2010 budget conclusion

The conclusion of the 2010 budget is that we really only succeeded in delaying the looming crisis just a little longer. By kicking the problem farther up the road, we must again commit ourselves to gaining the dedicated sales tax that voters asked for in last year’s referendum. Until we move away from funding all our county services with the property tax, we will see a continued decline in all the county’s offerings.

Despite my best efforts to stop the decline in transit service, routes were trimmed a little more; the fare will go up another $.25; and the call center will not have as many live operators to answer calls. This is on top of the reduction of service over the last seven years that has resulted in over 40,000 jobs becoming inaccessible by transit, while bus fares nearly doubled. All of this could be reversed if the state grants the dedicated funding that 95 percent of transit systems across the country already have. 

Our amazing park system will again see a severe cut in workers due to Walker’s cuts. As you can tell by a walk through any park bathroom or walkway, our park system has one of the lowest ratios of workers to population in the country. As a result, graffiti has become an even greater problem. Again, if the bill introduced by Sinicki and Richards at the state level should succeed in granting the dedicated funding needed to restore our communities’ finest legacy, we can begin to reverse the downward trend by putting to work our unemployed neighbors who are having trouble in the job market.

The dedicated sales tax (along with the property tax offset) won’t solve every problem but it’s a good start. The Public Policy Forum predicts that if we don’t find a diversified funding source soon, we will have to pare down essential services even more. So while the 2010 budget is done for now, it will require much diligence to prevent the draconian cuts it contains.

Chris Larson is supervisor of Milwaukee County’s 14th District, which encompasses southern parts of Bay View, the airport, and other parts of Milwaukee’s southeast side. He can be reached at chris.larson@milwcnty.com or (414) 278-4252.