Who Will Be Funded by Council’s Transformation Fund?

Milwaukee City Hall. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

As the amount of money available for a “transformation fund” dwindled, the pressure only went up. Things got pretty heated in recent weeks at Milwaukee City Hall.

In 2021, the Common Council appeared to have a generational opportunity on its hands when the city received a $394.2 million American Rescue Plan Act grant. But as more and more money was used to plug budget holes, the amount available for residents’ priorities shrank.

In 2022, the plan was for a task force to allocate $25 million to residents’ priorities. But the amount fell to $5 million in 2023 after much of it was grabbed for that year’s budget. By the time the budget was completed, it was cut to $2.4 million. Last fall, with the remaining funding unspent, Mayor Cavalier Johnson attempted to eliminate the fund and again plug budget gaps, only for the council to protect it.

Now, an agreement has been reached to spend the remaining funding. But only after a very difficult process.

“Everybody was fighting for their residents. Everybody was fighting for their particular communities,” said Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II during a special meeting of the Finance & Personnel Committee Monday.

“As you can imagine with 14 members, it’s not always easy, but it’s definitely rewarding to get this to point,” said Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, one of the three lead sponsors alongside Mark Chambers, Jr. and JoCasta Zamarripa.

“It has been a long road to today,” said Zamarripa. “I’ve met with so many of my colleagues to discuss your priorities and goals for this transformation fund, some of the discussions were heated and some were light, sometimes we argued, but more times than not we listened and we learned from each other.”

She called the process an “unforgettable experience” and praised her colleagues’ commitment. “I want the city of Milwaukee to know how much love is in this legislation. To me, this file represents the very best of the members of the Milwaukee Common Council. This is our investment in the people of the city of Milwaukee, this expresses our commitment to the people of the city of Milwaukee and, dare I say, this is our love letter to the people of the city of Milwaukee.”

Funding, detailed below, will go towards violence prevention groups, affordable housing and anti-homelessness programs, immigration rights efforts and legal support for residents.

“We hear from our residents every day about how they can see, touch, and feel things,” said Chambers. He said the final package represented their desires.

“I couldn’t think of a better time to put this money in the hands of our community,” said Council President José G. Pérez. “It’s very important to me that now we get to provide this holistic approach to our entire city that many of our vulnerable residents can take full advantage of.”

Ald. Peter Burgelis, one of several members who was elected years into the process, said he was happy to be part of deciding on the final awards.

“It is not easy to herd 14 cats, much less 14 aldermanic office priorities,” said Burgelis in praise of Zamarripa.

“We sat for a year and had community meetings,” said Coggs of the task force’s efforts. She praised those who remained committed throughout the lengthy process. “We never lost sight of the things the residents said were important.”

“There were so many people that were actively involved and engaged,” said Alderwoman Sharlen P. Moore, another newcomer. She said that although there are approximately 30 comments officially added to the council’s legislative record, she received more than 100 emails about the proposal. “I have to thank our community for being just engaged in this process.”

Ald. Scott Spiker, who was credited by his colleagues with identifying that the mayor proposed to eliminate the funding and suggesting a strategy to protect it with a budgetary swap, said he had concerns about allocating $2.4 million of what is now property tax revenue while the potential for a budget shortfall exists. “That’s not something anybody could solve without a crystal ball,” said Spiker. But despite his concerns, he voted for the package.

With a majority of the council in attendance, the committee endorsed the proposal on a 5-0 vote. The full council will review the measure at its April 2.

But not all of the money would be immediately spent.

The largest allocation, $600,000, would be retained for a future participatory budgeting initiative. Coggs has long championed the concept. She said she expects a steering committee, made up of city administrators and residents, to review resident proposals for their legality and suitability. “It should be very clear to residents that this is a one-time effort,” said Coggs in asking for capital projects that don’t require ongoing support. “My hope, though, is that residents get empowered. Part of this isn’t just the allocation of resources; it’s also education about the city’s budget. As we continue to face harder economic times, I think we always want to know what the priorities of residents are.”

One of the allocations also reflects on why there are currently 14, not 15, council members. Friendship Circle of Wisconsin would receive $50,000 to continue its SafeTalk suicide prevention program. The organization is hosting 41 trainings in honor of Ald. Jonathan Brostoff, who committed suicide last November at the age of 41. Brostoff’s friend Levi Stein leads the organization, which the late alderman publicly supported.

Awardees

Descriptions are copied from the legislation text

• City of Milwaukee-MKE Community Impact Fund – $600,000 – Resident-led, community budgeting program

• Safe & Sound – $400,000 – Funding to block clubs and neighborhood associations to support community-building initiatives

• Rooted & Rising, VIA CDC, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges – $300,000 – Gap financing for housing rehabilitation projects

• Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee – $230,000 – Asylum applications and work permit issuance

• FASTFund – $150,000 – Emergency fund to assist Milwaukee-resident Milwaukee Area Technical College students experiencing basic needs insecurity

• Forward Latino – $100,000 – Power of Attorney bilingual and multicultural clinics, public education campaign on the current state of immigration law

• Voces de la Frontera – $100,000 – Public information campaign on the current state of immigration law

• Hanan Refugees Relief Group – $100,000 – Refugee services

• City of Milwaukee – Community Block Grant Administration – $90,000 – Support for existing programs to prevent homelessness

• Milwaukee Justice Center – $75,000 – Self-help family law forms clinic

• Diverse and Resilient – $75,000 – Violence and homelessness prevention services

• Friendship Circle of Wisconsin – $50,000 – SafeTalk Suicide prevention training in Milwaukee

• Teens Grow Greens – $50,000 – Intern and apprenticeship programs in urban agriculture

• Street Angels – $65,000 – Mobile outreach operations and Showers of Hope operations

• City of Milwaukee – Earn & Learn program – $15,000 – Increased wages for Earn & Learn participants

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