Sinking Treasure - Parks in Crisis

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Milwaukee County Parks is tackling a serious funding crisis that jeopardizes the future of the whole system. A 2021 report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, called ‘Sinking Treasure’ outlines the financial challenges facing the Milwaukee County Parks as well as some potential solutions. Learn more about the funding crisis Milwaukee County Parks is facing and the solutions outlined in Wisconsin Policy Forum “Sinking Treasure” report by watching this video.

After watching the video, please share your thoughts on various policy options in the survey at the bottom of this page. The results of the survey will be shared with a stakeholder group composed of County Supervisors and relevant nonprofit representatives. They will be recommending 2-3 policy options and the Wisconsin Policy Forum will then review and explore opportunities of the preferred options in a phase 2 report. We can expect that report in a few months and surely in time for next year’s budget.




What would Milwaukee look like without its parks?

Milwaukee County without its public parks, beaches, golf courses and trails seems unthinkable, right? They're what makes Milwaukee, Milwaukee. But, without urgent action, our parks and trails face an uncertain future.

Parks are deemed ‘non-essential’ by the Wisconsin State legislature, so they’re often bottom of the list when it comes to funding support, and the shrinking funding Milwaukee County receives from the state is putting our parks in peril.

Back in 1989 the budget for parks was around $37m a year -over 30 years on the parks budget is still just $37m. That means the budget hasn't grown since the Gameboy was invented. If the budget had just kept up with inflation, it would be closer to $100m today. Here's the reality of the situation - unless something changes, by 2027 Milwaukee County will not have any local dollars for local priorities, including parks.

A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, called 'Sinking Treasure' outlines the financial challenges facing the Milwaukee County Parks, and investigates possible solutions for long-term funding solutions.

The report highlights county parks as the region’s most pressing area of infrastructure neglect. The report found the county should be spending $39 million annually to repair and replace parks assets based on current needs, but the parks had received an average of only about $9.6 million annually in capital funds during the preceding five years.

These challenges would appear to constitute an urgent call for action. Yet, despite growing public awareness of the problem highlighted by voter approval of a 2008 advisory referendum supporting a dedicated sales tax for the parks, they continue to compete with other county functions for finite property tax revenues and limited borrowing capacity as their unmet operating and capital needs grow.

It now appears that action cannot be delayed any longer. In the spring of 2021, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley warned that if current trends and projections regarding county salaries and fringe benefit costs continue, then there may be no property tax levy available to support the parks by 2027. Such a development likely would necessitate a dismantling of the Milwaukee County park system at a time when open space and recreational resources have been valued more than ever by county residents during the pandemic.

The report begins by reviewing the history of Milwaukee County’s financial support for its parks and reassessing the parks department’s current financial condition and challenges. It then explores funding and governance models used by peer park systems and concludes by summarizing the potential to consider elements of those models for Milwaukee County.

The findings of this report will be considered by parks stakeholders and the public, with an eye toward identifying a handful of specific new partnerships and governance models that merit further analysis as options to help Milwaukee County create a financially sustainable parks system that will meet the needs and expectations of its residents. A subsequent report will flesh out those models so they may be considered by policymakers as part of a long-term vision and plan for the Milwaukee County Parks.

Milwaukee County Parks is tackling a serious funding crisis that jeopardizes the future of the whole system. A 2021 report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, called ‘Sinking Treasure’ outlines the financial challenges facing the Milwaukee County Parks as well as some potential solutions. Learn more about the funding crisis Milwaukee County Parks is facing and the solutions outlined in Wisconsin Policy Forum “Sinking Treasure” report by watching this video.

After watching the video, please share your thoughts on various policy options in the survey at the bottom of this page. The results of the survey will be shared with a stakeholder group composed of County Supervisors and relevant nonprofit representatives. They will be recommending 2-3 policy options and the Wisconsin Policy Forum will then review and explore opportunities of the preferred options in a phase 2 report. We can expect that report in a few months and surely in time for next year’s budget.




What would Milwaukee look like without its parks?

Milwaukee County without its public parks, beaches, golf courses and trails seems unthinkable, right? They're what makes Milwaukee, Milwaukee. But, without urgent action, our parks and trails face an uncertain future.

Parks are deemed ‘non-essential’ by the Wisconsin State legislature, so they’re often bottom of the list when it comes to funding support, and the shrinking funding Milwaukee County receives from the state is putting our parks in peril.

Back in 1989 the budget for parks was around $37m a year -over 30 years on the parks budget is still just $37m. That means the budget hasn't grown since the Gameboy was invented. If the budget had just kept up with inflation, it would be closer to $100m today. Here's the reality of the situation - unless something changes, by 2027 Milwaukee County will not have any local dollars for local priorities, including parks.

A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, called 'Sinking Treasure' outlines the financial challenges facing the Milwaukee County Parks, and investigates possible solutions for long-term funding solutions.

The report highlights county parks as the region’s most pressing area of infrastructure neglect. The report found the county should be spending $39 million annually to repair and replace parks assets based on current needs, but the parks had received an average of only about $9.6 million annually in capital funds during the preceding five years.

These challenges would appear to constitute an urgent call for action. Yet, despite growing public awareness of the problem highlighted by voter approval of a 2008 advisory referendum supporting a dedicated sales tax for the parks, they continue to compete with other county functions for finite property tax revenues and limited borrowing capacity as their unmet operating and capital needs grow.

It now appears that action cannot be delayed any longer. In the spring of 2021, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley warned that if current trends and projections regarding county salaries and fringe benefit costs continue, then there may be no property tax levy available to support the parks by 2027. Such a development likely would necessitate a dismantling of the Milwaukee County park system at a time when open space and recreational resources have been valued more than ever by county residents during the pandemic.

The report begins by reviewing the history of Milwaukee County’s financial support for its parks and reassessing the parks department’s current financial condition and challenges. It then explores funding and governance models used by peer park systems and concludes by summarizing the potential to consider elements of those models for Milwaukee County.

The findings of this report will be considered by parks stakeholders and the public, with an eye toward identifying a handful of specific new partnerships and governance models that merit further analysis as options to help Milwaukee County create a financially sustainable parks system that will meet the needs and expectations of its residents. A subsequent report will flesh out those models so they may be considered by policymakers as part of a long-term vision and plan for the Milwaukee County Parks.

Let us know your thoughts on this project.

Your comments can help shape the future of your parks.

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Page last updated: 07 Sep 2022, 10:13 AM