2025 Milwaukee County budget proposal revealed
MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin Act 12 gave the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County budgetary breathing room when it was passed in 2003.
While it has helped the county balance its budget, County Executive David Crowley said the county's not out of the woods yet. He gave his 2025 budget address on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 1.
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"Overall, Milwaukee County’s fiscal outlook remains far better off now than in previous years," Crowley said.
In order to provide more funding for state-mandated services, a raise for county employees, hiring new employees and funding the continued work to design a replacement for the public safety building, Crowley recommends increasing the property tax level to 2.8%. It would bring in $8.2 million.
"Revenues to provide state mandated services are simply not growing at the same rate to keep up with growing expenses," he said.
Crowley said state-mandated services consume nearly 80% of the county's tax levy, including things like highway patrol, the Community Reintegration Center and the courts.
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"To be clear, state law requires Milwaukee County to carry out these mandated services," he said. "And they are impacting our ability to invest back in the community."
Crowley's proposal has the sheriff's office and CRC court operations see a $13 million increase to pay for rising overtime costs, hiring and retention and staffing levels. He also wants to invest $6 million in the continued planning and design of the replacement for the public safety building.
"This budget includes another two percent across the board [raise] for Milwaukee County employees," he said.
The county's finance committee chair, Willie Johnson, said while the process is far from over, investing in the county's backbone and not hiring freezes is something good to see.
"It’s very important, it’s very important," he said. "I’ve been a county supervisor for 24 years-plus, and that’s very important. It’s important for people to feel as if they’re valued."
Budget work is set to begin next week.