City of Milwaukee Stalling on Inevitable Fiscal Crisis
The Policy Forum report notes that Milwaukee is facing a fiscal cliff due to stagnant revenues and a ballooning pension payment.
If it weren’t for federal dollars, Milwaukee’s bad 2023 budget would be much worse.
A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum makes the case that Milwaukee is simply postponing an inevitable fiscal crisis for another year or so with Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s latest spending proposal.
The mayor is pushing a $1.7 billion spending plan that would raise taxes as well as make cuts to city services and Milwaukee’s head count.
The Policy Forum’s report states that Milwaukee’s left-over American Rescue Plan money is giving the city a “reprieve” from making deep cuts.
“Johnson’s 2023 budget proposal would tap $81.1 million of the city’s total $394.2 million allotment of ARPA funds. Nearly all would go toward operational costs within the Milwaukee Fire Department, supporting 470 sworn fire department positions,” the report explained. “Once the federal fund