Mayor Tom Barrett funds disparity study, cuts 5 police positions with vetoes

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is funding a racial disparity study and city worker raises while cutting some police positions and a neighborhood beautification program in budget vetoes he announced Tuesday. 

Barrett agreed to spend some $500,000 on a disparity study, a proposal added by the Common Council when aldermen passed the city's 2018 budget earlier this month, but he used his veto power to change how the study will be funded.  

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Barrett is also blocking a move that would have cut funding for planned city worker salary increases by more than $500,000.

"I included raises for them, because I'm concerned about the growing wage disparity between general city employees and public safety personnel," Barrett said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel.

Barrett also vetoed a pair of items with the intent of asking aldermen to use the money saved to help cover the costs of the disparity study. Those amendments called for adding five police positions late in the year and sought to fund a neighborhood beautification program.

The mayor said he would also delay city worker raises for about a month to cover the remaining costs for the disparity study. That review would examine the extent to which minority- and women-owned businesses participate in contracts with the city when it comes to construction, professional services, and goods and services. 

The mayor's initial budget proposal called for cutting 33 police officer positions and 75 firefighter positions. 

RELATED:City faces police and firefighter cuts, property tax increase in upcoming budget

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Barrett agreed to sign off on a budget amendment that would ease police cuts by paying for five more recruits, or 200 rather than 195 new officers. That means the number of police positions will be cut by 28 rather than 33.

Barrett also used his veto to block additional borrowing aldermen added to the budget. That includes about $150,000 he vetoed for a housing infrastructure preservation fund, which pays for exterior repairs for historic homes owned by the city. Barrett also vetoed some spending on Milwaukee's STRONG Homes Loan Program, but added that his administration is working with several banks interested in partnering with the city to help fund the effort.

"The debt cost we add to the tax levy needs to be stable," Barrett wrote in his veto letter. "Departing from this policy will create much larger future problems."

Barrett also vetoed an amendment that would have cut the salary of the chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals. The mayor said he's instead asking for a review of the position and salary.

"This kind of targeted funding cut is not the kind of government our citizens expect or deserve," Barrett said. "We owe all those who work with or for the city a basic level of fairness and respect."