County Executive Will Host 4 Budget Town Halls, Discuss Sales Tax Impact

Milwaukee County Courthouse. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has announced a series of town halls that will give residents an opportunity to weigh in on the upcoming 2024 budget for county government.

This upcoming budget process will be unique in that it will be the first assembled with an additional 0.4% sales tax recently approved by the Milwaukee County Board. In a statement announcing the town halls, Crowley said, “I’m excited to announce four in-person budget town halls on the heels of the historic local revenue reform enabled by the County Board of Supervisors last week.”

The sales tax is estimated to generate $82 million in new revenue for the county next year. Under a new state law, Act 12, that funding can only be used to pay down the county’s unfunded pension liabilities or public safety. This new revenue, however, will also free up an estimated $39 to $49 million in property tax funds that were previously used to pay for pension costs.

With the new sales tax in place, this will also be the first year in more than a decade that the county begins its budget process without the need to overcome a structural deficit. In recent years, these deficits were lessened because of changes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer health insurance claims, a hiring freeze and an influx of federal COVID-19 stimulus funds all padded the county budget.

But the county was on track for massive budget deficits in the coming years, with the latest five-year fiscal projection by the Office of the Comptroller estimating a budget deficit in 2028 of more than $100 million.

The 2024 budget process will set the stage for budgets to come, as the new revenue will likely allow for investments that were unthinkable a year ago at this time. However, the county’s budget deficits will return in 2026, though with the sales tax the projected deficits are a fraction of what they could have been without the new tax. This means county policymakers will still need to step carefully as they decide what to do with the budgets in 2024 and 2025.

The county executive’s town halls will include budget presentations by county officials. “Town halls are a great way for the community to learn more about revenue reform and its impact on future budgets, understand the entire budget process, and to express their budget priorities. They are also a fantastic way for our administration officials to learn what residents need and how we can best meet those needs.”

Town Halls

Tuesday, Aug. 15

• Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St
• 5-6 p.m. — Resource and Job Fair
• 6 p.m. — Budget Presentation

Thursday, Aug. 17

• Brown Deer Park Clubhouse. 6724 N. Range Line Rd.
• 5-6 p.m. — Resource and Job Fair
• 6 p.m. — Budget Presentation

Monday, Aug. 21

• Kosciuszko Community Center, 2201 S. 7th St.
• 5-6 p.m. — Resource and Job Fair
• 6 p.m. — Budget Presentation

Thursday, Aug. 24

• Franklin Saber Center for the Performing Arts, 8222 S. 51st St. (within Franklin High School)
• 5-6 p.m. — Resource and Job Fair
• 6 p.m. — Budget Presentation