New Report Highlights Milwaukee’s Police Pension Problem

African American Roundtable Report Digs Deep into City’s Financial Future

MILWAUKEE—Today, the African American Roundtable (AART) released a bold report highlighting a grim financial future for Milwaukee due to police pension obligations.

Milwaukee Police Pension Impacts in FY2023 and Beyond takes a deeper look at how the planned increase in the city’s police pension obligation in 2023 and beyond will negatively affect all other city departments and functions. It examines four plausible scenarios the city can choose to solve this problem without raising additional revenue. 

“We think it’s about time that the people of Milwaukee know what’s going on,” said Devin Anderson, coalition and membership manager for AART and one of the report’s authors. “Milwaukee is in trouble, and this report is sounding the alarm.”

“We’ve organized for defunding the police since 2019, and this report proves why we must do this now,” said Markasa Tucker-Harris, AART’s executive director and one of the report’s authors. “It’s time to get serious about funding our communities and putting much-needed resources in the hands of the people.”

AART will be going live on its Facebook page at 1 p.m. CT to discuss key components of the report and speak to the importance of releasing it during these times of uncertainty.

The report was written with support of Jared Knowles of Civilytics Consulting. Anderson, Tucker-Harris and Knowles are available for comment.