Mayor Talks Education, Public Safety in 2025 State of the City

Mayor Cavalier Johnson delivers his 2025 State of the City speech. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

“Milwaukee’s people are strong and so to is the state of our city,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson in concluding his 2025 State of the City speech.

The wide-ranging speech touched on virtually issue facing the city, education, Growing MKE, elections, safe streets, but it had a clear focus on public safety and all of its facets.

“For three straight years, violent crime is down in Milwaukee,” said Johnson, touting a 20% year-over-year reduction in the homicide rate. “Milwaukee is demonstrably safer with fewer crimes and fewer victims of crime.” He praised the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Fire Department and Office of Community Wellness for their work. He also praised Milwaukee County’s “No Wrong Door” policy.

He also promoted the city’s efforts to combat reckless driving and improve conditions for bicyclists, including success on a 2023 speech pledge to have 50 miles of protected bike lanes completed or under development by 2026.

Johnson, also took time to individually praise three public safety employees who have been tragically injured on the job: firefighter Ryan McMenamin and police officers Daniel Morrell and Daniel Gonzales. Each received their own standing ovation as Johnson highlighted how they put their lives on the line.

The event was held before a standing-room-only crowd at the newly-expanded Baird Center‘s ballroom.

As he did in his 2024 inauguration speech, Johnson didn’t shy away from mentioning the city’s schools, which aren’t under his control.

“For decades it’s been a school district in despair and our students, particularly our Black students, are suffering the consequences,” said the mayor.

Interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan and newly-appointed Superintendent Brenda Cassellius were seated in the front row, and Cassellius was invited to stand up and given a round of applause. She was also given a public invitation the mayor hopes she won’t refuse. “I am inviting Superintendent Cassellius to work more closely with the members of my cabinet,” said Johnson.

Johnson also touched on a central item from his 2024 speech: Growing Milwaukee. The Growing MKE plan, which would allow more types of housing and higher density housing to be developed in more places, has been stalled before the Common Council since last summer. An update to the proposal from the Department of City Development is expected soon.

“Growing MKE is the product of listening and understanding the challenges. Renters, homeowners and those left out of realistic housing options all have issues with the status quo,” said Johnson. “We will lose out if we allow the status quo to persist.” He said the plan was key not only to growing the city, but to avoiding the city shrinking.

Johnson singled out council members JoCasta Zamarripa and Mark Chambers, Jr. for their support of the initiative, but he needs to secure at least six more votes to move the plan forward.

“We will lose out in Milwaukee if we are not innovative, if we don’t adopt new policies, if we just allow the status quo to continue,” said Johnson in a press scrum after the speech. He said since the 2024 speech, his administration has been listening to feedback. “We’ve been listening and learning from folks in neighborhoods all across Milwaukee about what they think and expect.”

The mayor praised the city’s election commission for its work under stress, part of which he triggered when he replaced incumbent director Claire Woodall with her deputy Paulina Gutiérrez last April.

“This past year, it tested the Milwaukee Election Commission and it passed with flying colors,” said Johnson in praising the city’s election staff for handling six elections. “Every action and every decision was examined and questioned… through it all they did their jobs.”

He also praised the city’s voters. “Milwaukee voters turned out at a rate higher than any of the other 50 largest cities last November,” said Johnson.

He used the election remarks to segue into praising political allies that were elected, City Attorney Evan Goyke and Comptroller Bill Christianson, new council members Sharlen P. Moore, DiAndre Jackson and Peter Burgelis and reelected U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin.

“We also elected a new president,” said Johnson to almost no applause. The only individual Urban Milwaukee spotted clapping was Milwaukee County Republican Party chair Hilario Deleon though a smattering of clappers dotted the room.

Unlike last year, when he said the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) was moving in the right direction and praised leader Willie Hines, Jr., Johnson did not mention the public housing agency this year. Since the last speech, the federal government labeled the agency as “Troubled,” Hines retired and the board was overhauled since the last speech. Several members of Common Ground Southeastern Wisconsin, which launched a campaign to improve the agency’s conditions, were visible in the crowd. The organization has publicly sparred with the mayor, including over a recent board appointment.

“The fact of the matter is that my power over the housing authority is limited,” said Johnson in a press scrum after the speech. He said he thought his two recent board appointments were strong candidates, though one dropped out after criticism from Common Ground about their residency. “I think we are moving in the right direction.”

