Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley commits to dedicating his tenure to addressing inequities
Alison Dirr
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley laid out his vision for the county Monday, saying he would dedicate his tenure to addressing the gaping inequities in the community.
"As we work to control the virus, keep people safe, and fully re-open our economy, we’re also working to end the racist policies and practices that have held people back and created the underlying conditions for the dramatic racial disparities we see today," Crowley said. "The truth is we face two pandemics: COVID-19 and racism."
During the address, which was livestreamed due to COVID-19 concerns, Crowley said the pandemic has exacerbated long-existing disparities and has hit communities of color harder than white residents.
But, he said, there is hope.
Crowley said it is necessary for the county to focus on what's happening "upstream."
That means, he said, addressing effects of redlining policies that did not allow people of color to live in certain areas of the county and finding solutions to address the Black unemployment rate, close the racial wage and education gaps, and make affordable health care more available and housing security stronger.
"If we work upstream, we can improve these social health determinants for everyone by dismantling racist, ineffective policies of the past, and ultimately improve health outcomes with an equitable distribution of services for everyone in our county," he said, adding that the effects of such an effort would last beyond his tenure as county executive.
Crowley was elected to a four-year term in April.
Milwaukee County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson said in a statement Monday that she supports Crowley's vision and agrees with his plan to focus on "upstream" solutions.
"I'm committed to using the oversight role of the Board to analyze county operations and identify new efficiencies, especially as they relate to dismantling institutional racism and working towards racial equity," she said.
Crowley said his administration would focus on three strategies of creating "intentional inclusion" to ensure that those with power represent the diversity of the county's residents, making it easier to access services that meet residents' various needs and rethinking how resources are spent to ensure that they are going toward root causes.
Generations of racist policies and practices at the county have intentionally and unintentionally disadvantaged certain groups of residents, he said. From access to health care, opportunities for high-paying jobs and access to education, he said governments at all levels have unequally distributed resources.
"It will not be an easy task, but the time is now to correct a system that funds programs and promotes polices that under-serve certain communities," Crowley said.
The county, Crowley said, will lead by example.
Last year, Milwaukee County declared racism a public health crisis. And this year — with Crowley's support before he was sworn in — then-Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele signed a measure that commits the county to achieving racial equity by identifying and eliminating racism in its policies and practices.
Crowley said the county's Office on African American Affairs has provided racial equity training to more than 3,000 county employees.
The county, Crowley said, is also looking at its hiring processes to create more diverse interview panels, getting rid of unnecessary educational requirements that might create barriers for some job applicants and analyzing pay disparities between employees of different races and genders.
He said the county is also making it a priority to resolve health disparities, including working on a "no wrong door" model that would allow residents to access information about all resources available from the Department of Health & Human Services at any of the department's facilities.
The county also wants to advocate for housing and "inclusionary zoning," giving residents access to more neighborhoods where they can live.
Meanwhile, the county is facing a growing structural deficit compounded by the pandemic-induced fiscal crisis.
Nicholson said the county is more unified than in the past, which will be "critical" moving forward.
"I'm optimistic that our intentionality and unity will help us successfully overcome these and other challenges because we are stronger together," she said.
With the 2021 budget around the corner, the projected gap between the county's costs and its revenue next year is estimated at $42.5 million, he said. However, it could be as high as $60 million given the economic and public health unknowns caused by the pandemic.
The solution he pointed to was a 1% sales tax, a measure that local leaders announced last year. Such a change would require state approval, which is anything but assured.
"We are prepared to weather the storm again this year, utilizing our vision of becoming the healthiest county as our guide," he said. "But we are clear-eyed that the only way to achieve our vision, to successfully navigate this crisis, and to continue providing services county residents rely on, is by securing a local, long-term funding solution."
Contact Alison Dirr at 414-224-2383 or adirr@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlisonDirr.