Small shared revenue increase dies in party-line vote
Statement of Alderman Cavalier Johnson May 13, 2019
Last week, the Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee voted 11-4 along party lines to reject the 2% ($15 million) increase in shared revenue funding that was recommended by Governor Evers.
The JFC vote was consistent with how the Legislature has treated shared revenue during the last eight years.
Also important to note:
- Since 2000, the program on the municipal side has been cut by $94 million.
- Funding for shared revenue program is 20% less today than in 2003.
Since 2011, local government revenues (state aid plus property taxes) have not kept up with inflation – a disturbing trend to be sure.
But state shared revenue allows Milwaukee to control property taxes and retain critical services, and as an elected member of the Common Council it is galling to see money sent to Madison from Milwaukee (in the form of taxes) not being equitably returned as it should be.
The State is shirking its responsibility to Milwaukee and other state municipalities by not fairly distributing revenue as part of the State Shared Revenue Program, which prohibits local governments from developing other revenue streams through various non-property taxes.
While the City of Milwaukee has kept its end of the State Shared Revenue program bargain for a century, the State has not
I applaud Governor Evers for proposing the very reasonable 2% increase in shared revenue and I thank the Democratic members of the JFC for voting in favor of it.
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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