Frederica Freyberg:

The fortunes of Wisconsin’s most populous city and county dramatically changed this year because of a local government funding deal passed in the state Legislature allowing an increase in the local sales tax in the city and county of Milwaukee. We talked with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley earlier this week for his take on the new reality. County Executive Crowley, thanks very much for joining us.

David Crowley:

Thank you for having me. It’s always a pleasure.

Frederica Freyberg:

So in signing your 2024 budget, you called it a new day for Milwaukee County. How so?

David Crowley:

Well, it is a new day for Milwaukee County, and that is because of our partnership with the city of Milwaukee and the Move Forward MKE Coalition that we were able to secure our local option sales tax. And the reason why this was a historic moment for Milwaukee County is for the past two decades, we’ve been operating within a deficit. And because of the Wisconsin Act 12, for the first time in over two decades, Milwaukee County now has a surplus, giving us the ability to really make investments in our entire community versus looking at what cuts will be least harmful to our community. So it is a new day for Milwaukee.

Frederica Freyberg:

So with this first budget surplus in more than 20 years, what are your priorities?

David Crowley:

Well, we have a lot of different priorities for Milwaukee County. And so really what we’re thinking about is how do we, one, continue to operate where we’re going to reach our mission by achieving racial equity, and becoming the healthiest county in the state of Wisconsin. One of the things that we were able to do was continue to invest into our affordable housing program on top of the $12 million that we invested from our ARPA funds. And this is going to allow us to build more single-family homes in the King Park neighborhood as well, while also breaking ground on our first healthy human service building that’s going to be dedicated to Milwaukee County residents. This has allowed us to make sure we can continue to have our Milwaukee County transit system up and running, making sure that this crucial and viable amenity is there for everyone, while also making sure that we can invest in our Milwaukee Public Parks System. But that’s also to say that this allows us to support our criminal justice system as well, when we think about our courts, our sheriff’s departments and our jails, this allows us really to improve the quality of life.

Frederica Freyberg:

What remain the biggest challenges for Milwaukee County, and how to address those going forward?

David Crowley:

It’s a great question, Frederica. When I think about Milwaukee County’s financial situation, where it is a little bit better, we’re still not out of the woods right now. So yes, we will have a budget surplus for the next two years, but our operations does — will see a deficit moving forward starting in about 2027 or 2026, so it is my goal to continue to build upon the relationships that we’ve created with the state of Wisconsin, as well as the federal government, to bring back resources. But one infrastructure project that I would love to tackle in the next upcoming years is really our public safety building. It over 100 years old, and it is the nerve system of our criminal justice system. So if we don’t want justice deferred, we want to get our criminal justice up and running removing the backlog, it’s going to be one of those critical issues that we tackle in the near future.

Frederica Freyberg:

What does the $500 million Brewers Stadium funding package mean for Milwaukee?

David Crowley:

Well, when we think about the Milwaukee Brewers, one, they are a huge cultural asset right here for southeastern Wisconsin and, quite frankly, the state, but they are also an economic asset. I’m proud that we were able to broker a deal with the state Legislature, with the governor’s office as well that not only protects our taxpayers right here within Milwaukee County but makes sure that we keep the Brewers right here for many years to come. But what’s very unique about this deal is that while we’re able to protect our taxpayers, we were able to get some financial flexibility for Milwaukee County with that directly affects Act 12 that was passed this summer. So over the course of the next 27 years, the Milwaukee County should be able to receive some financial flexibility to the tune of about $229 million, which is dollars that gives us the opportunity to invest back into the community. When we think about the amenities that I mentioned not too long ago, but again, to really improve the quality of life for Milwaukee County residents and our visitors.

Frederica Freyberg:

As you know, the Republican convention promises to bring visibility and an economic boost to Milwaukee. But as a Democrat, will it be difficult to host that Republican message?

David Crowley:

You know, as a Democrat, I would have never thought that I would be a part of the pitch to bring the Republican National Convention right here to Milwaukee. But this isn’t about red or blue when you think about partisan politics. This is really about the dollars that we need to be infused right here in our own community. And so I would say that my job is to make sure that this party goes off without a hitch and everybody has an opportunity to enjoy everything that we have to offer. This is the biggest promotion that we’re going to have outside of the Democratic National Convention or outside of a Bucks championship win. So it is my hope that in the future, that we’ll be able to bring more conferences, bring more things right back to our own community that allows us to really benefit from the economic activity that has been happening throughout the years.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right. County Executive David Crowley, thanks very much.

David Crowley:

Thank you so much. It’s always a pleasure again.