Jobs are the top concern for people all across our region. The accelerated building program included in the 2010 county budget does a great deal to help jumpstart the local economy with a $208.4 million investment in capital projects.
Our Milwaukee County Works program includes support for 100 projects that will provide some 1,000 jobs. Many of these jobs are in areas hit hardest by the global recession - like construction, architecture and engineering.
Instead of just creating new projects, we reviewed our five-year plan and included items set for 2010, 2011 and 2012 in the 2010 budget. This allows us to take advantage of the Build America Bonds that provide lower rates than traditional bonds. Overall, we expect to save up to $3 million in interest payments.
And our plan calls for maintaining our caps on debt. In 2012, the outstanding debt for Milwaukee County will be 28% lower than in 2002.
Remove the accelerated building plan from the budget I proposed and you will find that overall county spending went down by .6 percent. To protect residents and jobs, we controlled spending to hold the line on the property tax levy.
Finally, there was a great deal of talk about "stimulus" money earlier this year. In January, I set out clear criteria for taking any of these funds:
- No local match requirement.
- No ongoing concern.
- No using the funds for operating budgets.
Our Milwaukee County Works program meets that criteria.
The members of the Milwaukee County Board approved the accelerated building plan as part of the 2010 capital budget. Once completed, our Milwaukee County Works plan will provide three-times as many jobs as normal in 2010, lower our interest payments on the bonds by $3 million and reduce our outstanding debt by 28 percent by 2012. This sounds like a financially sound way to truly "stimulate" the economy.
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is a candidate to be governor of Wisconsin.
9 Comments
Mr. Walker,
You forgot to thank the County Board for forcing you to accept the stimulus dollars that you did not want, and for pointing out to you the fact that you did not and do not have the authority to put any conditions on whether the County would pursue the stimulus funding.
Thank you Scott Walker, FINALLY an elected official that gets it! It is not about growing your empire year after year, but rather, doing what's right for the people that elected you and spending their money (taxes) wisely. Smaller government, NOT bigger is what will get this country back on its feet! Hope you will have the chance to do this on the State level. Good luck and Thanks again for doing what is right!
Jaime Maliszewski
RPW,Inc.
It will be a great loss for the Milwaukee County citizens when you are elected as Governor next year, Mr. Walker. However, it will be a great gain for the State of Wisconsin as actions like this one will bring Wisconsin back and create more jobs statewide. Great job!!!
Disgusting how Walker, whose title should be the anti-county executive, knowingly presents unrealistic county budgets every year and then makes the county board do the heavy lifting and responsbile budgeting. And after the county board hacks up and reinvents his budget, he takes credit for the final product. He is irresponsible, and if he does the same damage to the state that he has done to the county (i.e., mental health patients dying on his watch, the privatization of the courthouse janitorial service), it will be a statewide disaster.
The County Board? You're being sarcastic I'm sure. The County Board has become the second largest disgrace in the Midwest. More of an embarrassing joke that your drunken uncle buck tells 5 times a year at family gatherings. They prove over and over they are in it for themselves rather than the people who elected them.
I promise you; the biggest 'Walker for Governor' supporters are the County Board. As soon as Walker moves to Madison; the taxes in Milwaukee will jump BEYOND your imagination.
Good luck Scott, thank god I moved out of Milwaukee to the suburbs. My taxes are nearly in half.
BALANCED BUDGETS are NOT IRRESPONSIBLE!!!! When will the voting public understand that balancing a budget is NOT an option! Wake up people and force the elected to be responsible with our money. Eliminate the gross waste in our public services. We have to do this in private industry all the time. If private industry acted as our public servants we would be put in jail. It is time to hold them to the same standards! Thanks Scott Walker, you have had the strength to do what so many elected official have been afraid to do!
Mr. Johnson, the facts are the facts. Walker went national in saying that he did not want the stimulus dollars. The Board had to enforce the law to keep him from sabotaging the County further by refusing to get the stimulus dollars we would be paying for, whether we used it or not. Now, in the above post, Walker is bragging about the money that he didn't want and wouldn't have met his criteria, even if they meant anything.
Ms. Maliszewski-
This budget is not balanced. Walker's proposed budget had a $32 million (if not more) hole in the middle of it. The Board narrowed down the hole to $20 million. This budget will be in a state of fiscal crisis on Day One. Then overflowing toilets will be the least of our problems.
Chris with a name like yours you should know not to guess gender. Your research into my name explains your view points. I did not say THIS budget was balanced, I simply was stating that most liberals don't care if money is not available they simply want to spend. WE DON'T HAVE IT WE CAN'T SPEND IT. Scott Walker is the only elected official cutting spending. Other talk a good game but no one else is doing it!!!!!!!
I apologize for the gender mistake. I didn't realize I was supposed to research names as well.
But to think that Walker is cutting spending is the most laughable thing I've heard in a long, long time. He increased spending by almost $4 million since taking office. For the 2010 budget, he increased spending by 6% over 2009.
And we are getting less services for our money. You also can't blame that on the union since he's laid off 20% of union workers. So where is all that extra money going?