Milwaukee County Board Advances Budget Amendments to Strengthen Transit, Health, Housing, and Family Well-Being While Reducing the Tax Levy

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted (17-1) to adopt the amended 2026 County Budget. The budget reflects the County’s commitment to investing in residents’ health, housing, and well-being, while responsibly managing taxpayer resources. Chairwoman Nicholson shared the following statement:

“The Milwaukee County Board’s budget responds to the hundreds of residents who joined us at the Mitchell Park Domes for the public hearing on this year’s budget. I’m thankful for the Finance Committee and my colleagues from across the Board for their collaboration, and to the citizens who made their voices heard. Together, we are advancing a community-centered budget and shaping the future of our County.”

“This budget hasn’t been easy but we are standing up for families, workers, and neighbors across Milwaukee County by investing in services like the Birth to Three program, a federally required program that provides critical early intervention services for children with disabilities or developmental delays, Right to Counsel that supports families’ ability to stay in their homes, and Market Match that helps residents access fresh, affordable food. We’re also securing County employee families’ fair and affordable access to health coverage by removing the spousal surcharge, we’re backing emergency housing assistance for MATC students through the Fast Fund, and restoring nearly $5 million in funding to strengthen our transit and paratransit systems while requiring MCDOT and MCTS to present strategies in December to sustain and improve service.”

The 2026 Adopted Budget reduces the property tax levy increase from 4.1% to 3.5%, $1,739,168 less than the originally recommended budget.

The Amended Budget has now been sent to the desk of the County Executive for approval. If the County Executive issues any vetoes, the Board will convene at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2025, to consider them.

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.