MILWAUKEE – The 2024 Milwaukee County budget got its final approval Wednesday, November 15, with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley adding his signature at an event held at the Concordia 27 housing development near Wells and 27th St. on the Near West Side.
The big moment! (@MKE_Chairwoman did have to ask for the date first)
— Wyatt Barmore-Pooley (@wyattbpvoice) November 15, 2023
More from her and @DavidCrowleyWI on @620wtmj pic.twitter.com/AKenUT4O5T
It was a celebratory mood as representatives from various county departments – including Milwaukee County Transit, the sheriff’s office, and Milwaukee County Parks gathered to commemorate a major milestone compared to recent budgets.
“Milwaukee County is projecting a surplus in this budget – the first surplus projected in the budget in over two decades,” Crowley said to applause during his remarks.
The $1.246 billion budget contains funding increases of $16 million preventing cuts to transit, $25 million for county parks facilities, and $4 million for affordable housing development.
The affordable housing funding was added by the County Board, with both Crowley and County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson complimenting their partnership on the budget – a partnership that has resulted in no vetoes from the county executive.
Nicholson represents the district that the Concordia 27 mixed-use development is in, and she told WTMJ that housing is a major issue both broadly and in this specific neighborhood
“In this area specifically, it’s just a desert for affordable housing, for healthy foods, for mental health resources,” Nicholson said. “And so this development is going to be a hub where people have access to all those things.”
Another item added by the board is an audit of the Milwaukee County Jail, where four inmates have died in custody in a span of nine months’ time. Crowley told WTMJ that while the audit wasn’t in his original budget, it’s an example of the spirit of cooperation that characterized the budget process.
“Working with the county board, working with the sheriff’s office, who if I’m not mistaken welcomed this audit, because this is about how do we become better as a system,” Crowley said. “As we move forward this is about how we continue to compromise and figure out creative and innovative ways for more collaboration.”
The budget also eliminates charges for phone and video calls for inmates at the jail and the Community Reintegration Center, something Crowley hopes will aid in that reintegration.
“We want to be able to reduce recidivism,” Crowley said. “There’s data out there that says the more you’re connected to your family, the more you’re connected to a support system, the less likely you’re going to come back into these walls of incarceration.”
The budget also includes a $21 million decrease in the property tax levy, which is the largest in Milwaukee County history. This decrease is credited in large part due to the passage of Act 12 and the adoption of the new 0.375% sales tax, which is responsible for the budget’s lack of cuts and investments in various county programs.
I am proud of this budget.
— David C. Crowley (@DavidCrowleyWI) November 15, 2023
While our fiscal challenges are not behind us and future budgets will require innovative, creative solutions, the 2024 budget will enhance services, invest in our community, and help move Milwaukee County forward. pic.twitter.com/06lihFVett
TOP HEADLINES FROM THE NEWSRADIO 620 WTMJ TEAM:
- Milwaukee Brewers name Pat Murphy 20th Manager in franchise history
- Eye Drop Murder: Kurczewski found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide
- Wis. Afternoon News: Legislators react to AmFam funding bill’s approval
- Milwaukee-area Jewish community heads to D.C. rally for Israel/Gaza conflict
- “Tip of the iceberg:” Advocate explains how holidays, pro sports impact domestic abuse victims
