Milwaukee State of the City address highlights growth, challenges

MILWAUKEE - On Monday, March 4, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson delivered his State of the City address. 

"In 2024, the State of the City is excellent. Of course, we have challenges, but I join people throughout the city to address those challenges.  I am unequivocally confident we are making solid progress," Johnson said. 

The theme of this year's speech was growing Milwaukee. He again stated his goal to have the city population reach one million people. That would be 422,778 more than lived in Milwaukee at the time of the 2020 census.

As part of that growing, he discussed businesses moving to the city, including the host of the speech, Western Building Products, Inc., which moved to Milwaukee's northwest side.

The mayor also talked about building new housing, constructing a new Martin Luther King Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library, and doubling the size of the Baird Center. 

"The Baird Center is projected to attract an additional 100-thousand out-of-state visitors to Milwaukee each year. That means more jobs and more economic impact for city residents. With the expanded convention capacity, we are affirming the economic impact – and bright future – for our travel and hospitality sector," Johnson said. 

That updated facility will be used for portions of this summer's Republican National Convention. 

Mayor Johnson said in his speech he urges Congress to approve $75 million for Milwaukee to use for RNC security, as well as the same amount for Chicago, which is hosting the Democratic National Convention. That is more than has been given convention host cities in the past.

"These security grants have been given to cities that host the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention going back to 2004, the first conventions after Sept. 11, and that money has been frozen: $50m for 20 years," Johnson told reporters after his speech. "Whether you’re a Democratic or Republican, your candidate is going to be walking across the stage at a national security event. I would hope that both parties could find some common ground and agree on that. And I’m hopefully that they will."

Johnson talked about building on the site of the old Northridge Mall.

"As we develop plans for the future of Northridge, we acknowledge the great potential that exists here. What was a danger is now an asset.  What was a drain on the area is now an opportunity," Johnson said. 

The mayor offered a list of highlights from the past year, ways the city is building for the future. That list included a deal to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee in exchange for taxpayer money going to repair and update American Family Field. 

He also discussed the shared revenue law, which has led the state to send more money back to the city, as well as municipalities and counties across the state. Mayor Johnson did not use the words "sales tax," but that law also allowed Milwaukee to approve a new 2% city sales tax, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. The city estimates that tax will bring it an estimated $184 million a year.

"To be clear: Milwaukee is not, suddenly, flush with cash.  We have tight budgets now and into the future.  What we have done is avoid the fiscal disaster that was looming over City Hall," Johnson told the crowd.

Due to the extra money coming to Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Fire Department re-opened a firehouse near the airport and also added another ambulance unit on the city's north side.

The mayor says the city is building on its ongoing efforts to curb reckless driving through traffic-calming measures, such as bump outs. On the issue of lead pipes, the mayor announced a new website where people can check on progress being made to remove them. Last year, the mayor laid out the goal to finish the work in the next decade.

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The speech comes a month before Johnson will be on the ballot, vying to serve his first full term as mayor. He was first elected in 2022, in a special election to complete the term of the former mayor, Tom Barrett, a term which runs through April.

"If we’re sitting here telling everybody, ‘Oh, everything is good. Everything is great,’ no. Downtown is great, but the city is not," said mayoral candidate David King, in an interview with FOX6 News. "We’re in a state of emergency right now. We are in a state of 911 right now, because we have crime, we have drug overdose, we have mental illness, we have homelessness."

Mayor Johnson, in his speech, pointed out that crime data is showing numbers going down. He said safety is his top priority, and his plan revolves around accountability and prevention. He also said he's looking to state and federal lawmakers to help.

"More must be done to get guns out of the hands of people who should not have them. State and federal legislators must do more to protect people from gun violence," Johnson said. "If we are to grow Milwaukee in the way I envision, we must be safe – and people must feel safe whether it’s in their neighborhoods, at their work places, or when they are enjoying all Milwaukee has to offer."