Budget Blasts

From the office of Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Elizabeth Coggs:

The staff of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors hascompleted its initial overview and analysis of the County Executive’s 2009Recommended Budget. Areas of concern expressed at this morning’s Finance &Audit Committee meeting include:

• A total of 339 positions at risk for layoff
• Transferring control of the House of Correction and the Huber Work Release Center to the Sheriff
• Privatization of certain workers at Fleet Management and the Behavioral Health Division
• Contracting out some Economic Support Division operations
• Transferring real estate functions from the Economic and Community Development Division to a new Property Management Division
• Privatizing the operation of General Mitchell International Airport
• Adding parking meters along Lincoln Memorial Drive near the lakefront
• Abolishing full-time Parks Maintenance Worker positions in favor of seasonal and hourly positions.
• No dollars in capital budget for the replacement of Milwaukee County Transit System buses

The County Board’s Finance and Audit Committee, under the leadership ofSupervisor Elizabeth M. Coggs, will consider the entire 2009 budget,including possible amendments to address these and other concerns, throughpublic meetings in Room 203-R of the Milwaukee County Courthouse throughoutthe month of October. The County Board of Supervisors, under the leadershipof Chairman Lee Holloway, will adopt the County’s 2009 budget on Monday,November 10 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 200 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.You can access the 2009 budget meeting schedule below:

http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/CountyBudgetHearings21953.htm

The County Board’s annual Public Hearing on the County Executive’s 2009Recommended Budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, November 3, 2008, at theWashington Park Senior Center.

Also from her office:

On Monday, the Milwaukee County Board’s Finance & AuditCommittee voted to approve the following 2009 Recommended Budgets:

· 7-0 on State Shared Taxes, Power Plant Revenue, Surplus (or Deficit)from Prior Year
· 5-2 (No Mayo, Coggs) on for County Sales Tax Revenue
· 4-3 (No Mayo, Jursik, Coggs) on General County Debt Issue
· 5-2 (No Mayo, West) on Debt Issue Expense
· 7-0 on Department of Aging – Care Management Organization (CMO)
· 7-0 on DHHS-County Health Programs
· 6-0 (Mayo Exc.) Charges to Other County Organization UnitsThe Finance & Audit Committee voted to lay over the following budget items:
· 7-0 Appropriation for Contingencies
· 7-0 Capital Outlay/Depreciation Contra
6-0 (Mayo Exc.) Offset to Internal Service Charges
· 6-1 (No Schmitt) Department on Aging, laid over to get moreinformation
· 6-1 (No Thomas) DHHS-Behavioral Health Division
· 6-0 (Jursik Exc.) Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), laid over to get a report from County Board Staff and the Department ofAudit.

The County Board’s Finance and Audit Committee, under the leadership ofSupervisor Elizabeth M. Coggs, will consider the entire 2009 budget,including possible amendments to address these and other concerns, throughpublic meetings in Room 203-R of the Milwaukee County Courthouse throughoutthe month of October. The County Board of Supervisors, under theleadership of Chairman Lee Holloway, will adopt the County’s 2009 budget onMonday, November 10 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 200 of the Milwaukee CountyCourthouse. You can access the 2009 budget meeting schedule below:

http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/CountyBudgetHearings21953.htm

The County Board’s annual Public Hearing on the County Executive’s 2009Recommended Budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, November 3, 2008, at theWashington Park Senior Center.

Meanwhile, the County Board are angry about the fact that Walker is just raising fees everywhere which will do more to drive people out of Milwaukee County, than even the sales tax would.

So much for Mr. No Tax Raises.