Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
Press Release

County Board 2013 Budget Blast: October 23, 2012

The Milwaukee County Board’s Finance & Audit Committee is holding a series of budget hearings throughout October on the County Executive’s 2013 Recommended Budget.

By - Oct 23rd, 2012 06:46 am

Milwaukee – The Milwaukee County Board’s Finance & Audit Committee is holding a series of budget hearings throughout October on the County Executive’s 2013 Recommended Budget. On Tuesday, October 23, Wednesday, October 24 and Thursday, October 25, 2012, the Committee will consider budgets amendments of specific functional areas of the Recommended Budget.

Today, the Committee approved the following:

Health and Human Services

  • Amendment approved 5-4 (No: Schmitt, Romo West, Jursik, Alexander) to restore $397,569 on the tax levy to fund staff positions of Behavioral Health Division’s Community Support Program (CSP) Downtown. The amendment eliminates outsourcing of the CSP Downtown services by a community provider.
  • Amendment approved 9-0 to realign County employee staffing at front desk and mailrooms at the BHD complex. The amendment seeks to maintain safety within the BHD facility in a cost-effective manner.

Parks, Recreation and Culture

  • Amendment approved 9-0 to create one, unpaid position of Crowdfunding Coordinator Intern to be in charge of fundraising via online campaigns, as well as other local campaigns, to develop Parks improvements.
  • Amendment approved 7-2 (No: Haas, Romo West) to prevent Milwaukee County land sales from funding the purchase of new public art. The amendment maintains that land sales funds may only be used to repair or refurbish existing public art owned by Milwaukee County.
  • Amendment approved 9-0 to direct the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture to prepare a request for proposals (RFP) to solicit interest in operating beer garden concessions at various Park locations. Any and all revenues generated from the beer gardens would be placed in the newly created Parks Amenities Matching Fund to fund Parks deferred maintenance.
  • Amendment approved 7-2 (No: Schmitt, Romo West) to provide free admission at the Washington Park Pool for 2013. The amendment also calls for swim lessons and other programming for children and adults at Washington Park Pool.

Capital Improvements

  • Amendment approved 9-0 to create a new Capital Improvements Committee, comprised of the Director of the Department of Transportation, the Fiscal and Budget Administrator, the Comptroller, the chair of the Committee on Transportation, Public Works & Transit, the Co-Chairs of the Committee on Finance, Personnel and Audit and two appointments of the County Executive, who shall be mayors or village presidents of municipalities within Milwaukee County. The Chair of the County Board shall appoint the chair of the Capital Improvements Committee. The amendment also states that the Capital Improvements Committee will develop a five-year capital improvements plan.
  • Amendment approved 9-0 to replace the terminal escalators at General Mitchell International Airport during four years. Four of the five sets of escalators in the terminal mall are original to the construction of the terminal in 1982 and are in need of replacement.
  • Amendment approved 9-0 to direct the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture to work with local disc golf associations within Milwaukee County to explore the feasibility of installing disc golf courses at Holler Park, Copernicus Park and Humboldt Park.

Transportation and Public Works

  • Amendment approved 9-0 to create a Facilities Assessment Team that will provide inspection services to all County-owned facilities and will return to the Committee on Transportation, Public Works and Transit in April 2013 with a report on the progress of strategically downsizing County holdings or a thorough report on alternate recommendations from the Assessment Team, based on their studies.

Click here to access the 2013 budget meeting schedule
Click here to watch live video from the meetings (available while meetings are in progress)
Click here to access the Budget Overview presented by County Board Staff

The County Board of Supervisors, under the leadership of Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, is set to adopt the 2013 Budget on Monday, November 5 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 200 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

he County Board’s Annual Public Hearing on the 2013 Budget is scheduled for Monday, October 29, 2012 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, located at 929 N. Water Street in Milwaukee. The hearing begins at 6:30 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m.

Free parking, including handicapped accessible stalls, will be available in the Marcus Center structure.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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