Milwaukee, WI
Supervisor calls for referendum on Milwaukee County courthouse revamp
Drone view of the Milwaukee County Courthouse
Check out a bird’s‑eye view of the Milwaukee County Courthouse from a drone
A Milwaukee County Board supervisor wants the public to weigh in on the county’s multi-million dollar project to revamp the the county’s downtown courthouse complex.
In early July, the county updated its project estimate to $897 million to overhaul the crumbling downtown courthouse complex, roughly doubling initial projections.
Supervisor Justin Bielinski, who has been the biggest opponent to the project on the board, authored a resolution calling for a contingent referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot. The referendum would ask voters whether they would require County Board approval for any additional financing needed for the construction phase of the courthouse project.
The resolution, which will go before the finance committee on July 23, also asks for the transfer of $18,000 from the appropriation for contingencies to the Milwaukee County Election Commission to offset the cost of the referendum.
“A capital project of this size is likely to require substantial long-term borrowing, debt service, and future budget commitments by Milwaukee County, which may place upward pressure on the property tax levy to service the debt issued to finance the project,” Bielinski’s resolution says.
The more than 320,000-square-foot Courthouse Complex is almost 100 years old and is home to the county’s criminal courts, County Jail as well as the Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s offices. The existing judicial buildings have been called “severely outdated” and “functionally obsolete,” creating public safety and security concerns over the years as its maintenance backlog exceeds $75 million.
Upon the release of new project estimates, County Executive David Crowley argued he expects his administration’s funding approach to cover the increased costs of the courthouse project and cut the cost to county property tax payers by more than $400 million by tapping other sources.
Crowley has described the project as urgent.
“The Public Safety Building has well surpassed the end of its life. The question in front of us isn’t whether we replace it, but when we will do it and how responsibly we can get it done,” Crowley said in a statement July 2.
The design phase of the new courthouse complex began in late 2024 and with initial timelines expecting to wrap up in 2028 and demolition set to start that year. Construction is expected to take place between 2029 and 2032.
So far, the county has allocated roughly $38.6 million between fiscal years 2024 and 2026 for the preliminary planning, design and consulting work for the project. Approximately $858 million will be needed for the remaining construction.
The county’s adopted capital budget for 2026 was limited to the approved bonding cap of $56.8 million, which leaves $63.3 million in requested bonding authority unfunded, Bielinski’s resolution says, adding that substantial borrowing for the project could limit the county’s ability to finance other major infrastructure needs, such as parks, transit, bridges, roads as well as other public facilities.
“Because of the magnitude and potential countywide fiscal impact of this project, Milwaukee County voters should have a voice through a contingent referendum before the County makes a final construction-phase funding commitment for the [courthouse] project,” the resolution said.
Dense fog overnight with a slight chance for a t-storm near the IL border. Temperatures dropping into the 60s.
Morning dense fog on Wednesday, otherwise partly sunny with a slight chance for a t-storm. Highs in the upper 70s near the lake, low 80s inland.
Rain showers and a few rumbles of thunder on Thursday, cooler with highs in the mid-70s. Partly sunny on Friday, less humid, with highs in the mid-to-upper 70s.
A city filled with bars, Milwaukee naturally has no shortage of trivia nights. Most of these know-it-all brawls are run by Quizmaster Trivia and America’s Pub Quiz, among the first trivia companies to launch here almost 20 years ago.
The idea for America’s Pub Quiz came to Michael Landmann in 2007 while playing golf with a trivia-host friend. What started as a hobby project grew into a heavyweight as the company expanded into Madison, Minnesota and even as far as California and Texas.
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Its contemporary, Quizmaster Trivia, similarly exploded out of coincidence. In 2006, British-born Ryan Wickens was a college student and bartender for Shorewood’s now-closed The Brit Inn when “the owner decided we should do a pub quiz, and it fell on me to host,” he says. Leaning on the game’s British roots, Wickens shaped up his own homemade style of humorous trivia that’s now in bars all over town.
America’s Pub Quiz hosts a statewide trivia tournament in Wisconsin three times a year. “As long as you finish in the top 50 teams in Milwaukee, you’ll probably get invited,” Landmann says. To determine who qualifies, they take each team’s top 20 scores for the 16-week season and add them up. The more games you play, the higher your chances. Landmann has seen teams play over 80 times in one season to ensure top scores and entry into the tournament.
Wickens estimates that he’s written over 99.9% of the Quizmaster content, much of it rarely recycled. “I have some of my hosts help me with specialty topics where I’m not an expert,” he says. “But because I plan them far enough out, I do my research. I watch the shows. I watch the movies. I have a database that I’ve been saving content in for almost 20 years.”
When Quizmaster hosts outdoor trivia at The Landing at Hoyt Park in Tosa, the community really shows up. But it was the Wizarding World last summer that drew the company’s biggest crowd ever. “481 players – and those were just the people I could count,” Wickens says. “It was 84 teams and absolutely nuts, but super fun, and everyone there is a good sport.”
This brain-buster has its own cash prize, which grows every week until it’s correctly answered. “I always joke that everyone knows who Attila the Hun is – but can you name his nanny?” Landmann says. It varies by location, but typically the pot starts at $25, with the bar throwing in $5 every week the question goes unanswered. At now-shuttered A.J. O’Brady’s, a Mission Impossible pot once reached $700 after the bar began adding $25 every passing week.
Looking to play? America’s Pub Quiz and Quizmaster host over 110 local trivia contests a week. Hit up their respective sites to find one.
This story is part of Milwaukee Magazine’s August 2026 issue.
Find it on newsstands or buy a copy at milwaukeemag.com/shop.
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MILWAUKEE – A police chase in Milwaukee ended in a crash on Monday evening, Aug. 10, with one person in custody and another person in the hospital.
Chase and crash
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, just after 5:30 p.m., MPD officers saw a vehicle driving recklessly near 60th and Hampton and tried to pull the vehicle over.
The driver did not stop and a chase ensued. The chase ended near 76th and Ruby after the driver ran a stop sign and crashed into another vehicle.
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The driver of the suspect vehicle, a 25-year-old man, got out and ran away but was quickly arrested.
The driver of the second vehicle, a 79-year-old, was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries.
What’s next:
Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for review.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department sent FOX6 the information. FOX6 crews also went to the scene of the crash.
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