By Ted Chisholm
Ted Chisholm
As the reform candidate for Milwaukee County Treasurer in the August 13 Democratic primary, I am prepared to enact necessary improvements within the ten-person department responsible for county banking, cash handling, and investment operations and collecting delinquent property taxes for every jurisdiction in the county except the City of Milwaukee. I will modernize the office’s operations, work more proactively with members of our community impacted by delinquent property tax collection, and improve the office’s transparency.
With the Treasurer’s authority over delinquent property tax collection comes the power to take action on properties in tax delinquency. We deserve a Treasurer who will work proactively and compassionately to help homeowners and small business owners struggling with property tax payments to prevent foreclosures. Conversely, the Treasurer is critical in restoring abandoned properties from tax delinquency to the tax base by taking foreclosure action in these circumstances. Meanwhile, the Treasurer’s investments of surplus funds implicate tens of millions of dollars and merit much greater transparency.
Yet we rarely hear about our County Treasurer – a career politician who has held elected office for over 41 years. We do not see meaningful partnerships led by his office and centered on housing equity and the critical cause of expanding homeownership. We do not see readily accessible documentation of the county’s investment portfolio on the Treasurer’s website, in sharp contrast to the practice of the Milwaukee City Treasurer, who makes similar information more accessible. We can’t afford hands-off or inaccessible administration, especially where the management of our hard-earned tax dollars is concerned.
Unlike the incumbent, I will enact the changes needed to serve our community more effectively. As the former Senior Administrator for Management, Finance, and Strategy under Clerk of Circuit Court Anna Maria Hodges, and during my time as chief of staff to former Sheriff Earnell Lucas, I implemented reforms to improve accountability, protect taxpayer dollars, improve financial and budgetary operations, and ensure our community’s trust. I am prepared to do the same in the Treasurer’s Office, applying my experience managing a $42 million budget and overseeing court accounting, purchasing, investment, and contracting functions.
I will designate regional representatives within the office to work proactively with homeowners facing tax delinquency, creatively designing payment plans that meet taxpayers’ ability to pay and prevent property owners from facing foreclosure. At the same time, I will initiate foreclosure proceedings speedily when vacant and abandoned properties fall into delinquency so that they can be restored to the fabric of our neighborhoods. I will ensure that every effort is made to return unclaimed funds to community members owed money by the county and will modernize the office’s technology to ensure that it works reliably and consistently. I will ensure that investments can be easily reviewed on the County Treasurer’s website, will issue updates via the media on earnings, and will ensure both transparency and sound strategy by consulting with an advisory council of experienced investment professionals grounded in our community.
Together, we can restore active, hands-on leadership to the Treasurer’s Office and put the department back to work for the people of Milwaukee County. But first, I need your vote on Tuesday, August 13, so that we can secure the change our community deserves.