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Milwaukee County selects new DOT director to navigate bus system budget woes

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Milwaukee County selects new DOT director to navigate bus system budget woes


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  • Milwaukee County has appointed Joe Lamers as the new director of its Department of Transportation.
  • The appointment follows the resignation of the previous director amid a significant transit budget deficit.
  • Lamers previously served as the county’s director of the Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance.
  • The county’s transit system continues to face substantial budget shortfalls in the coming years.

Milwaukee County has chosen a new director to steer the county Department of Transportation five months after the previous director stepped down in the wake of a transit deficit that caught officials off guard.

Joe Lamers, who has spent the last eight years as director of the county’s Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance, will now head the transportation department, according to a Dec. 4 news release from the county executive’s office.

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Lamers has been a pivotal player in the county’s efforts to become more fiscally sustainable as it faced a longstanding and ongoing structural deficit, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in the release. He has managed and developed recent budgets and led efforts to improve operations, grant development, public policy, and internal communications. The county’s reserve fund increased by about $90 million under his watch.

Lamers has also helped coordinate legislative affairs efforts, including negotiations for the state legislation known as Act 12, which delivered nearly $100 million in additional annual revenue for the county and addressed long-term pension funding challenges.

“Lamers has served my administration with integrity and expertise,” Crowley said. “His leadership in creating County budgets and initiatives has closed structural deficits and enhanced essential services for the community, including in public transit and transportation infrastructure.”

In late June, the county’s bus system agency, which is overseen and managed by the county DOT, blindsided local officials with news of a $10.9 million budget deficit, which now stands at $9 million after some course correcting. The shortfall resulted in service cuts in an effort to balance the agency’s budget.

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Emails obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in October showed that leaders of the bus system agency, known as Milwaukee County Transit System, had been scrambling behind closed doors for several months to address the looming deficit crisis while keeping top county leadership in the dark.

The transportation department’s executive director at the time, Donna Brown-Martin, resigned on July 1. She had held the position since 2018.

Since then, Deputy Director John Rodgers has served as the department’s interim director.

Despite service cuts in 2025 and 2026, the county’s transit system faces significant budget challenges ahead.

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The transit agency faces a projected $14 million deficit in 2026, along with a 2027 deficit between $17 million and $20 million based on current service levels, MCTS President and CEO Steve Fuentes told the county’s transportation and transit committee on Dec. 3.

In the news release, Lamers said he’s grateful to Crowley for the opportunity to serve in the new role.

“I look forward to working with staff throughout the department and advancing the important mission to provide safe and reliable transportation options. I also look forward to working with all partners necessary to develop viable and fiscally sustainable funding options to provide transportation and transit services into the future,” Lamers said.

Lamers will begin serving as acting director next week. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the county Board of Supervisors. Milwaukee County Strategy Director Isaac Rowlett will serve as interim director for the Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance as the search for a new leader of the department begins.

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Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.





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Milwaukee police chase, 15-year-old driver arrested

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Milwaukee police chase, 15-year-old driver arrested


Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)

Milwaukee police arrested a 15-year-old boy after a pursuit across the city’s north side Wednesday night.

What they’re saying:

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The chase started around 9:20 p.m. MPD said officers saw a vehicle that was wanted in an armed robbery and tried to stop it near 33rd and Locust, but the driver took off.

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The chase ended roughly two miles away near 29th and Roosevelt, where the driver got out and ran. MPD said the suspect’s vehicle continued to roll and collided with another vehicle. Officers ultimately caught the 15-year-old and took him into custody.

What’s next:

Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

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The Source: FOX6 News requested information from the Milwaukee Police Department.

 

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Milwaukee stabbing near 40th and McKinley; 1 wounded, 1 arrested

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Milwaukee stabbing near 40th and McKinley; 1 wounded, 1 arrested


Milwaukee Police Department

One person was taken to the hospital after a stabbing in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, Jan. 7. 

What we know:

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According to Milwaukee police, a 26-year-old was stabbed around 7 p.m. near 40th and McKinley. 

Milwaukee police arrested a suspect on the scene.

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What you can do:

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or P3 Tips.

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The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department. 

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Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car

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Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car


A 26-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of fleeing police during an arrest attempt. An officer who was present to make the arrest ended up being trapped in the backseat of the defendant’s vehicle during an attempt to flee law enforcement. The accused is Kewane Daniels – and he faces the following criminal counts: 

  • First-degree recklessly endangering safety
  • False imprisonment
  • Operating a motor vehicle to flee or in an attempt to elude an officer
  • Second-degree recklessly endangering safety

Property taken, arrest attempt

What we know:

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According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police reported to the Comfort Suites near 118th and Silver Spring after a caller indicated that “property had been taken from her by the defendant,” the complaint says. The caller indicated location data alerted her that the property was in the hotel parking lot. Daniels also had two warrants for his arrest. 

The caller reached out to Daniels to come outside and meet her. Law enforcement were going to assist with arresting Daniels and getting the property back.

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The complaint indicates Daniels approached his car, and an officer followed and positioned himself behind an open rear door. He “drew his service weapon knowing that Daniels was reported to frequently be armed,” the complaint says. The officer ordered Daniels not to place the car in drive, but the complaint says Daniels ignored the orders and “accelerated in reverse in an attempt to flee (the officer).”

Arresting officer trapped in defendant’s vehicle

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Dig deeper:

The officer, who was now being forced to back pedal, “realized he could not keep up with the quickly reversing vehicle, and feared he may be overtaken and crushed beneath the auto. (The officer) stated that he had to jump into the open rear passenger’s seat in order to escape the possibility of being knocked down beneath the oncoming vehicle’s door and tires,” the complaint says.

The defendant quickly accelerated out of the hotel parking lot with the officer in the rear seat. The officer “continually ordered him to stop the car,” the complaint says. The officer stated, “Daniels fled at a high rate of speed near 90 mph east on W. Silver Spring Drive while losing control and mounting the curb several times,” the complaint says. During this entire incident, the officer said he “kept his service weapon aimed at Daniels while in the back seat. Due to the speeds and reckless driving, (the officer) could not exit the vehicle,” the complaint says.

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The court filing says the officer having his firearm pointed had no effect on Daniels pulling over the vehicle. Later, he put his weapon away to try and convince Daniels that he was not in danger and to pull over the vehicle. Instead, the defendant continued fleeing and driving recklessly, the complaint says.

Defendant bails, car crashes

What we know:

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Near 92nd and Birch Avenue in Milwaukee, the complaint says, “Daniels opened the driver’s door and abandoned the vehicle which was still moving at approximately 35 mph.” The officer remained trapped in the rear passenger seat of the driverless vehicle which “came to a stop when it mounted the curb, continued into a front yard, and eventually crashed into a tree,” the complaint says. It is noted that Daniels’ vehicle had the child locks engaged, so the officer was unable to exit the vehicle on his own.

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Officers in other squads quickly located Daniels. The complaint indicates the defendant was “missing footwear in extremely frigid temperatures.” His footwear was recovered in a grassy area near where he was taken into custody.

What’s next:

Online court records indicate Daniels is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Thursday, Jan. 8. 

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The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and the criminal complaint associated with this case.

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