‘Lipstick on a Pig,’ Board Passes Health Contract After Process Failure

Milwaukee County Courthouse. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

After a prior agreement expired with no notice, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors approved a controversial health care contract Thursday while under pressure to avoid potentially dire financial consequences.

A week before the vote, supervisors learned that the county’s previous health insurance contract had expired in December 2025 and that the new agreement — a five-year contract extension with UnitedHealthcare — was coming to them with significant concerns from the county’s independent financial officer. Within days of the revelation, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley fired Tony Maze, the human resources employee responsible for managing the county health care contract.

Officials across Crowley’s administration say they were caught off guard in January by the lapse in the contract. Supervisors faced pressure to approve the new deal from the administration and county attorneys, who were concerned that the county was out of contract and in a weak position to negotiate a new deal. Employee insurance never lapsed, but administration officials warned of potential issues if the new agreement with UnitedHealthcare was modified or rejected. The county continued to pay health claims, and UnitedHealthcare continues to process them.

The contract is one of the most important the county manages. It ensures claims are paid and processed for the county’s self-insured employee health plan. The deal with UnitedHealthcare is estimated to cost the county approximately $450 million, $90 million annually, over the next five years. Maze worked with private consultant Willis Towers Watson on the contract. In the lead up to Thursday’s board meeting, the county’s independent Office of the Comptroller and the county executive’s budget office have been unable to verify fiscal estimates provided by the consultant. Outstanding questions remain about how the contract was bid, as Maze previously admitted he did not follow county ordinances while working on the deal.

Before the board voted on the contract, supervisors amended it with language authored by Sup. Justin Bielinski that instructs county departments to ensure they follow the county’s procurement ordinances. However, it also formally waives county procurement rules for the new health care contract.

“This last point is, I think, key. Without waiving this now… we would not be able to pay this contract out, at all,” Bielinski told his colleagues. The supervisor said his motivation for moving the contract forward, despite concerns about the process, was to protect and reassure the county’s employees and retirees who rely on the health plan.

Corporation Counsel Scott Brown told supervisors he supported the amendment. Sup. Steve Taylor, who ultimately voted against approving the contract, also supported Bielinski’s amendment. “At the end of the day, this is putting lipstick on a pig,” he said. “No one is comfortable with this contract; I certainly won’t vote for it.”

The board voted to approve the contract 13-5. Supervisors Taylor, Deanna Alexander, Patti Logsdon, Kathleen Vincent and Sheldon Wasserman voted against adoption.

“I will sign the legislation the moment it hits my desk to resolve this situation. While Milwaukee County employees, dependents, and retirees never lost their healthcare coverage, this contract approval was needed to control costs and continue providing quality, affordable healthcare benefits,” Crowley said in a statement after the vote.

Supervisors Criticize Administration

Despite approving the contract, supervisors had strong words for the administration, expressing resentment about being put in a position to either approve a questionable contract or jeopardize the county’s employee health plan. Supervisors also raised doubts about the possibility that the failure rests solely with Maze, the fired benefits director.

During a special meeting on the deal just a few days prior, Human Resources Director Margo Franklin told the board’s Committee on Finance that it’s not her job to do her employees’ jobs. Sup. Shawn Rolland pointed to this statement during the board meeting and said, “Leadership is not doing everyone’s job, but it is making sure the job is done.” Rolland said he wasn’t looking for any more “accountability,” using the language Crowley employed when he fired Maze.

Other supervisors expressed their displeasure that all responsibility for the failure was being pinned on Maze.

“I’m not satisfied that the person who’s responsible has been held accountable, from the executive’s office all the way down to anyone who had a hand in executing these contracts,” said Sup. Felesia Martin. “One person is gonna take the whole load for what happened? I call BS.”

Logsdon called for the district attorney and the Department of Justice to conduct a criminal investigation into potential misconduct in public office.

Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson-Bovell told Urban Milwaukee the administration put the board in a “tough position” ahead of Thursday’s meeting.

“Our role is oversight, and it’s hard to do that when we have to make decisions in such an expedient manner,” Nicholson-Bovell said. “Especially when we didn’t have to get to it so late in the first place.”

Ultimately, Nicholson-Bovell said the vote to approve the contract was about making sure county employees are not forced to pay out-of-network costs for their health care.

County Contract Hits State Politics

Wasserman, who voted against the contract, said he was skeptical of the administration’s argument that UnitedHealthcare could walk away from the county contract. He said he thought the county should bring in outside counsel with experience negotiating health plans to renegotiate the contract and get it right. The supervisor pointed to the county’s disastrous pension scandal from 25 years ago, and the recent Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) budget scandal, and told his colleagues to consider the impact their vote will have.

“It’s gonna be affecting the gubernatorial race,” he said, telling his colleagues that their vote on the health care contract could affect the outcome of the election. “The accusations are flying, both from Democrats about Republicans,” Wasserman said, “and I really feel very unhappy for our County Executive David Crowley, because he’s gonna take the brunt of this.”

Crowley is running for governor, and in the wake of the contract scandal, he has already been criticized by opponents U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.

Supervisors Discuss Reforms

Over the past week, supervisors have started discussing a policy response to the health care contract scandal. Bielinski has suggested a public dashboard tracking contracts. Wasserman announced during the meeting Thursday that he thinks the county health plan contract should not be under the authority of a single human resources employee.

Under the current system, Wasserman said the county has vested too much authority in a single employee to manage the health care plan. He noted Maze had the authority to pick which drugs the plan would cover. He suggested a committee with representatives from the county board providing oversight and guidance for future plans.

“I think we need all ideas on deck,” Nicholson-Bovell said.

“Moving forward, I’ve directed my administration to strengthen our internal system and enhance safeguards for contract management,” Crowley said in a statement. “We will work with the Office of the Comptroller to ensure compliance, improve processes, and increase oversight on contracting protocols. Bottom line, I will do everything in my power to avoid situations like this in the future, so we can focus on building a stronger, healthier, and safer Milwaukee County for all.”