Milwaukee $150M structural budget deficit, study explores solutions

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee police, fireplace, public works and even libraries are in peril on account of a scarcity of cash. The Larger Milwaukee Committee is paying to review town’s funds and doable income fixes.

Milwaukee is going through a $150 million funds deficit, and one chief says that is far too excessive to resolve with small cuts right here and there.

A nonprofit is attempting to assist town discover a sustainable resolution to make sure important providers are nonetheless out there.

Whether or not clearing the streets or defending them, your metropolis tax {dollars} pay on your high quality of life. 

“These aren’t issues which are simply going to exist and are available from some place else,” mentioned Joel Brennan. “They occur on the native degree. They have to be operated on the native degree.”

Brennan is president of the Larger Milwaukee Committee. With out important change, he says town is in peril of dropping a few of these providers.

“It is fundamental features which are in danger if we won’t discover a method to generate some extra income and discover methods simply to function higher,” mentioned Brennan.  

The Larger Milwaukee Committee, with Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s backing, is commissioning a research of town’s operations, on the lookout for financial savings throughout a $1.72 billion funds with a $150 million structural deficit.

“Town’s issues are basically income pushed, and we’re not going to resolve all of them by saving town just a few extra million {dollars} right here or there,” mentioned Brennan.

Brennan says that is the place the state is available in. He is calling on the Legislature to handle Wisconsin’s shared income program, which has stalled or scaled again during the last 20 years.

“There’s a chance for all of us to work collectively to essentially give you an answer that may drive progress for the following 25 years,” mentioned Brennan.

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To place that $150 million, which is what they’re attempting to save lots of, in perspective, that is about 85% of DPW’s annual funds. Clearly, DPW is not getting lower that a lot, if in any respect, however it reveals the enormity of simply how massive town funds is.

The funds research will occur over the following 4 months in order that the mayor can use its findings in writing his subsequent metropolis funds.