MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors on Thursday, June 25th moved to override a veto issued by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. Abele vetoed a measure by the County Board to authorize the Department of Administrative Services to transfer $1.5 million to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office to allow for the hiring of 30 deputy-trainees, and to cover the Sheriff's Office's current projected budget deficit.
In a 17-1 vote, the County Board on Thursday approved granting further funding to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office. A class of 30 deputy-trainees is scheduled to begin in July and successful trainees will join deputy ranks in early 2016.
“Preserving the safety and security of its citizens should be the number one priority of our government. We can debate spending levels all day and all night for food trucks and living wages, but we must focus on adequately staffing our Sheriff’s Office and ensuring the deputies putting their own safety on the line for ours can make headway toward a reasonable balance between duty and relief," Milwaukee County Supervisor Deanna Alexander said in a statement to FOX6 News.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office issued this statement to FOX6 News on this veto override:
Abele said he vetoed the plan because he's looking out for Milwaukee County's long-term financial health. In issuing his veto, Abele issued this statement in a memo to the County Board:
Sheriff Clarke argued that Abele is playing politics with public safety -- saying staffing levels within the Sheriff's Office are dangerously low. Sheriff Clarke responded to Abele's veto in a statement issued to FOX6 News. That statement reads: