Acting Sheriff Schmidt: $7M budget deficit inherited from Sheriff Clarke whittled down to $3.5M

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee County Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt said Monday, December 11th he has inherited a nearly $7 million budget deficit from former Sheriff David Clarke.

Schmidt also said as of Monday, he has already reduced the deficit to about $3.5 million. He's done so by eliminating unnecessary security services, realigning staffing and cutting overtime pay.

He said he's planning on having a balanced budget in 2018 if he's still in office.

"I am very confident that in 2018, should I still be here, that the sheriff's office will have a balanced budget in 2018. In fact, I'm virtually guaranteeing that -- barring some catastrophic event in the county," Schmidt said.

Acting Sheriff Schmidt also noted Monday he's discontinued feeding "nutraloaf" to inmates in the county jail's disciplinary unit. It is now only fed to inmates who have had "food violations."

Governor Scott Walker hasn't yet made a full-time sheriff appointment.