Office of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley
MILWAUKEE – On October 2nd, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley presented his 2025 Recommended Budget to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. This budget continues the County’s track record of sound, responsible budgeting, while building on our progress and keeping in mind the investments needed to provide the level of service residents and families expect.
“We have worked to solve long-standing problems, preserve services, and make the tough choices to put Milwaukee County on a path to financial sustainability. While challenges remain, Milwaukee County has made significant progress in realizing this goal,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in his address to the Milwaukee County Board.
“As we look ahead, I will not ignore fiscal responsibility and sustainability. We simply can’t afford to. Together, we will continue to build on our progress and find common ground so we can deliver services, improve the quality of life of our residents, and protect the future of Milwaukee County for generations to come.”
Guided by the County’s vision and strategic plan, the 2025 Recommended Budget maintains programs and operations that advance the quality of life of every Milwaukee County resident, while keeping property taxes low and avoiding drastic cuts to services. The budget includes a 2.8% property tax levy increase, totaling $8.2 million. However, even with this increase, the tax levy remains lower than 2020 levels and over $20 million lower than projections prior to the passage of Wisconsin Act 12.
Notably, the 2025 Recommended Budget includes a $13 million increase in tax levy spending across the Office of the Sheriff, Community Reintegration Center, and Court Operations, representing an 11% tax levy funding boost. These increases are intended to address rising overtime costs within the Sheriff’s Office, enhance recruitment and retention efforts, and maintain staffing levels in courts and judicial facilities. These are mandated service requirements placed on Milwaukee County by state law that demonstrate the difficult fiscal constraints being placed on future budgets.
Office of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley
“To be clear, state law requires Milwaukee County to carry out these mandated services, and they are impacting our ability to invest back in the community,” continued County Executive Crowley. “While I recognize the importance of the services we deliver on behalf of the state, I would prefer to use our local dollars to invest in local priorities, like affordable housing, mental health services, public transit, safer streets, and our parks.”
Additional highlights in the 2025 Recommended Budget include directing over $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS). This will allow MCTS to maintain current route service levels, help replace the County’s aging bus fleet, and ensure transit security remains throughout the MCTS network. Also, Milwaukee County Parks will receive a total increase of $2.3 million, supported by a $2.7 million revenue increase. Additionally, the Parks budget includes 10 new full-time positions to maintain programs and services throughout the Parks.
The 2025 Recommended Capital Budget mirrors recommendations from the Capital Improvement Committee and includes 54 projects, totaling $110 million in County and external funding sources. A key budget item in the 2025 capital budget is a $6 million investment dedicated for the continued planning and design of a new facility to house courts and other state-mandated services, replacing the outdated and inefficient Public Safety Building. This will be a multi-year project that will seek community input to create a functional and innovative building to address the needs of all who seek to use the services it houses, but investments in planning and funding must continue. The longer these necessary investments are delayed, the more expensive they will become.
Prior to the passage of Wisconsin Act 12 in June 2023, Milwaukee County was facing a projected $109 million structural deficit by the end of 2028. Because of the increased revenue through Wisconsin Act 12, Milwaukee County was able to save critical services and make investments in affordable housing, transit, health and human services, and much more. Milwaukee County now has a dedicated revenue stream so growing pension costs no longer consume the property tax levy, while implementing a solution for the decades-long pension crisis.
However, Milwaukee County knew from the onset that the additional revenue from Act 12 would not resolve all of the county’s current and future fiscal challenges. While Milwaukee County has a drastically improved fiscal outlook – an estimated $73 million improvement in the structural deficit over five years – the County’s track record of smart, responsible budgeting must continue.
“At the end of the day, our vision is steadfast,” said County Executive Crowley. “We will continue preserving resources for our most vulnerable communities. We will continue to make decisions to not only benefit our current reality, but to find solutions for our future generations. And we will continue to dedicate our work and resources toward becoming the healthiest county in the state of Wisconsin.”