In a letter sent Friday, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz encouraged city taverns and smoke-free advocates to join together and creatively support the city's smoking ban. The letter, sent to city, state and county groups including the Dane Coutny Tavern League and Smokefree Wisconsin, proposes a promotional campaign to illustrate Madison's smoke-free environment.

Cieslewicz said he would contribute up to $10,000 in room-tax revenues if anti-smoking advocates and tavern owners agree to match city funding. The room tax is designated as a fund to help Madison businesses and this financial commitment comes as a reaction to a number of bar owners' claims they have lost revenue since the implementation of the ban July 1.

"I am concerned about the relatively small number of tavern owners, especially on Madison's periphery who say our smoke-free ordinance is hurting their business," Cieslewicz said in the letter.

If generated by the city-county groups, the money would be best on a campaign seeking to draw customers to city taverns.

"This is a far better option than a referendum," Cieslewicz said in the letter. "Tavern owners and smoke free advocates have two choices. They can both spend substantial amounts of money battling each other for the next seven months for the public's support. [O]r they can pool their resources and join together to help taverns thrive under the ban so they both win."

David Wiganowski, owner of Wiggie's, a tavern on Madison's periphery, said he doubts promotional funding will bring any more customers to his bar.

"They said to get creative," Wiganowski said. "I've run my business for 25 years, and I know it doesn't do you much good to advertise when the City of Madison takes your competitive edge away."

Wiganowski added that a person could drive about one mile from his tavern to enter an establishment allowing smoking.

But Ald. Austin King, District 8, said he thinks Cieslewicz's gesture can help taverns that claim they are struggling with the recent ban.

"I think the Mayor's efforts to make the ban work for the city in a coordinated effort is positive for Madison and businesses," King said.

Yet, Wiganowski said even if the proposal is successful in bringing in more patrons to his bar, he doubts whether his establishment will survive.

"The Mayor's proposal is a nice thought," Wiganowski said. "I think it might be too little too late though, but at this stage, we're willing to try anything."

Wiganowski added he does not think the tavern league will go along with the proposal. The league has already rejected a similar proposal, according to King.

"[Common council] offered the same thing the Mayor has months ago," King said. "The tavern league rejected it because they said it would be like us 'rubbing their faces in it.'"

In the past two weeks, the Economic Development Commission and the Board of Health for Dane County and Madison both recommended the council reject the proposals to repeal the ban and enact a referendum giving citizens a chance to vote for or against the ban and to provide businesses the opportunity to use the hardship clause.

Cieslewicz said he sides with both committees and he is not willing to support a repeal of the ordinance "that is successfully protecting workers and patrons" from the health hazards of secondhand smoke.

"I am willing to commit city resources to help taverns gain new customers to replace those who may have left because of the ban," he said.