisconsin are subject to Wisconsin sales or use tax. Taxable services include:

• Admission and access privileges to amusement, athletic, entertainment, or recreational places or events.
• Access or use of amusement devices
• Boat docking and storage
• Cable television services
• Contracts for future performance of services
• Internet access (not taxable beginning July 1, 2020)
• Landscaping and lawn maintenance services
• Laundry and dry cleaning services
• Parking services for motor vehicles and aircraft
• Photographic s​​ervices
• Producing, fabricating and printing
• Repair and service of tangible personal property, items, property, or goods (Part 10.B.9 in Publication 201)
• Rooms or lodging for less than one month
• Telecommunications message services
• Telecommunications services, including prepaid calling services, and ancillary services
• Towing and hauling of motor vehicles by a tow truck

When a retailer sells taxable products or services which are subject to tax, and the retailer charges the purchaser for delivery, the retailer’s total charge, including the delivery charge, is taxable. This is the case whether the seller’s vehicle, a common or contract carrier, or the United States Postal Service makes delivery.

Exceptions:

• The sales price of direct mail does not include separately stated delivery charges.
• Transportation or delivery charges paid by the Wisconsin purchaser to a carrier which is independent of the seller.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee announced Wednesday five student organizations have been temporarily suspended after posting antisemitic language on social media accounts.

The groups are associated with a coalition that posted the “alarming” messages on Instagram last week, according to the university.

“A July 19 Instagram story post to the uwm4palicoalition account included intimidating language aimed at Jewish community members and organizations that support Israel,” according to a statement from the school. “UWM strongly denounced the post, and any form of antisemitism.”

A subsequent Instagram post by the coalition reaffirmed their original message.

Both messages have since been removed. In a recent post the group thanks UWM for bring attention to the Instagram account.

“We refuse to shy away from the fact that any support of Israel is considered an extremist position, only held by extremists, and we refuse to normalize extremism on our campus,” the post says.

The UWM student organizations that are temporarily suspended include Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Student Association, Students for a Democratic Society, Young Democratic Socialists of America and Un-PAC, all of which identified as part of the coalition in the spring.

Miryam Rosenzweig, president and CEO, the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, said she is glad UWM and the UW System is taking the safety of students seriously and investigating all incidents of harassment or intimidation.

“Making UWM a safe and welcoming environment for all students, including Jewish students, without exception must be the overarching priority of the largest urban university in Wisconsin,” Rosenweig said.

In May, a pro-Palestinian encampments occupied UWM’s campus for about a week.

Chancellor Mark Mone came under fire from Jewish groups and Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman for a deal he struck with protestors to end the encampment, which included a call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Rothman called the agreement “disappointing,” and Mone later said he should not have weighed in on deeply complex geopolitical and historical issues.