Crowley Vetoes Big Salary Hikes for Elected Officials

County Executive David Crowley at Coggs Center Groundbreaking. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

If the Milwaukee County Board wants to provide a 36% pay increase for three elected officials it will have to override County Executive David Crowley‘s veto.

At its last meeting, the board quickly passed an unprecedented 36% pay raise for the county Treasurer, Register of Deeds and Clerk. All three are partisan, elected offices currently paying $91,483.

The raise approved by supervisors includes a large salary bump in 2025, then annual 2% raises until the three positions are collecting what amounts to a $33,000 raise by 2028. Such a raise for elected officials is unprecedented in recent county history, and it comes after decades where county policymakers — including the county board — have repeatedly questioned the very purpose of these three elected officers.

The county executive’s administration initially proposed a 11.5% raise for these offices, which Crowley still supports. In a letter explaining his veto, Crowley noted that this initial proposal was already “one of the largest percentage increases” for constitutional officers in many years.

His veto, Crowley said, “stems from the amendment adopted by the County Board that increases these salaries by an even larger, unprecedented, and irresponsible dollar amount.”

In early March, at a meeting of the board’s Personnel Committee, Sup. Tony Staskunas introduced an amendment increasing the raises, bringing it to the 36% increase, or $124,513 annually, by 2028. It received the unanimous support from the committee, and near unanimous support from the board. Sup. Sheldon Wasserman was the lone supervisor on the board to vote against the raise.

“By comparison, this percentage salary increase is nine times more than the percentage salary increase the County Board approved for the Comptroller just a few months ago,” Crowley wrote in his veto message. “In total, the County Board’s amended resolution would increase salary costs (excluding social security expenses) by more than $226,000 over the four year term, when compared to the original proposal.”

Salary increases this aggressive should be reserved for positions that are competitive and challenging to recruit for, the county executive said. The county has never lacked politicians willing to run for elected offices that already pay nearly six-figures, as Urban Milwaukee has reported.

All three current officers — Treasurer David Cullen, Register of Deeds Israel Ramón and County Clerk George L. Christenson — are up for re-election. So far, only Cullen faces a challenger in Ted Chisholm, a former senior staffer in the Clerk of Court’s Office and former chief of staff to then sheriff Earnell Lucas. Chisholm told Urban Milwaukee he would not accept the raise if elected.

No other county employees, except those represented by public safety and law enforcement unions, receive annual set percentage salary increases. Additionally, elected officers are not subject to performance reviews, which all other department heads and employees in line for raises are, Crowley wrote.

“At a time when our financial challenges are not resolved and budget deficits are looming in the near future, we need to promote fiscal responsibility and thoughtful spending at every turn,” Crowley said. “We also must maintain our commitment to equity at all levels of County government.”

Crowley urged the county board to take the raises back up and instead approve the additional 11.5% increase.