MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County War Memorial Center's leadership team is calling on the county to reverse course on its plans to eliminate operational funding by 2027.
Milwaukee County owns the War Memorial building, but it’s run by a private non-profit.
That charitable organization says if the county stops funding functioning costs sooner than it promised, the War Memorial would have to greatly reduce the programs it offers to tens of thousands of veterans.
The War Memorial Center is a place to honor the fallen and serve the living, but Dan Buttery says many of the services it provides may have to be cut.
"It was a gut punch,” he said. “That came out of nowhere."
The War Memorial’s president and CEO says that gut punch came two months ago when the county informed him it plans to eliminate all operational funding in 2027 rather than its original commitment of 2033.
"We're not just a building, we have programs, we have mental health, we have education programs,” Buttery said. “I have to staff that as a private non-profit."
Buttery says the county currently gives the War Memorial about $500,000 a year to cover 20 percent of the center’s operational costs, from heating and cooling to cleaning and maintenance.
Buttery says his private non-profit is committed to becoming fully self-sufficient, but he says they aren’t prepared for such an aggressive departure from the county.
“Why do you think the county should be paying for part of the operational costs if it is privately operated?” TMJ4 reporter Ben Jordan asked.
"It's still their building,” Buttery replied. “The structure is still owned by Milwaukee County."
The War Memorial is in Milwaukee County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman’s district.
"We don't have money and that's the real problem right now,” Supervisor Wasserman said. “We don't have the money."
He says the county has plenty of other problems that need to be addressed.
"We have problems with our parks, we have $500 million of deferred maintenance, we have a Safety Building that's falling apart,” he said.
Supervisor Wasserman says the War Memorial is in the best shape of any county-owned building with no deferred maintenance.
“We have paid a dear price for that War Memorial and we’re very strongly supportive of it,” he said. "It's an A-rated building and you can't find another building in Milwaukee that's A-rated."
While Supervisor Wasserman says he would love for the county to continue to help pay for the War Memorial’s operational costs for the next decade, he says that can only happen if lawmakers in Madison greatly increase state funding to Milwaukee County.
"Right now we have to stay tuned,” he said.
Veterans in attendance at Monday's Memorial Day Ceremony like Jean Ruka say its programs and future are deserving of continued funding.
"You look around and you see these names — and these are all people who have served with honor, with love and they’ve made a difference in our world," said Ruka. "[The Memorial] is something that we owe to our future generations so that they will continue to remember where their freedoms have originated."
Ruka told TMJ4 that funding shouldn't be reliant on the people the building supports.
"We can’t depend on just the veterans to support it — we need everyone's generosity and dedication to the freedom of our nation. I hope that everyone can somehow find in their hearts to at least come down and witness it; to take part in some of the activities and to view some of the wonderful things that are in the building."
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