Milwaukee City Council Votes to Reduce Firefighters

Milwaukee aldermen Friday backed a smaller reduction in firefighter staffing than Mayor Tom Barrett had advocated.

In one of its most significant changes to the mayor’s 2012 budget, the Common Council voted to keep one firefighting company open for 5-1/2 more months by eliminating one of the new rescue squads Barrett had proposed.

That was part of a $1.42 billion spending plan that will raise property taxes and fees, while investing more in fixing streets, sidewalks and alleys; expanding library services; and shoring up reserves to meet future pension needs.

The council’s version of the budget would boost the property tax levy by 0.5%, from $246.7 million to $248 million, while the tax rate will rise from $9.12 to $9.22 per $1,000 of assessed value. That’s slightly less than the mayor’s proposal, which would have raised the levy to $248.3 million and the tax rate to $9.23.

Together with taxes levied by other government bodies, that would bring the total tax rate on a Milwaukee home to $26.82 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from $26.57 this year, City Comptroller W. Martin “Wally” Morics reported.

Those figures could change, depending on the outcome of Milwaukee County Board action on the county budget Monday; vetoes by Barrett and County Executive Chris Abele; and veto override attempts by aldermen and supervisors.

Barrett’s budget called for sidelining four firefighting vehicles a month on a rotating basis, up from two a month this year, but adding two emergency medical units. Because ladder trucks and pumper engines have four-member crews and rescue squads have two-person crews, each on three shifts, that would be a net cut of 12 firefighters’ jobs by attrition.

But the council supported Ald.

Michael Murphy’s amendment to reduce one of the temporary shutdowns, or “brownouts,” by sacrificing one of the rescue squads. That preserves six firefighters’ jobs for almost half the year.

Ald. Bob Donovan lost, 9-6, in a bid to keep the firefighting company in operation for the entire year, at a cost of $464,657. He warned the brownouts risk public safety.

Barrett said he would discuss the issue with Fire Chief Mark Rohlfing before deciding whether to accept or veto the council action.

On other issues: Fees: The council backed Barrett in increasing the solid waste fee by $3.36, from $168.16 to $171.52; the municipal sewer fee by $3.94, from $78.88 to $82.82; and the storm water fee by $2.84, from $56.90 to $59.74, all per year for the average homeowner. The fee for extra garbage carts will double, from $20 to $40 a year, while extra recycling carts will remain free.

Infrastructure: Aldermen decided to plow more money into fixing local streets, alleys, sidewalks and vacant homes, while delaying remodeling projects for the city attorney’s office and the Police Administration Building. Barrett said he would review those decisions. Libraries: The council agreed with Barrett’s plan to keep most city libraries open longer hours, partly reversing cuts from previous years, and to expand three library educational programs aimed at schoolchildren.

City workers: Aldermen voted to use parking fees to cancel one of four furlough days for city employees.

Barrett said he had reservations about paying wages from the parking fund. He had said the city could cancel all four unpaid days off and end a wage freeze by following a state law calling for workers to pay half the cost of their pensions, but three legal opinions say that law can’t be applied to city pensions.

By contrast, the mayor said he would accept the council’s move to add $2 million from the parking fund to the $25 million he had recommended setting aside for future pension contributions. Trade director: After briefly flirting with the idea of creating a city Department of International Trade, the council instead added an international trade director to the Port of Milwaukee staff.

Ald. Joe Davis Sr. pushed for a new agency, led by a cabinet-level director, paid $94,166 a year, with a secretary and a $10,000 annual travel budget. His colleagues first defeated his amendment, 8-7, then reconsidered and adopted it, 9-6, after realizing they were under the maximum property tax levy allowed by state law. Later, they turned the trade director into a $72,970-a-year job at the port, supported by user fees.

Copyright 2011, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Copyright, 2011, Journal Sentinel, All Rights Reserved.