MILWAUKEE — For the first time in at least two decades, Milwaukee County is projecting a surplus, estimated to be $31.6 million, in the upcoming budget, which County Executive David Crowley credits to the shared revenue deal state lawmakers reached earlier this year.
As part of the overhaul, the county was allowed to raise its local sales tax by 0.4%.
“Today is a new day for Milwaukee County,” Crowley stated during his address Thursday. “That’s because this is a very, very different budget than what has been presented to the County Board in past years.”
Crowley went on to tell county board supervisors that the mission continues to invest in resources that help make the county healthier, all while doing so through a lens of racial equality.
“With this surplus in mind, rather than determining what potential cuts would have been the least harmful, Milwaukee County now has the opportunity to deploy the most beneficial investments for our residents,” Crowley added.
However, Crowley would also be the first to admit that Milwaukee County isn’t out of the woods when it comes to financial challenges.
“Setting this budget is about how do we continue to set the bar for future budgets moving forward,” Crowley explained. “We don’t want to continue to kick the can down the road when it comes to selling the unfunded pension liabilities that we have to pay and our pension obligation bonds, so we’re looking to tackle these things head-on.”
State Rep. Ryan Clancy, D-Milwaukee, who also serves as a county board supervisor, wasn’t in favor of the shared revenue deal made in the Wisconsin Legislature, but with more money headed to the county, he is excited about what those funds could do.
“All that new revenue, the sales tax revenue, is coming out of the pockets of the poor and working class,” Clancy said. “We have to emphasize programs and investments that help those same groups. Otherwise, it’s two steps forward and three steps back.”
With the increase in sales tax revenue, Crowley also said Milwaukee County’s property tax levy can be reduced by more than $20 million.
In 2024, the owner of a median-value house could see their property tax bill drop by more than $100, according to Crowley.