A Milwaukee County Board committee on community, environment and economic development voted to recommend adoption of a resolution to dissolve the City-County Task Force on Climate and Economic Equity and create the City-County Advisory Board on Climate and Economic Equity, formalizing Milwaukee County’s participation and seeking parity with the City of Milwaukee.

Supervisor Anne O'Connor, who authored the resolution, told the committee she had participated in the earlier task force public hearings and sought a clearer, formal role for the county. "We have added, participation of a county youth commissioner because the city has that. So we're just looking for equal participation from both governmental entities," O'Connor said during committee discussion.

The draft was amended before the final vote to strengthen language and add county representation—specifically a county youth commissioner and county Office of Sustainability participation—so the county and city would have matching seats on the advisory board. The amendment was adopted on a committee roll call, 5 ayes, 0 nos. After public comment, the committee recommended adoption of the amended resolution by a 4-1 vote.

Why it matters: supporters said a joint advisory board will improve coordination on climate goals and help Milwaukee County and the city pursue regional funding opportunities. Public speakers including former task force members and representatives of civic groups urged county participation and thanked the board for the amendment. Linda Frank, a former task force member now on the advisory board, said she supports "active participation by the county in this process." Kat Claus, Climate Action Policy Coordinator for Citizen Action Wisconsin, said regional collaboration can strengthen access to federal and state funding, including programs prioritizing regional partnerships in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Details of the debate and public comment: O'Connor said confusion about the county’s role stemmed from turnover among elected officials and staff changes in the sustainability department, which left the county without a formal resolution enabling participation. Grant Helley, director of the Office of Sustainability, told the committee the office is "a supportive partner" and looked forward to collaborating with the advisory board. Public commenters representing Our Future Milwaukee Coalition, the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County, Citizen Action Wisconsin and the American Lung Association in Wisconsin emphasized public engagement, equity, and health benefits tied to climate action.

Votes and procedure: The committee first adopted an amendment to the resolution (motion recorded on the public record) on a 5-0 roll call. The committee then voted to recommend adoption of the resolution as amended, 4 ayes, 1 no. Roll-call statements on the record show the motion to recommend adoption passed with votes recorded as: "Supervisor Gomez Tom: Aye; Logston: Aye; Shea: Aye; Capriollo: Aye; Mr. Chairman: No." The amendment vote was recorded as 5 ayes, 0 nos (Gomez Tom, Logston, Shea, Capriollo and the chair all voting aye). The committee’s action was recorded as a recommendation for adoption; the item will be forwarded following committee procedure for full-board consideration.

What was added by the amendment: committee discussion and public comment identified two specific changes incorporated in the amendment: 1) explicit inclusion of a county youth commissioner seat to match the city’s youth representation, and 2) inclusion of the county Office of Sustainability among participating county staff. Supporters said those additions were intended to ensure parity with the city and improved public engagement across Milwaukee County, including suburban areas.

Context and next steps: Proponents said formal county participation will help coordinate climate and equity work across municipal boundaries, improve public access to planning processes, and strengthen grant applications. The committee record shows administrative staff as supportive and a public record of letters submitted for the file. The committee’s recommendation sends the amended resolution forward for further action under the county board’s legislative process.