Council Proposes 10% Police Budget Cut
11 council members back $30 million cut and investing in other programs.
The City of Milwaukee is still months away from initiating its 2021 budget process, but members of the Common Council are already moving to make their priorities clear.
Alderman Jose G. Perez introduced a resolution Monday morning, co-sponsored by 10 of his colleagues, directing city budget director Dennis Yaccarino to model a 2021 budget with a 10 percent cut to the Milwaukee Police Department. The move would free up approximately $30 million.
“The Common Council receives the budget in late September. We then have one month to make changes to a document appropriating over a billion dollars, with thousands of lines. It is time to consider the impact a change in the MPD budget could have,” wrote Perez in a statement announcing the resolution.
MPD has a planned budget of $297,366,419 in 2020, and an authorized sworn strength of 1,804 officers. Nationally, the “defund the police” movement has called for a reallocation of resources away from police and into public health and other support programs.
“Our citizens have been marching in the streets for the past several weeks demanding change. They deserve to be heard,” said Perez. “If adopted, this proposal will begin a community discussion of how we could make that change. Although the Common Council does not set police policies and procedures, it can urge police reform and community reinvestment through the budget process.”
The council resolution notes that the police department received 45.4 percent of the city’s general fund allocation in 2020, while the Department of Public Works received 18.3 percent, Milwaukee Public Library received 3.6 percent and Milwaukee Health Department received a “mere” 2.2 percent.
The measure is co-sponsored by council members Milele A. Coggs, Marina Dimitrijevic, Cavalier Johnson, Ashanti Hamilton, Nik Kovac, Robert Bauman, Khalif Rainey, JoCasta Zamarripa, Chantia Lewis and Russell W. Stamper, II.
“It is time for the Common Council to be proactive in the budget process. We can no longer afford to be reactive,” said Perez. “Thirty days from now, I expect to see the model 2021 budget include real, manageable budget changes that can be reinvested to meet the demands of our neighborhoods.”
Four council members have not signed onto the proposal: Michael Murphy, Mark Borkowski, Scott Spiker and Nikiya Dodd.
The measure will be reviewed at the Common Council’s meeting on Tuesday, June 16th. Measures for immediate adoption require 10 votes to pass.
The police department issued a tweet last week that linked a raise in the homicide rate to the 2020 budget cut after council members were critical of department practices and purchasing plans. Johnson, the council president, was quick to condemn the statement from the department. “Putting the information contained in this tweet aside, issuing political jabs at local Milwaukee leaders in a forum such as this is a misuse of resources,” he said.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits, all detailed here.
More about the 2020 Racial Justice Protests
- Evers Reflects on Year of Pandemic, Protests - Shawn Johnson - Dec 28th, 2020
- The Year of the National Guard - Jenny Peek - Dec 28th, 2020
- Baldwin Questions U.S. Marshall’s Role in Tosa Protests - Isiah Holmes - Dec 19th, 2020
- Op Ed: Vote No on COPS Grant - Markasa Tucker - Dec 18th, 2020
- People’s Revolution Marks 200 Days of Protest - Graham Kilmer - Dec 15th, 2020
- Supervisor Clancy Applauds Activists on 200th Day of Protests - Sup. Ryan Clancy - Dec 14th, 2020
- The “Molotov Cocktail” That Wasn’t - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 23rd, 2020
- City Hall: Police Chief, Alderman Fight Over Use of Canines - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 23rd, 2020
- Will BLM Movement Sway State Voters? - Bridgit Bowden - Oct 20th, 2020
- City Hall: Community Groups Propose Changes - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 19th, 2020
Read more about 2020 Racial Justice Protests here