A tumultuous off-season for the Milwaukee Brewers continued last week as team officials agreed to open the Brewers’ financial records to state auditors.

The team was under pressure to disclose its records by the state Legislature in an effort led by Assembly Speaker Rep. John Gard, R-Peshtigo, Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer, D-Manitowoc, and Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer, R-West Bend.

“From day one, my concern is to see baseball be successful in Milwaukee and Wisconsin,” Speaker Gard said in a release. “The goal of this independent audit is to help restore the public’s confidence in the future of Milwaukee Brewer baseball.”

The public’s confidence in the Brewers was shaken when the team announced in November that its payroll would be reduced by 25 percent, despite already having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. The decision forced the trade of the Brewers’ most popular player, Richie Sexson, and led many fans to question the commitment of the team’s owners to making the Brewers a winning team.

“Many fans looked at the reduction in payroll as a sign that the Brewers weren’t going to try hard to field a competitive team,” Ziegelbauer said.

Ziegelbauer added that the Brewers previously stated they planned on being a competitive ball club once Miller Park opened in 2001. However, the stadium, which was funded almost entirely through taxpayer dollars, has not led to a winning team on the field.

The lawmakers said due to the nature of Miller Park’s funding, the Brewers have a responsibility to publicly release their financial records.

Steve Baas, Speaker Gard’s press secretary, said the audit had “everything to do with the public funding of Miller Park. Taxpayers kept up their end of the bargain, so it is necessary for the Brewers to keep up their end and prove that they are making a serious commitment to winning baseball in Wisconsin.”

In the next few months, the Legislative Audit Bureau under state auditor Jan Mueller will review the cash flow, revenue and expense financing, and investing activities of the team.

Baas said he had hoped even more of the team’s records would be disclosed, but was glad the Brewers were opening the majority of their financial information because the team could have refused the Legislature’s request.

The audit is the latest in an extremely unstable off-season for the Brewers. After the team’s 11th straight losing season, team President Ulice Payne announced he was stepping down after only one season as president. Team owners have since announced that the team is up for sale.

Sen. Panzer believes the audit will help the public regain trust in the Brewers.

“I want to thank the Brewers for working with us to reach this agreement,” Panzer said in a release. “I am confident it will re-establish trust between the public and the Brewers organization. I believe this audit is a positive move forward for Brewer baseball in Milwaukee.”