Wisconsin shared revenue deal: Tax plan tied to public safety
MILWAUKEE - Governor Evers and the Republican-led legislature have agreed to terms on a plan that sends more money back to the community, but the plan comes with some strings attached.
The plan allows Milwaukee's Common Council and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors the ability to raise its sales tax. That money will address the underfunded pension problem. In return, Milwaukee must meet a list of demands almost exclusively tied to public safety.
"We have an agreement on a transformational shared revenue deal," said Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
The state of Wisconsin reaches a deal to send more money to the community at the cost of its biggest city.
"We came up with a way to allow the City of Milwaukee and the County of Milwaukee to deal with a pension issue that's been happening over the last few decades, on their own," said Senator Mary Felzkowski.
In exchange for the ability to raise its city and county sales tax, the plan requires the city to hire another 100 police officers and more than 200 firefighters and maintain staffing levels. It also requires 25 police officers to return to work in Milwaukee Public Schools.
"Milwaukee Police officers are already going to Milwaukee Public Schools. We're called there over 1,600 calls in just a semester," Milwaukee Police Association President Andrew Wagner said.
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"Our Republican legislators have decided that they must cripple Milwaukee taxpayers’ ability to self-govern," said Marva Herndon, the Milwaukee Public School Board of Directors president.
The agreement also strips the Fire and Police Commission of its power and returns it to the respective chiefs. Wagner said the changes could help move the department forward.
"We've become so much of just a reactionary force, because our numbers have been so long," said Wagner. "We really need to get back to the point where we can be proactive and preventing some of these crimes that we were in the past."
Mayor Cavalier Johnson and County Executive David Crowley both issued statements saying there are parts of this plan they don't like. Yet they both agree the pros outweigh the cons. Republicans expect to vote on the amended plan on Wednesday.