Take action against Chairman Lipscomb’s budget cuts

Over the summer, hundreds of people attended the budget input sessions I hosted around the County and thousands of people visited our digital platform, Balancing Act, to learn about the County’s budget.

The feedback I heard, which informed my budget proposal, was pretty clear – the community wants to see our County government invest in services that empower people and make our neighborhoods safer. That is why I introduced a budget proposal that maintains transit, puts new resources into combatting the opioid epidemic and ending homelessness, improves quality of life by catching up on deferred maintenance, and protects vital services for some of our most vulnerable residents.

Unfortunately, Chairman Theo Lipscomb has taken the opposite approach. On Oct. 24, without any advance public notice, Chairman Lipscomb introduced his budget proposal that cuts $15 million in services and kicks the can down the road for future generations to pay the bills. Five out of seven supervisors on the Finance and Audit Committee voted in lockstep with the chairman’s steep budget cuts.

The good news is that there’s still time to stop Chairman Lipscomb’s budget cuts from becoming reality. Before voting on the budget in early November, the full County Board of Supervisors will hear from the community at a public hearing this Monday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. at the Marcus Center.

Please attend the hearing and make your voice heard. You can also make your voice heard by contacting the County Board via phone at 414-278-4222 or by contacting your supervisor directly. If you don’t know who your supervisor is click here to find out.

Contrary to what the chairman is saying, $15 million in service cuts will be felt deeply in the community. Public safety will be hit the hardest by these short-sighted budget cuts. The sheriff and House of Correction will suffer nearly one million dollars in cuts. At the height of the opioid epidemic, Chairman Lipscomb is cutting hundreds of thousands of dollars from the district attorney, medical examiner, and office of emergency management.

Social services administered through the Department on Aging and Department of Health and Human Services will be slashed by nearly a million dollars. Parks and the Zoo will be cut by nearly half a million dollars. Economic and community development funds will be cut by a quarter million dollars.

Chairman Lipscomb’s deep budget cuts will hurt the most vulnerable among us, diminish quality of life for our residents, and hamstring the County’s ability to grow and succeed. I hope you’ll make your voice heard by attending the public hearing on Monday, Oct. 30, or contacting your supervisor directly before then. Tell them to vote NO on Chairman Lipscomb’s budget cuts.

Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele