[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6515281,"mediaKeyId","4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06","parentId",4789556,"title","Milwaukee County transit officials flag rising parts, overtime and paratransit costs; MCTS may cut service","audioSeconds",930,"startMs",62000,"endMs",992000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06&start=62&end=992","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06/thumbnail_62000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6515281/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Milwaukee-County-transit-officials-flag-rising-parts-overtime-and-paratransit-costs-MCTS-may-cut-service","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515281-a3a978542fa5627e92239f12037ac404/orig.mp4?Expires=1770412608&Signature=oFmNQXtr7SdauTj6JPE5IlygBEaCC5b1T~CRIw8SODIbhnWBA~iGkKpItZMWEns~BNAdTqwyN3XqGRTjF9o4WJYoNkkFtgmOdtcewUOKof-9fkm-yTzK-jwaeP3yH17T8zU-ZRyon6w4T1ePj5BPccyXqU1wMxBSw10ocWPw1kuqTGNzn~DTzXyq263mfYWXkMPZY8o2mU95fxmfpvp8WpWeLGDrmfCOO2pDnTpuC8eOQjApGz7tWWYeRIVnnt6foeTkXWsXc0GsydkcotORaCvEG~mkQlWChCcctak6FoiqPpe43kDUrMJ46U4IULa~uO4Uko9FV4~gbvO7t0E0eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Milwaukee County","date","2025-06-18T00:00:00Z","article","Milwaukee County officials told the Finance Committee on June 18 that Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is facing cost pressures that could lead to service reductions unless the county and transit leadership can mitigate rising expenses.

Lede: CJ Paul, financial services director for the Office of the Comptroller, presented the county’s fiscal report through April 2025 and said the county overall remains close to break even; MCTS leadership then briefed supervisors on three operational cost drivers that could produce a multi‑million-dollar deficit for 2025.

Why it matters: MCTS provides daily public transportation for thousands of residents; sustained service reductions or route cuts would affect riders who depend on transit for work, medical appointments and other daily needs.

Details from MCTS leadership: MCTS Director Brown Martin told the committee the transit system is seeing three main cost pressures: (1) sharply rising prices for parts and commodities — which staff linked in part to tariffs and supply-cost fluctuations over the past several months; (2) higher overtime costs for mechanics and other staff, which Martin said are tied in part to contract bargaining and the seasonal timing of negotiating and staffing decisions; and (3) increasing costs for contracted paratransit service (Transdev), where MCTS leaders said performance problems have driven higher payments and additional legal and contract-management expenses. County staff cautioned that the total exposure was still being quantified and said the committee would receive a fuller report in the July cycle with sales tax data and investment-earnings projections.

Numbers discussed: At the meeting supervisors and staff referenced an estimate in recent public materials of roughly $10.9 million in potential MCTS deficit exposure; Martin and county staff said that figure remained unverified in committee and that a precise number would be in the next report.

Supervisors’ response: Several supervisors said they were disappointed that the board and relevant committees had not been told earlier, citing a county ordinance that requires notification for deficits above $100,000. Supervisors requested a timeline showing when different cost pressures were discovered, and reiterated requests for MCTS and county administration to brief the Transportation and Finance committees before public announcements of service changes.

County comptroller comment: CJ Paul told the committee the county’s overall fiscal position had “as of now, we continue to hover around to break even for the county as a whole,” and staff said additional sales tax and investment-earnings data will be included in the July fiscal report.

Next steps: County and MCTS staff said they will provide a detailed July report that breaks out commodity, overtime and paratransit impacts, and that the Transportation and Finance committees will receive that data prior to any final decisions on service reductions.

Ending: Committee members asked for transparent timelines and numbers before any public service reductions; MCTS leadership acknowledged the urgency but said more precise figures and recommendations will be delivered to the board during the July reporting cycle.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Milwaukee County - Committee on Finance on 2025-06-18 9:00 AM - HYBRID MEETINGThis meeting will be held in Room 203-R, and will be live-streamed on the County Legislative Information Center: https://milwaukeecounty.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx - Jun 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","CJ Paul, financial services director for the county comptroller, presented the fiscal report and MCTS leadership told supervisors rising commodity prices, mechanics’ overtime and increasing paratransit costs could combine to create a multi‑million-dollar shortfall that may require service reductions.","taxTitle","Milwaukee County, Wisconsin","taxId",2736,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6515285,"Milwaukee County committee deadlocks over McGovern Park redevelopment with senior center and affordable housing",2659,6732000,9391000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06&start=6732&end=9391","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06/thumbnail_6732000.jpg","/articles/6515285/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Milwaukee-County-committee-deadlocks-over-McGovern-Park-redevelopment-with-senior-center-and-affordable-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515285-70b09991963ccbc9ec90efa3e77203e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770412608&Signature=lCNsrHCiK7EODBxvqyuNSOOQ~sE6FSUaYuwPuWyIzEPsmVv2eqKxpO7PvGG--CBcZUHuNezCPA3xR3ccS7K~qJdBdlMaemnImCOfY5vhAzjh7qsmyJlu4KU1Ipw~O4Rk6491OtHw1bBeNvT963fKQIbZNyo9-zPKQP1zfUIl9g4pomvf4aqrADSHBb8ihHWJpYOzrZ8XsFVb-VFzydb5DuTAw1pw2T~Ud-EZr8D1B~9Gl9FTfF2SlH1vjl8YkU8UvUNBgdbyT-3ym3YUBL-j9d90EceYPC4VrRdxUTxLjFHIcGV2dh35AKTmC27fOmdctx6GHE6VApdLRjoo5THZ9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Milwaukee County supervisors and department leaders presented and debated a proposal on June 18 to redevelop McGovern Park’s senior center site with a mixed-use building that would house a new, modern senior center and affordable senior apartments developed by Jewish Family Services (JFS). The Finance Committee vote on the proposal ended in a 3–3 tie, meaning the file will go to the full County Board without a committee recommendation.

Why it matters: County leaders said the existing McGovern Senior Center is deteriorating and that rebuilding it without outside capital is not feasible. Supporters said the project leverages federal tax-credit financing and a congressional earmark to deliver a new senior center and dozens of affordable apartments for older adults with minimal direct county construction cost; opponents said the proposal would inappropriately put housing inside parkland and urged alternatives.

County executive and department case: County Executive David Crowley and officials from Milwaukee County Parks, the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) framed the plan as a response to a long-running capital backlog and to urgent housing needs for aging residents. Crowley said the project “really reflects the hearts of our strategic plan for Milwaukee County,” arguing it would advance equity, public health, and long-term fiscal sustainability by combining a publicly controlled ground lease with outside capital. County staff showed planning data that the senior center needs at least $1.75 million just to keep the existing building usable and said countywide deferred capital needs exceed $1.1 billion.

Project design and partnership: Milwaukee County officials said they ran a request-for-qualifications process and unanimously selected Jewish Family Services as the preferred nonprofit developer. Under the term sheet presented to supervisors, the county would keep ownership of the land and grant a long-term ground lease (initial 60-year term with potential extensions up to 99 years) to JFS; JFS would finance, build, operate, and maintain the building. County staff described a conceptual plan placing a single building within a 5.5-acre corner of McGovern Park, preserving most park open space and opening up access to a lagoon blocked by the current building. Staff said the existing senior center occupies roughly 13,000 square feet with about 9,000 square feet of usable interior space and that the proposed plan would expand available senior-center programming space.

Financing and schedule: Officials told the committee they plan to leverage Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and other outside sources. The administration identified a potential $2 million congressional appropriation that could be used on the project and said JFS would bring additional fundraising and private investment. Staff said the LIHTC application cycle requires a project application by December 2025, with potential tax-credit awards in May 2026, design and zoning to follow, a construction start in 2027, and an anticipated opening in 2028 if all approvals and financing align. County staff also said the county may need to commit $4–$5 million by December 2025 to make the financing viable for the LIHTC round.

Community engagement and objections: County staff and the Office of Equity described multiple rounds of listening sessions and door-to-door outreach. Staff reported that early engagement involved hundreds of people, with mixed results: some outreach respondents supported a new center, others opposed any housing in the park. More than 20 public commenters spoke during the committee meeting; several longtime park users and neighborhood residents said they opposed placing housing in parkland or said they had not been adequately informed. Advocates and some members of the County’s Commission on Aging spoke in favor, saying the existing building cannot meet contemporary needs and that combining a new center with affordable senior housing is the only financially viable option at scale.

Design, park protections and operations: Parks officials said the ground lease term sheet would require JFS to replace any impacted trees, preserve park amenities outside the development footprint, and provide county oversight of building design and maintenance. A future building lease would specify the senior-center space, and Parks said the project would not involve sale of parkland. The term sheet calls for performance standards and maintenance responsibilities to shift largely to the developer/owner.

Outstanding issues: Supervisors and public commenters repeatedly asked for clearer details on (1) the project’s final financing plan and exact gap amounts; (2) security, parking and enforcement for overnight resident parking; (3) who qualifies for the affordable units and the visitor/overnight rules; (4) a timeline showing when county officials first learned of project milestone changes; and (5) whether alternatives outside parkland had been fully exhausted. County staff acknowledged outstanding gaps: they said additional local approvals, municipal zoning actions, a county financial commitment late in 2025, and state/local coordination would be needed before construction.

Committee action and next steps: A motion to recommend adoption of the term sheet failed in a 3–3 tie in the Finance Committee. The committee’s chair announced the resulting no-recommendation will send the file to the full County Board for consideration. County staff said they will continue outreach, share project timelines and financing details with supervisors, and return with zoning, fundraising, and design updates if the Board approves the term sheet.

Ending: The proposal exposed a central trade-off for supervisors: a path to build a larger, modern senior center at near-zero county construction cost versus the political and preservation costs of placing affordable housing within park boundaries. The County Board will take the final vote on the redevelopment plan at a later meeting.

","A contentious plan to replace the aging McGovern Park Senior Center with a mixed-use development led by Jewish Family Services — combining a new senior center and affordable housing for older adults — produced a 3–3 tie in the Finance Committee and will move to the full County Board with no committee recommendation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6515271,"Votes at a glance: Finance Committee actions, June 18, 2025",8343,968000,9311000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06&start=968&end=9311","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06/thumbnail_968000.jpg","/articles/6515271/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Votes-at-a-glance-Finance-Committee-actions-June-18-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515271-e8491955975750b541f80e08eb878320/orig.mp4?Expires=1770412608&Signature=DvQEOt1Jz-FVpamYvUhrW~RPQJKWjX~kbki23hxaGdZflQWdBzkWZnbAyhKfoDXbagCIMTqUOWbrmnpPBC7KW~39j0jX2XPpnxiHbjV-WOhq5EfKOeWEv8Qph3sIHKGQYu2e5bAtmBbOy305mkqK0y46W2o6L76Zst-suVnQ6~WzqOQM20wVk-b1BM9nY92C6V~vBhbOhsLC20sj-~jK8-58rKsijOEKmzXXxVRh4mJq0dxtzmCaju0KbpZZID6bZLPpwDq2j2fC3p5dStsY1q0GeHYHCAQlVPdokbyBQQUUYyrPuA23sccZ1rAsnfNMK5Vol7XTKc1EfRrK4XWnmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Below are the formal motions and recorded outcomes from the Finance Committee meeting on June 18, 2025. Motions are reported using the language captured in committee roll-call records; vote tallies and outcomes are included where recorded.

1) Item 15 — Fiscal report through April 2025
Motion: “On the motion by supervisor Rowland, that item 15 be recommended to be received and placed on file.”
Outcome: Motion approved. Recorded tally: 5 yes, 0 no. (Roll-call recorded yes votes for supervisors Rowland, Martinez, Balinski, O’Connor and the committee chair.)

2) Item 16 — Authorization to extend Foster & Foster OPEB actuarial contract (passive review)
Motion: Passive review; no committee action required. (Informational / passive review.)

3) Item 3 — Ground lease term sheet with Jewish Family Services (McGovern Park redevelopment)
Motion: Motion to recommend adoption (mover: Supervisor Johnson Jr.).
Outcome: Failed in committee due to a 3–3 tie. Committee recorded no recommendation; file will be forwarded to the full County Board for final action.

4) Item 1 — Reappointment of Aaron Hertzberg as Director, Department of Administrative Services
Motion: Move to confirm appointment.
Outcome: Motion approved. Recorded tally: 6 yes, 0 no.

5) Item 7 — Authorization to apply for and accept Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funds
Motion: Authorize application for and acceptance of SS4A implementation funding.
Outcome: Motion approved. Recorded tally: 6 yes, 0 no.

6) Item 11 — Accept Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize funds
Motion: Authorize the county to accept and administer $250,000 prize funds and distribute to specified county and partner uses.
Outcome: Motion approved. Recorded tally: 5 yes, 0 no.

7) Item 12 — Appropriation transfer packet, June 2025 cycle
Motion: Approve the appropriation transfers included in the June 2025 packet.
Outcome: Motion approved. Recorded tally: 5 yes, 0 no.

8) Item 13 — Reallocate lapsed capital project funds to debt service and projects
Motion: Approve allocation and administrative transfers to reallocate approximately $371,368 to cover debt service and project shortfalls.
Outcome: Motion approved. Recorded tally: 5 yes, 0 no.

9) Item 14 — Contract notifications report (receive and place on file)
Motion: Receive and place on file.
Outcome: Motion approved. Recorded tally: 5 yes, 0 no.

