(The Center Square) – The University of Wisconsin-Madison would not release any documents related to its contract or payments to consultant Tripp Umbach weeks after the university released a document that made claims regarding the university’s statewide economic impact.
The university claimed that it does not hold the contract and that it was denying access to what it called “draft documents” related to Tripp Umbach and payments to the firm.
“The university does not hold the contract, therefore there are no responsive records,” a public records custodian wrote to The Center Square in response to a public records request. “After a thorough search, the university has determined no record exists at the University of Wisconsin Madison related to your request.”
The Center Square also requested the documents from the University of Wisconsin system administration following the public records denial.
In April, the university released a 58-page document making claims that the university makes a $38.9 billion total economic impact on the state.
Universities across the country contract with Tripp Umbach for the firm to produce similar reports, which are then used in requests for public funding or donations to the college or university.
Tripp Umbach produces reports for health care and economic development organizations along with colleges and says on its website that “our work enables leaders to make informed decisions, secure support, and implement strategies that deliver measurable results.”
Economists regularly criticize economic impact reports produced by contractors such as Tripp Umbach for not following economic principles and only including revenue figures, along with invented multipliers, in order to produce larger numbers than the real economic figures.
Sports teams also use economic impact reports when they are seeking public funding for stadiums or large events in order to convince the public and politicians that those projects are worth large public funding figures.
UW-Madison athletics leaders used a 2022 consultant report that made economic impact claims to support sending $15 million annually to the University of Wisconsin athletics departments as part of a name, image and likeness bill ultimately signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers.
