for August 13th. Reporting from Appleton. I'm Aditi Debnath for
"Here& Now" >> What a swing even with a new
county sales tax increase that helped Milwaukee County see a
budget surplus for the first time in decades in 2024, the
county government is now staring down a nearly $20 million
deficit by the end of the year. What is happening? We turn to
Milwaukee County Supervisor times ahead. And thanks for
being here. >> You're welcome. Vladimir.
>> So there was a surplus. Now you're grappling with projected
deficits. What is happening? >> Well, it's a combination of
things. It's, we have a big deficit in the sheriff's budget
and the overtime that's over. You know, $7 million. And that
number is not going to get smaller. We've not seen, the
projected sales tax revenue come in. I mean, people are not
spending as much as we projecte. So the sales tax projections
that revenue is lower, and then we looking at future the health
care costs, those are on the rise and, and those are things
that are difficult to control, with many departments that are
running, you know, positive. But there's just some areas in the
county budget that are, that are struggling big time right now.
>> So I understand that the sales tax hike was supposed to
generate $82 million in revenue since last July, and then there
was another 7 million that came from the state by way of shared
revenue. How much worse would it have been without that?
>> Well, yeah, that's I mean, we wouldn't be able to start
tackling the pension problems that we had based on, you know,
the scandal back in the early 2000. So we would be in a worse
position without the sales tax. But we still were always looking
at major issues in the next five years. I mean, those numbers
have gotten easier. It'll be easier to deal with or grapple
with, but, they're still going to be challenging, challenging
days and years ahead. >> What is the situation with
the sheriff's department over time? Why why is that happening?
>> Well, we just don't have enough deputies. And they're
they're doing their mandated services, and it's coming at a
cost. Add overtime. The state of Wisconsin ranks 50th out of 50th
in law enforcement spending, so that's not I think a category of
the state should be proud of, so I think that's something that
that Milwaukee County and all counties and municipalities
should be looking at. >> So you're looking to the
state to give you more money to help with that sheriff's
department deficit? >> Well, I think that's one
conversation that needs to take place. I mean, I don't think the
solution is pulling our sheriffs off the highways. I mean, we're
mandated to have them in the courtrooms. You know, we have to
have them in the jails and the House of correction. And so the
solution is not just let's not work them. We have to and these
are officers and these deputies, they don't, want to always be
working all this overtime. It's coming at the expense of their,
you know, personal well-being and their health, you know, so
it's a very difficult situation. But I think the state needs to
step up. >> And what have you heard from
the state legislature as to whether or not that's something
that they would consider doing? >> You know, we haven't had
those conversations, I mean, this was just brought to us, you
know, how dire it is, but it really shouldn't be a shock. I
mean, it took a lot to get the sales tax and to do this whole
shared revenue, plan. And I don't think the county was
treated fairly to begin with. I don't know why we had to tax our
residents an additional, you know, 0.4% when we ship it. They
should have been fixing the shared revenue in a different
manner. I mean, we ship over a half $1 billion more to the
state every year. And when they decide to do this new formula,
they're giving us $8 million and saying, go tax your residents.
Another 80. I think we got really shafted by by the state.
So, you know, we're the economic engine of the state. And, you
know, we are funding things in superior in lacrosse and Oshkosh
and Madison and Middleton and Sun Prairie. And yet, you know,
we have to tax our residents to, to just, you know, can cost to
continue. Basically. >> Are you being heard on that
in Madison? heard or not, but I mean, I
think they look at us at some in the state legislature look at us
as like a giant sucking sound of money being just vacuumed out of
the state coffers, that's how it's been for decades, that kind
of mindset. And then they make, I think, poor decisions as well.
Like, why should the taxpayers be on the hook for Amfam field
when you have an owner, you know, spending money on European
soccer teams, why should the county taxpayers pay $4 million
a year for the Fiserv, when one of the owners sold his share and
made $660 million, so this is these are decisions that the
state has made. There's $6.5 million right there. The state
has taken away from Milwaukee County and put towards, you
know, stadiums for billionaires. We I don't know how far we're
going to get, you know, on, help with the sheriff's department.
>> All right. We leave it there. Supervisor Steve Taylor will be