4 Running For Milwaukee County Executive: Guide To The Candidates

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WI — After nine years in the seat, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele announced that he was not seeking re-election in Spring 2020.

Four suitors are running to replace Abele, and voters in Milwaukee County will have the chance to pick the top two candidates on Feb. 18 during the Spring Primary. The top two vote-getters will advance to the April 7 general election.

All four candidates would bring a slightly different range of experience to the County Executive's office, yet all agree broadly that the county is in dire financial straits due to a variety of factors, including cuts in state shared revenue. All candidates also are concerned about the county's homeless population.

Related Reading

2020 Spring Election: Dates To Know

• What's going on in Wisconsin? Find Out Here
• Want More News? Subscribe to our free newsletter service.
• Want to submit an article? It's easy.

The Candidates

David Crowley, a Wisconsin State Rep. in the state's 17th district, says the top two issues facing the county as a shortage of much-needed funding, and addressing racial inequities.

Chris Larson, a Wisconsin State Senator whose district covers the greater Milwaukee area, says tackling homelessness and state shared revenue are two items that are at the top of his to-do list.

Theodore Lipscomb is the current Milwaukee County Board chair, and says he's been heading up an effort to improve Milwaukee County's finances in order to invest in stronger transit, better parks, and improved social services.

Purnima Nath, founder of non-profit Spindle India as well as strategy and management consultant, says public safety, economic development and fiscal responsibility are her three main goals, with public safety and economic development taking the lead.

What would you focus your administration of if you were elected?

Purnima Nath

I will emphasize on creating jobs and opportunities, rebuilding neighborhoods to boost economic growth; and promoting sustainability and focusing on quality education, which will bring Economic Development and prosperity to our community.

Milwaukee County is under tremendous amount of financial crisis - we must reduce waste and use our available resources wisely; and we must be fiscally responsible. Establishing amicable relationship with the State and building collaborative channels will help us draw solutions that will ease our financial burdens of Milwaukee county.

My plan is to directly engage the community – collaborating on project and initiatives. With this strategy, we will pave the pathway for Milwaukee to be self-sustaining and thriving.

Theodore Lipscomb

We must achieve a "Fair Deal for Milwaukee County" and address our County's finances. We need an increase in revenue from the state or new tools such as a sales tax (that can also be used to reduce property taxes) in order to invest in stronger transit, better parks, and improved social services. We need to be honest about the fiscal challenges we face and focus on tackling our budget and future obligations. If we face these challenges head on right now, then we can pursue the opportunities in front of us and make sure we are leaving the next generation a Milwaukee County that is stronger than what we inherited.

The most important thing for our citizens is their quality of life in Milwaukee County. This means working with our new Sheriff's Office, municipal offices, and other community leaders to address our most fundamental concerns. From homelessness to roads, parks to transit, we're going to make Milwaukee County stronger, in every city and village. Milwaukee County provides services from A-Z, that is Airport to the Zoo, some of those services we all use daily, while others safety net services you likely hope to never need, but it is important that we provide them and do it well so that you, your family and your neighbors can live their best life.

Chris Larson

Ending family homelessness will be my top priority as Milwaukee County Executive, and I know we can get it done in my first term with a "housing first" model. On any given night, Milwaukee County could see eighty families in need of emergency shelters and it is three times cheaper to keep a family in their home than to have them in a shelter. If a child doesn't know where they are going to live, there are serious consequences - from health to education. For the full plan, please visit voteforlarson.org/housing.

Another big issue is shared revenue. Milwaukee drives Wisconsin's economy. We have the largest employers, most employees, and most visitors and events - all of which produce the largest share of revenue for the state. Unfortunately, the money raised here doesn't stay here. We send more money out of our county to the state than we get back and worse, we are denied the ability to raise and invest our tax dollars to the programs that we most value. These artificially imposed restrictions on revenue generation lead to budget cuts that threaten public services.

David Crowley

Bringing more resources to Milwaukee County - It's no secret that one of the biggest issues facing Milwaukee County is a lack of resources. Every year we send more and more money to the state, yet the amount we get back continues to decrease.

This is money that we need to carry out the basic services that Milwaukee County is mandated to provide by the state. These services are wanted and needed by the general public, including transportation infrastructure like airports, roads, and freeways; public parks; services for the aged, disabled, and homeless; criminal justice; and many others.

We have to get creative about how we generate more resources at the county level without burdening the middle class. While I fully support the sales tax increase that has been proposed, we have to be realistic about the current situation in the Legislature.

So long as this is only a Milwaukee issue, it is not going to pass. We need to build relationships with counties and municipalities across the state and approach the need for more revenue as a 72 county issue, not just a Milwaukee issue.

Communities all across our state are struggling with the same problems and it's time that we work together to address this issue. We also have to get creative about how we generate more resources at the county level.

When elected, I will establish a county office dedicated solely to seeking out grant funding and other resources that may be available to the county. This office will target state, federal and foundation resources that other places are tapping, but we are currently leaving on the table.

All candidate images courtesy respective campaigns, published with permission.