via jsonline.com by Mary Spicuzza
The City of Milwaukee would lose 33 police officer positions and 75 firefighter jobs under the 2018 budget plan, which Mayor Tom Barrett is set to introduce this week.
Barrett's proposed budget, which he will present to the Common Council on Tuesday, also includes a 3.7% property tax levy increase.
"This is not the budget that I want to be introducing," Barrett said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
But it could be worse. Barrett initially warned the city may be forced to cut 84 police officer positions in next year's budget.
"That was unacceptable to us, so we did everything we could to get that number down," Barrett said.
The 75 proposed firefighter position cuts have not changed. Those cuts include five fire rigs being decommissioned, with 15 firefighters per apparatus, Barrett said.
"I would like to lessen that cut," the mayor said. "But I can't because of the restrictions that are placed on us."
The complete story here > City faces police and firefighter cuts, property tax increase in upcoming budget