"You can't print money:" Milwaukee leaders ponder whether they can afford to hire more police officers

MILWAUKEE -- In the wake of the unrest in Milwaukee, some are calling on the city to hire more police officers. But as the city prepares its 2017 budget, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett wants you to know, it's a much more complex issue.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett

It is a numbers game for the City of Milwaukee as officials consider the budget for next year. The biggest line item by far is the Milwaukee Police Department.

"You can see why this can become a tense conversation.  The one thing you can't do at the city level is you can't print money," Barrett said.

Barrett explains to a large crowd on Tuesday evening, August 16th -- adding more staff at MPD will not be easy. Barrett is requesting $28 million more for MPD than was budget for in 2016. The police department accounts for more than $300 million of the city's proposed $1.5 billion budget.

"The police budget now exceeds the tax levy for the entire city of Milwaukee," Barrett said.

The mayor said the police department budget has steadily increased over the year while state funding has dried up. State shared revenue is down $12 million since 2004 -- while the police budget is up nearly $100 million.

Barrett said one reason for that is the city's employer pension contribution for police -- $30 million this year alone. Adding officers might be financially difficult as well. Barrett said only ten officers were added to MPD's staff in the last six years, but it cost a whopping sum.

"So, to tread water, for lack of a better term, cost of $61 million," Barrett said.

Tuesday night's hearing was just the first of several listening sessions planned. The budget will be presented to the city's Finance and Personnel Committee in October.