Supervisor Steve Taylor on Milwaukee County's Budget Issues

Frederica Freyberg:
What a swing even with a new county sales tax increase that helped Milwaukee County see a budget surplus for the first time in decades in 2024, the county government is now staring down a nearly $20 million deficit by the end of the year. What is happening? We turn to Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor who warns of tough times ahead. And thanks for being here.

Steve Taylor:
You’re welcome. Glad to be here.

Frederica Freyberg:
So there was a surplus. Now you’re grappling with projected deficits.
What is happening?

Steve Taylor:
Well, it’s a combination of things. It’s — we have a big deficit in the sheriff’s budget and the overtime. That’s over, you know, $7 million and that number is not going to get smaller. We’ve not seen the projected sales tax revenue come in. I mean, people are not spending as much as we projected. So the sales tax projections of that revenue is lower. And then we’re looking at the future of the health care costs. Those are on the rise and, and those are things that are difficult to control. We have many departments that are running, you know, positive, but there’s just some areas in the county budget that are, that are struggling big time right now.

Frederica Freyberg:
So I understand that the sales tax hike was supposed to generate $82 million in revenue since last July, and then there was another $7 million that came from the state by way of shared revenue. How much worse would it have been without that?

Steve Taylor:
Well, yeah, that’s — I mean, we wouldn’t be able to start tackling the pension problems that we had based on, you know, the scandal back in the early 2000s. So we would be in a worse position without the sales tax. But we still were always looking at major issues in the next five years. I mean, those numbers have gotten easier. It’ll be easier to deal with or grapple with, but they’re still going to be challenging, challenging days and years ahead.

Frederica Freyberg:
What is the situation with the sheriff’s department over time? Why is that happening?

Steve Taylor:
Well, we just don’t have enough deputies and they’re doing their mandated services, and it’s coming at a cost at overtime. The state of Wisconsin ranks 50th out of 50 in law enforcement spending. So that’s not, I think, a category the state should be proud of. So I think that’s something that that Milwaukee County and all counties and municipalities should be looking at.

Frederica Freyberg:
So you’re looking to the state to give you more money to help with that sheriff’s department deficit?

Steve Taylor:
Well, I think that’s one conversation that needs to take place. I mean, I don’t think the solution is pulling our sheriffs off the highways. I mean, we’re mandated to have them in the courtrooms. You know, we have to have them in the jails and the house of correction. And so the solution is not just let’s not work them. We have to and these officers and these deputies, they don’t want to always be working all this overtime. It’s coming at the expense of their, you know, personal well-being and their health, you know. So it’s a very difficult situation. But I think the state needs to step up.

Frederica Freyberg:
And what have you heard from the state Legislature as to whether or not that’s something that they would consider doing?

Steve Taylor:
You know, we haven’t had those conversations. I mean, this was just brought to us, you know, how dire it is, but it really shouldn’t be a shock. I mean, it took a lot to get the sales tax and to do this whole shared revenue plan. And I don’t think the county was treated fairly to begin with. I don’t know why we had to tax our residents an additional, you know, 0.4% when we ship — they should have been fixing the shared revenue in a different manner. I mean, we ship over a half $1 billion more to the state every year. And when they decide to do this new formula, they’re giving us $8 million and saying go tax your residents another $80. I think we got really shafted by the state. So, you know, we’re the economic engine of the state. And, you know, we are funding things in Superior, in La Crosse, in Oshkosh and Madison and Middleton and Sun Prairie. And yet, you know, we have to tax our residents to, to just, you know, cost to continue basically.

Frederica Freyberg:
Are you being heard on that in Madison?

Steve Taylor:
I don’t know if we’re being heard or not, but I mean, I think they look at us as — some in the state Legislature look at us as like a giant sucking sound of money being just vacuumed out of the state coffers. That’s how it’s been for decades, that kind of mindset. And then they make, I think, poor decisions as well. Like, why should the taxpayers be on the hook for AmFam Field when you have an owner, you know, spending money on European soccer teams. Why should the county taxpayers pay $4 million a year for the Fiserv, when one of the owners sold his share and made $660 million. So this is — these are decisions that the state has made. There’s $6.5 million right there the state has taken away from Milwaukee County and put towards, you know, stadiums for billionaires.

Frederica Freyberg:
We need —

Steve Taylor:
I don’t know how far we’re going to get, you know, on help with the sheriff’s department.

Frederica Freyberg:
All right. We leave it there. Supervisor Steve Taylor. We’ll be watching this as it develops. Thanks so much.

Steve Taylor:
You’re very welcome. Thank you.