Inside Morales-Milwaukee $627K settlement; Common Council meets
Morales' $627K settlement approval process begins with Common Council meeting
The Milwaukee Common Council in a special meeting Friday, July 16 started the process of approving the settlement with ousted Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales, but the nearly year-long fight over his ouster is still weeks away from being finalized.
MILWAUKEE - In a copy of the settlement agreement between ousted police chief Alfonso Morales and the city of Milwaukee, which FOX6 acquired Friday, the city agrees to pay the ousted chief $627,000, plus the city will pay Morales' share of mediation fees, which total $1,575. By entering the agreement, both parties resolve all claims, including damages, wages, and back pay. The city in no way admits they broke the law or contractual provision, nor do they admit negligence or culpability.
The Milwaukee Common Council has to sign off on the tentative agreement, and they began that process with a special meeting Friday, July 16. However, the nearly year-long fight over his ouster is still weeks away from being finalized.
Alfonso Morales
A two-minute meeting of the Milwaukee Common Council Friday opened the process for the Judiciary and Legislation Committee to have a first vote on the settlement Monday followed by a Finance and Personnel Committee vote.
"I think it’s important to make sure we get this under wraps first before any action were to take place," President Cavalier Johnson told FOX6. "It looks like it will take place. I’m hopeful that it will move toward the end of the month and be voted on by the Council."
With committee approval, the full Common Council would be able to vote on the settlement at their next meeting, Tuesday, July 27. Then the mayor could sign it, and the deal would be done.
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"It is time to turn the page," said Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa. "I am happy that we are now going to do that and move forward. It’s time to get a permanent chief named."
But the commission that will pick the chief looks different from the one that demoted Morales, with three new members.
"They’ve got the opportunity to start the process again, to select a new police chief," said Johnson.
Acting Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman
Several city leaders, including the mayor, are backing Acting Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
"Chief Norman knows full well that I support him and I hope the FPC will ultimately name him as our permanent MPD police chief," said Zamarripa.
"Alders Bauman, Hamilton, Lewis, Stamper, so many others have said, Murphy, so many others have said, ‘We’d like to see Jeff Norman remain on as chief of police," said Johnson. "He has our confidence, and I hope the Fire and Police Commission takes it up and puts it to a vote."
That decision is the Fire and Police Commission's alone.
The new chair of the FPC, Ed Fallone, tells FOX6 they haven't yet discussed the search for police chief. They are waiting to get information from City Attorney Tearman Spencer on things like whether they have to start their search from scratch or if they can pick up the where they left off. Fallone says his personal preference is to move expeditiously, but there's no formal timeline.
In August 2020, the Fire and Police Commission demoted Chief Morales, which he challenged in court.
Morales' attorney, Frank Gimbel, said the former chief is looking for new jobs and has mixed feelings about the deal, saying he did love and enjoy being chief.
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