Abele’s Vetoes Lower Property Taxes, Increase Rainy Day Fund and Strikes a Compromise with Supervisors
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is issuing vetoes to the 2014 Budget that will lower property taxes $1.6 million while adding $2 million to the Debt Service Reserve, the County’s rainy day fund.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is issuing vetoes to the 2014 Budget that will lower property taxes $1.6 million while adding $2 million to the Debt Service Reserve, the County’s rainy day fund.
The $1.6 million tax cut replaces the County Board’s plan to have tax dollars fund flexible savings accounts for themselves and employees. These taxpayer funded accounts are an overly-generous benefit unique to Milwaukee County employees.
“I’m proud that for the second year in a row, my vetoes lower property taxes for Milwaukee County residents. The County Board undid the tax cut last year; I hope they reconsider that approach this year,” Abele said. “These vetoes strengthen the County’s critical reserve fund while improving the services we provide.”
The County Board passed more than 70 changes to County Executive Abele’s Budget. As part of a broad compromise with the Board, Abele signed the majority of the changes.
Abele’s vetoes include cutting three measures passed by the County Board that are illegal.
“As elected officials, we all took an oath of office to uphold the law, I urge Supervisors to sustain these vetoes and send the message to the community that you take that oath seriously,” Abele said.
County Executive Abele will be available to talk about his vetoes to interested members of the press at his office today between 2 – 3pm.
Besides lowering taxes and adding money to the rainy day fund, Abele’s vetoes:
- Restore the ShotSpotter program, a state of the art crime fighting tool that will be used near numerous County Parks.
- Shift $300,000 to high priority Parks projects.
- Eliminate hundreds of thousands of dollars in earmarks.
- Eliminate County Board-imposed hurdles to the mental health transformation, ensuring timely progress towards more robust and safe and effective community based mental health care.
- Streamline efficient government by removing unnecessary reports and red tape.
- Eliminate Board amendments that use one-time funding for ongoing costs.
A full list of the vetoes and veto messages can be found online: http://county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cntyExecutive/Press_Releases/2013/2014BudgetVetoes.pdf
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.
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