Milwaukee County officials have committed to resolving their budget shortfall without resorting to service cuts or tax hikes.
The county announced that the deficit for next year will be smaller than initially anticipated, shrinking to just over $7 million from a projected $19 million.
County Executive David Crowley plans to use unspent COVID relief funds and part of the county’s reserves to close the gap.
Some funding will also come from the postponed expansion of MCTS’ rapid bus line.
However, the plan does not address a significant contributor to the county’s financial issues—overtime and staffing shortages in the sheriff’s office.
Milwaukee County hopes an external audit will help address this problem.
