Public Records Raise Questions About Transfer of Milwaukee Public Museum Assets Without Recorded Oversight Vote

Milwaukee, WI — January 5, 2026

Public records show that a 2024 Funding & Management Agreement governing the Milwaukee Public Museum includes language assigning “all rights, title, and interest” in the museum’s collections to a successor nonprofit entity, despite long-standing sworn filings stating that Milwaukee County held legal title to those assets.

The agreement replaces the prior Lease & Management Agreement and was executed by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. A review of the public record does not show a separate approval vote by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors for this agreement.

For more than a decade, the museum’s nonprofit operator stated in sworn federal tax filings (Form 990) that Milwaukee County owned the museum’s exhibits and artifacts outright and that the nonprofit merely leased and managed those assets. Those filings explicitly stated that the nonprofit could not record the collections as assets or revenue because it did not own them.

By contrast, the 2024 agreement uses ownership-level language — “assign all rights, title, and interest” — which is typically associated with a transfer of ownership rather than custodial care. The public record does not include an explanation reconciling this language with the County’s previously stated ownership position.

This issue is not about exhibits, programming, or museum design. It is a question of process, authority, and control of publicly funded assets.

Specifically, public records do not clearly answer:

• Whether the agreement was intended to transfer ownership of publicly funded collections
• What authority was relied upon to make that transfer
• Whether County ownership protections and reversion safeguards remain in place
• Whether assets may be sold, exchanged, or disposed of without County approval
• How proceeds from any disposition would be returned to the public

The Milwaukee Public Museum and its collections were built, expanded, and maintained with public funds over generations. Decisions affecting ownership, control, and disposition of those assets are matters of public governance and accountability.

These questions arise directly from the language of binding public contracts and sworn federal filings. If additional records clarify these issues, they should be made publicly available.

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.