2017 Budget Talk Cut Short – Misses the Mark on Respect for Taxpayers

(MILWAUKEE, WI) – The Milwaukee County Board assembled today to formally receive the County Executive’s 2017 proposed budget and ask questions in order to understand his goals for the County.

Supervisor Deanna Alexander was shocked to hear the Executive rationalize a new $60 per car wheel tax by defining “fiscal conservatism” as the action of ensuring that when people are taxed more, they receive more government services.

“This is appalling big-government talk! Budget proposals are not responsible just because they propose spending that matches the tax increase. At the most basic level, fiscal conservatism is preferring spending cuts to tax increases, far from what we’re seeing for 2017,” Alexander said

Several Supervisors had taken time off of work with their full-time employers to be available for the special meeting. They were surprised and frustrated when after just one hour, the County Executive cut the meeting short, refused to further publicly answer questions on the budget, and excused himself to allegedly attend a meeting with state lawmakers.

“The County Board has the great responsibility of looking for ways to save Milwaukee County drivers from a hefty and burdensome wheel tax in 2017. I sincerely could not believe that the Executive would leave the conversation early, if I had not witnessed it with my own eyes.” said Alexander.

Supervisor Alexander has publicly released the question she had prepared to ask the County Executive:

“Mr. Executive, you have allowed Milwaukee County residents to be pushed into a hefty and burdensome wheel tax, a new wheel tax that will charge every Milwaukee County driver an additional $60 per year. This, coupled with the City of Milwaukee wheel tax will actually amount to more than what the State charges, and the State at least registers vehicles and provides license plates in return for its fees. This new tax will also have the greatest negative effect on residents with low incomes and few assets, who can barely afford to drive a car, much less to subsidize others’ bus rides.

Prior to resigning Milwaukee County drivers to that fate, which government expenses did you cut or eliminate from 2016 to 2017 to ensure that we could all look taxpayers in the eye and confidently tell them that we’ve done the best we could to make ends meet?”

Supervisor Alexander holds fiscally conservative viewpoints on behalf of her constituents and opposes the wheel tax. She strongly encourages all County residents to contact their elected officials to share their views on the wheel tax and to attend the Milwaukee County Board’s annual public budget hearing on Monday, October 31, 2016, at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. in Milwaukee. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.