Supervisors Tentatively Approve Suspicious Health Contract

Milwaukee County Board committee sign. Photo taken Feb. 2, 2026 by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County supervisors on the Committee on Finance provided initial approval Monday for an approximately $450 million health care contract that sent shock waves across county government.

Supervisors are facing pressure from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley‘s administration and the county’s attorneys to approve a new contract for the county employees’ health plan, after the previous health plan contract expired in December. But administration officials have admitted the contract was developed with a private consultant in violation of the county’s procurement laws, and the independent Office of the Comptroller cannot verify the financial details in the contract.

During a special joint meeting of the board’s committees on Finance and Personnel, supervisors questioned the legal risk to the county of voting the contract up or down, and whether the administration can even verify the financial estimates baked into the contract. There were also questions about how, exactly, the contract debacle was allowed to occur.

The Department of Human Resources staffer responsible for the contract, director of benefits Tony Maze, was fired before the emergency meeting Monday morning.

“As the head of HR, I take full accountability and responsibility, but I really want to say, despite the mistake, the contract is solid,” said HR Director Margo Franklin.

Issues with the contract first came to light during a meeting of the Finance Committee on Jan. 29. Maze submitted the contract to the board for approval without raising any concerns regarding the fiscal estimate attached to the contract or the fact UnitedHealthcare had refused to include an audit clause required by county ordinance. Comptroller Liz Sumner had to take the floor to inform the committee the contract had lapsed and that significant questions regarding the procurement process remained.

In the wake of the meeting, county officials and supervisors heard from some of the thousands of county employees who rely on the health plan for their medical care wondering whether they still had coverage. For now, UnitedHealthcare continues to process the health claims despite the lapse in the contract.

The Crowley administration’s top budget officials testified during the meeting Monday that they still have not been able to verify the financial estimates included in the contract. The five-year contract currently includes $90 million in annual estimated health care costs. The county is self-insured and pays employee health claims directly. But it relies on UnitedHealthcare to process the claims and provide access to their provider network. The contract proposes approximately $2 million annually in administrative fees.

“We have been tirelessly working to analyze what information we can glean in order to determine what costs we can expect as a result of this contract,” said Isaac Rowlett, interim director of the Office of Strategy, Performance and Budget. Rowlett still, however, recommended the board approve the agreement.

The administration and the county’s attorneys from the Office of Corporation Counsel (OCC) told supervisors the county faces greater risk if the contract is not approved, warning that UnitedHealthcare could disrupt claims processing or that the county could fail to secure better terms if it attempted to renegotiate at this late hour.

“The risk attendant with voting no on the contract, in OCC’s estimation, far exceeds any risk that would exist for the county in voting yes on the contract,” said Deputy Corporation Counsel William Davidson.

Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson-Bovell questioned the prevailing risk assessment from the administration and the county’s attorneys. She noted that county officials have publicly testified to not following the county’s ordinances during procurement, asking whether that fact could invite litigation from the other major health insurers who bid on contract, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Healthcare and Aetna.

“These are laws. These are what we are beholden to,” Nicholson-Bovell said. “Are we protected legally? And if not, what is the plan B to ensure that we can vote on a contract that is both legally binding and that also eradicates risk for our employees and and our administration.”

Sup. Jack Eckblad, who does not sit on the committee, asked his colleagues to lay the item over before sending it to the full board for approval. He wanted a pause in the approval process so the administration could complete financial and legal due diligence before the board makes a decision.

“The administration has not gone through the process required by planning ordinances to independently confirm [the fiscal estimate] is accurate, to the best of our knowledge,” Eckblad said. “The only assurance that is being given to the board in this file is the signature of a director, who I believe has been fired. In short, they haven’t done their job. They’re not ready to present this.”

Supervisors on the Committee on Finance voted 4-2 in favor of approving the contract Monday. Supervisors Shawn Rolland, Anne O’Connor, Willie Johnson Jr. and Juan Miguel Martinez voted to approve the contract. Supervisors Justin Bielinski and Sequanna Taylor voted against approving the contract. Sup. Steve Taylor, who sits on the Finance Committee, was on vacation and not present for the special meeting Monday morning.

“We shouldn’t have to be putting through this contract at gunpoint with this giant health insurance company to make sure that our employees can get health care,” Bielinski said. “That’s a frustrating position to be in.”

(This story will be updated with additional details.)