Supervisor West Announces 2018 Budget Deliberations

MILWAUKEE – Supervisor Peggy A. West, Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, released a detailed schedule today of committee meetings and public hearings on the 2018 Milwaukee County budget.

The Finance and Audit Committee will meet several times at the Milwaukee County Courthouse during October, and will hold two public hearings in the community to listen to the public.

“County Executive Abele gave us no good options with his 2018 budget proposal. He gave us two bad choices: increase the wheel tax to $60 per vehicle, or reject his entire budget.

The Finance and Audit Committee will meet at 9:00 AM on Monday, October 9 to begin its review of the 2018 budget. At this first meeting, research staff from the Office of the Comptroller will present their overview of the 2018 Recommended Budget.

The Committee will then consider each organizational unit and each capital project in the 2018 Recommended Budget during departmental briefings during the week of October 9.

The Committee will vote on Supervisor budget amendments to the 2018 Recommended Budget on October, 24, 25, and 26.

The Finance and Audit Committee will hold a public hearing outside of the Courthouse at 6:00 PM on Monday, October 16 to listen to Milwaukee County residents.

County Executive Abele’s budget proposal, known as the Recommended Budget, is almost exclusively a revenue budget based on increased taxes and fees with very limited expenditure reductions. Expenditures appear to climb about 5%, well ahead of revenue trend lines.

The centerpiece of Abele’s budget is a $30 increase in the county wheel tax, to $60 per vehicle.

County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr., has asked county department heads to provide Supervisors with additional options for cutting costs and generating new revenue.

In an email to department heads, Lipscomb requested “Recommendations for expenditure reductions that yield net savings totaling 2 percent and 5 percent of tax levy, sales tax, or other flexible revenue sources that minimize the loss of other outside revenue or critical services, as well as suggestions for new revenues beyond what is included in the recommended budget.”

Important Dates for the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors 2018 Budget Deliberations and Adoption of Final Budget

Monday, October 9               Initial meeting of the Finance and Audit Committee for Office of Comptroller presentation of Overview and major changes.

Monday, October 9               Departmental briefings for information on the 2018 Recommended

Tuesday, October 10             Budget are scheduled to start each day at 9 AM, Monday, October

Thursday, October 12           9, Tuesday, October 10, Thursday, October 12, and Friday, October

Friday, October 13                 13. Submission of written testimony is encouraged.

Monday, October 16             Finance and Audit Committee Public Hearing on 2018 Recommended Budget in the community. Location TBA.          

October 24, 25, and 26          Finance and Audit Committee vote on budget amendments prior to the Monday, October 30 public hearing on the 2018 Recommended Budget

Monday, October 30             Morning: Regular Finance and Audit Committee held at 9:00 AM.

Afternoon:  County Board Public Hearing at 6:30 PM on the 2018
Recommended Budget. ADA accommodations will be available.

Tuesday, October 31             Supervisor budget amendments resulting from the County Board’s Oct. 30 public hearing must be submitted by 3:00 PM on Oct. 31 in order to be considered by the Finance and Audit Committee at its Nov. 1 meeting.

Wednesday, November 1     Finance and Audit Committee meeting to consider final budget amendments submitted by Supervisors as a result of the October 30 public hearing. Budget amendments approved by the Committee then will be submitted to the County Board in a single roll-up document, as customary.

Thursday, November 2         Regularly scheduled meeting of the County Board at 9:30 AM.

Monday, November 6           County Board Annual Meeting to adopt the budget starts at 8:30 AM. At this time, the Board will act on the roll-up report of amendments as recommended by Finance; any amendments which failed during the Committee; and new amendments submitted by Supervisors under Suspension of the Rules. The Board then will vote on the total property tax levy and the budget as a whole.

Monday, November 13         The County Board will meet at 1:30 PM to consider any budget vetoes issued by the County Executive.

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.