Notes on vote recording: The committee recorded several roll calls by supervisor name for approved items; for the McGovern redevelopment item the committee recorded a tie (3–3) and the chair indicated the file will proceed to the County Board with no committee recommendation. Where specific individual roll-call votes were not unambiguously recorded in the transcript, this summary reports the recorded total tally and the documented outcome.","Key formal actions and roll-call outcomes recorded by the Milwaukee County Finance Committee on June 18, 2025, including a tie on the McGovern Park redevelopment that sends the file to the full County Board with no committee recommendation.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6515276,"Sheriff says $7.1M operating deficit, $8.7M overtime shortfall driven by staffing gaps and wage inflation; FMLA use flagged as a factor",1895,12120000,14015000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06&start=12120&end=14015","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4789556-53ec885d898131aebd63e2770f66da06/thumbnail_12120000.jpg","/articles/6515276/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Sheriff-says-71M-operating-deficit-87M-overtime-shortfall-driven-by-staffing-gaps-and-wage-inflation-FMLA-use-flagged-as-a-factor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515276-546402fb5ec1194ec0e0a218c731f593/orig.mp4?Expires=1770412608&Signature=KN32PFQeMC4cwDmimO48v5d-Q5fKMHMVJyMo8bGgy3H0yZof4CNKsdf4JBd1HARKX~-LiBJaqsHX6CC4VVSa1pvOpYjsUMq7dnMV1PGA-TkFuJYpnJOwGniNmG6s872gVANcUvgnyli3aJvBIBHpLCjpW-JB0OJDh1MduzDJii2dXJaglD8DFEkPgf5CoImVw0B-hZ0h40ZQQaaOjtOav4nb4Sx0WvkJnCarmYeynvBfcgZxkcPejPtfdM3S6dN6t3wBz1ebpJVjLmCp-VmUu2eU-eERyy9P1HGekXEBV~xv0Bb4J2BypV8G9KOOfYmrBtcYuarjlFY-plyAaSi0GQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Milwaukee County Sheriff Danita Ball told the Finance Committee on June 18 that the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) projects a $7.1 million operating deficit for 2025 and an $8.7 million overtime shortfall, and she described steps the agency is taking to reduce the gap.

Lede: Sheriff Ball and her command staff said the principal drivers are staffing vacancies and turnover, increases in deputy and corrections-officer wages since 2016, and a high volume of employee call-ins and FMLA use that require costly overtime backfills.

Key figures and drivers: The sheriff’s office described a projected $7.1 million operating deficit and an $8.7 million overtime deficit for 2025. Staff pointed to wage growth since 2016 — they cited roughly a 47.1% increase for deputy wages and a 73.8% increase for corrections-officer starting pay — and said the overtime allocation in the budget has not kept pace with salary increases and the current pattern of vacancies.

FMLA and call-in volumes: Officials told the committee that sick-leave and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) use has placed additional pressure on coverage. The sheriff’s office said that in one recent weekend there were 116 call-ins across three shifts and that 97 of them were associated with FMLA. The sheriff and chief deputies said the volume of unscheduled absences increases the need for overtime to maintain required staffing levels.

Mitigation steps reported: The sheriff outlined recruitment and retention measures including a recently graduated deputy recruit class (11 graduates), the start of a new recruit class with 26 trainees, two incoming lateral deputy hires, expanded advertising and a recruiting event at UWM. The office said it eliminated mandatory court overtime for certain positions and is seeking to increase the number of hourly bailiffs and other flex positions. Sheriff’s staff also said they are working with the county executive’s office and human resources to examine retention and FMLA-management strategies; the sheriff said a centralized investigator and additional HR resources to review FMLA use were discussed with the executive office.

Supervisors’ reaction and next steps: Supervisors pressed for more information about whether FMLA is being misused and asked whether extra investigative or audit resources should be authorized. County leaders said any broader investigation of misuse would require county-level policy and that some remedies may require contractual negotiations or changes to HR management systems. The sheriff’s office said it will continue aggressive hiring, pursue lateral hires, and return to supervisors with additional data.

Ending: The sheriff framed the deficit as a persistent operational challenge rooted in recruitment, retention and rising wage costs; supervisors urged faster progress on hiring and stronger controls on unscheduled absences to limit overtime spending.","Milwaukee County Sheriff Danita Ball told the Finance Committee the sheriff’s office expects a $7.1 million operating shortfall in 2025 and an $8.7 million overtime deficit. Officials cited long-term staffing shortages, wage increases and high rates of FMLA/sick-call usage as drivers; the office described recruitment and training steps underway.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Milwaukee County transit officials flag rising parts, overtime and paratransit costs; MCTS may cut service

Milwaukee County committee deadlocks over McGovern Park redevelopment with senior center and affordable housing

Votes at a glance: Finance Committee actions, June 18, 2025

Sheriff says $7.1M operating deficit, $8.7M overtime shortfall driven by staffing gaps and wage inflation; FMLA use flagged as a factor