Tuesday, November 13 2007, 10:32
by Steve Schultze
Walker budget vetoes cut $9 million
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker today issued budget vetoes that cut nearly $3 million for parks, $2 million for courts and $1.2 million for alcohol and drug abuse programs.
He also rejected a 4% pay increase for county supervisors, saying it was a last-minute budget addition by the board that gave the public no chance to weigh in. And Walker cut $2 million the board had earmarked for a rainy-day fund and trimmed several other pet programs of supervisors, such as $200,000 for youth athletics.
In all, Walker’s vetoes chop some $9 million in spending from the County Board-passed budget, bringing it back to nearly the same $241 million tax levy figure for 2008 that Walker had initially proposed in September.
In many cases, the cuts Walker made were in areas the board had plugged holes with county property tax levy to make up for reduced state or federal funding. Walker said it was important to hold the line on local increases in those instances.
To “backfill” with property tax levy in those cases would remove leverage the county might have in trying to lobby for restoration of state and federal funding, Walker said.
Walker did not disturb the $3 million in funding for bus and paratransit service added by the board, which restored bus routes that otherwise would have been trimmed and eliminated some fare increases that Walker had proposed. That was possible because of an unexpected extra $3.2 million in state transit aid included in the state budget.
His vetoes shouldn’t be taken as a sign he’s at war with the County Board, Walker said in his veto message.
“I am battling against the reality that Milwaukee County finds itself in a fight to keep businesses and families from leaving because our taxes are too high,” he said.
He pledged to work with Circuit Court Judge Kitty Brennan, the county’s chief judge, and the County Board in lobbying the state to increase court funding. Meanwhile, the $2 million courts funding cut could force trims that Brennan has told Walker and the board are unacceptable.
The County Board will take up the vetoes on Wednesday and needs 13 votes, or a two-thirds majority, to override them.