BARRETT ISSUES VETO IN 2010 CITY BUDGET
ACTION WILL REDUCE CITY PROPERTY TAX LEVY

MILWAUKEE Mayor Tom Barrett today sent the 2010 City Budget back to the Common Council with one veto of the Common Council's changes to the proposed 2010 City Budget.

"I want to thank Finance and Personnel Chair Alderman Michael Murphy and Common Council President Willie Hines for working with me through these challenging times",Mayor Barrett said. "Our cooperative efforts have resulted in savings to the taxpayers, an additional police recruit class in 2010, strong public safety departments and the protection of vital city services. It's my hope that the entire Common Council will support the actions I am submitting today".

In the Mayor's 2010 Executive Proposed Budget, all police department personnel were subject to four furlough days. The Mayor and the Finance and Personnel Committee reached agreement on a levy and cost neutral approach to reducing furloughs to two days for sworn personnel. During full Council deliberations, the number of furlough days was reduced to one at a cost of $675,000.

Mayor Barrett has vetoed that provision and has offered a substitute action that will require sworn personnel to take two unpaid furlough days in 2010 and non-sworn personnel to take four days. The substitute amendment will reduce the 2010 property tax levy by $675,000, resulting in a 4.1% levy increase.

"This is a budget of shared sacrifice" Mayor Barrett said."We cut $32 million in operating expenses and eliminated 350 positions. We met our pension obligation without having to borrow and reached a two-year pay freeze agreement with our largest employee union. We are not out of the economic woods yet but we have acted responsibly and set the foundation for the next few years".

A copy of the Mayor’s veto message to the Common Council is attached.