Johnson took a thinly veiled shot at Common Ground, which has given Johnson a list of potential candidates it would like appointed to a spot dedicated to a HACM resident. “It remains difficult to find folks who want to serve in those positions, folks who are independent,” said the mayor. “I want compassionate people. I want independent people as well.”

After the speech, the mayor also said Judge David L. Borowski had his facts wrong in accusing the city of dragging its feet on getting police officers assigned to schools. “That’s just not true… He wasn’t in the room. He just wasn’t. He doesn’t know that and that’s not the fact,” said Johnson. But he also praised the judge for ending the stalemate between the city and school district over funding the officers and ordered an even split. “I’m happy that the judge basically landed where the City of Milwaukee was.”

During the speech, the mayor praised the Milwaukee Water Works for replacing a record-breaking 2,700 lead service lines in 2024. The 2025 goal is approximately 3,500 service lines. “We’re aiming to hit the 10 year goal we’ve set for fully replacing all lead laterals,” said the mayor of the city’s approximately 60,000 remaining lines.

Johnson also emphasized the city’s success in hosting the Republican National Convention. “We showed the nation, in fact we showed the world, that Milwaukee is an ideal location to stage a gathering on a huge scale,” said the mayor. He took care to note that the city’s interest in hosting the convention was not political, but economic.

A key theme from past speeches was largely retired: the city’s fiscal straight-jacket. The 2023 speech was delayed until after the passage of Act 12, which gave the city a 2% sales tax but new spending requirements, but the city still faces difficult financial decisions. “City government finances are far stronger than they have been in past years. That’s not to say we are all off,” said the mayor. “Our budgets will be particularly tight headed into the next years. However, we are not facing imminent fiscal disaster that was looming over City Hall just two years ago.”

The mayor was introduced by Wisconsin Center District CEO Marty Brooks, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and former mayor and ambassador Tom Barrett.

Brooks touted the inclusive and environmentally friendly construction of the Baird Center, which opened last May. Coggs highlighted the differences between Downtown and the 53206 ZIP code, the city’s most impoverished, and advanced an inclusive vision for uniting the city and challenged the audience not to accept the status quo. “As the center sees success, so to should the neighborhoods around it prosper,” said the alderwoman. “With everything going on in the world, let Milwaukee be an example of strength in the midst of the storm.”

Barrett, who delivered many State of the City speeches, used his speech to say thank you. “I didn’t have an opportunity as I left town,” said the former mayor, who returned from his ambassadorship in January. “The job of mayor is the most challenging and rewarding job I’ve had in my career.” Johnson, before becoming an alderman in 2016, served as an aide in the mayor’s office. Barrett said the one word he uses to describe Johnson is “respectful.” He praised his willingness to listen and commitment to Milwaukee. Johnson told Urban Milwaukee he invited Barrett to speak as an opportunity for him to say thank you, which the COVID-19 pandemic previously blocked.

Council members in attendance including Coggs, Moore, Chambers, Zamarripa, Burgelis, Jackson, Andrea Pratt, Scott Spiker, Lamont Westmoreland, Larresa Taylor, Russell W. Stamper, II and Council President José G. Pérez. Johnson, at several points in his speech, went district by district noting major projects that were to occur. Other elected officials spotted in the crowd included City Treasurer Spencer Coggs, District Attorney Kent Lovern, Senator Chris Larson, representatives Russell Antonio Goodwin, Sr. and Kalan Haywood II and school board member James Ferguson II. Fire & Police Commission employee and school board candidate Molly Kuether-Steele was also in the crowd.

Those in the who’s who crowd included Greater Milwaukee Committee President Joel Brennan, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce head Dale Kooyenga, LISC Milwaukee Executive Director Theodore Lipscomb, Sr., Forward Latino leader Darryl Morin, construction executive James Phelps, lobbyist Buddy Julius, former RNC host committee director Alison Prange, PR exec James Madlom, Greater Milwaukee Urban League head Eve Hall, Palermo’s CEO Giacomo Falluca, King Drive BID director Ray Hill, former public works commissioner Jeff Polenske, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority board chair, Social X leader and city plan commissioner Ranell Washington, Herb Kohl Philanthropies leader JoAnne Anton, Community Development Alliance Teig Whaley-Smith, VISIT Milwaukee CEO Peggy Williams-Smith, Marcus Performing Arts Center CEO Kevin Giglinto and Bublr Bikes executive director Laura Bolger.

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