MILWAUKEE — A higher sales tax and lower crime. Milwaukee's future depends on both.
"We were 18 months off from a very unpretty picture. We were facing insolvency. We were facing massive cuts, massive layoffs and no one wanted that to become the new reality for Milwaukee," said State Representative Kalan Haywood.
The Milwaukee Democrat was @TheTable Monday night to talk about Mayor Cavalier Johnson's State of the City speech and the need for the 2% sales tax increase for the city.
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"I do think with this 2% sales tax option, we will have the tools needed to be able to save the city from insolvency, be able to maintain city employees and maintain critical city services and meet our obligations to pay our bills," Haywood said.
Haywood voted for the deal in the state Assembly, calling it neither perfect nor ideal.
The city sales tax increase still faces one more, big hurdle, it needs 10 votes from the 15-member Milwaukee Common Council to move forward. A vote is expected in July.
The sales tax revenue will generate $190 million a year and can only be used to pay Milwaukee’s long-term pension obligations.
"We we were facing a $200 million deficit come January 2025, doing a budget, I don't care who you are, whether it's the private sector or the public sector, having to make $200 million in cuts is unfathomable," Haywood said.
Watch the full conversation in the video at the top of this article.
Charles Benson and Shannon Sims interview key people in our community during TMJ4's @TheTable segment weeknights at 10 p.m.
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