MILWAUKEE – As the New Year approaches, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is reflecting on the successes, challenges, and opportunities of 2024.
In April, County Executive Crowley was re-elected to a second term with 85% of the vote. Since then, Crowley has continued working to deliver major investments, new initiatives, and innovative policies to achieve racial and health equity throughout Milwaukee County. During the first year of his second term as County Executive, David Crowley earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Earlier this year, Crowley was also recognized by Governing as a 2024 Public Official of the Year.
“From advancing racial equity efforts to investing in affordable housing, mental health services, and economic development, we are working for the people to make Milwaukee County the healthiest community in Wisconsin,” said County Executive Crowley. “We know that partnerships and collaboration are the way forward. What’s good for Milwaukee County is what’s good for the entire state of Wisconsin. That’s why I’m ready for the work ahead in 2025, as we continue envisioning Milwaukee County’s bright future together.”
Below are highlights of Milwaukee County’s notable accomplishments in 2024.
Addressing Milwaukee County’s Fiscal Outlook
Positive Fiscal Impact of Wisconsin Act 12: Milwaukee County continues to witness the benefits of the bipartisan Wisconsin Act 12 that both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature passed in June of 2023. This bipartisan lawreformed the state’s local revenue-sharing structure for the first time in over two decades. The legislation allowed Milwaukee County to raise additional revenues to address its unique financial challenges and legacy pension issues. In fact, Act 12 is now allowing the Milwaukee County Employee Retirement System (ERS) to close to new entrants after 87 years. As new employees begin joining the state pension system starting next year, County Executive Crowley is looking forward to the history of pension challenges staying in the past, so taxpayers can save money, leaders can focus on the future, and the community can move forward together.
Solving Budget Challenges: Earlier this year, the Milwaukee County Comptroller’s Office forecasted a multi-million dollar budget deficit for the 2024 budget. That’s why County Executive Crowley and the Milwaukee County Office of Strategy, Budget, and Performance worked with departments to identify funding sources and departmental budget surpluses to reallocate funds and close the deficit. In September, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors approved County Executive Crowley’s proposal to close the 2024 budget deficit without additional costs for taxpayers and no major impacts on services. Earlier this year, Milwaukee County also received the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting, marking the 11th consecutive year and 15th time overall that Milwaukee County has received this honor.
Securing New Grant Funding: County Executive Crowley continued working in 2024 to secure new state and federal funding for Milwaukee County, including in affordable housing, public transit, and park improvements. This is the result of Crowley creating a centralized grant development unit to ensure the County is bringing in new grant funding that supports upstream programs and services. Since the inception of the centralized grant development unit, the County has secured more than $120 million in revenue.
Advancing Health and Racial Equity Across Milwaukee
No Wrong Door Model: By putting people at the center of service delivery, Milwaukee County is witnessing the results of its “No Wrong Door” model of customer service. Through No Wrong Door, Milwaukee County DHHS is creating greater access to critical health and human services, while continuing to address social determinants of health and providing support and resources to our most vulnerable residents. It means that however people connect with DHHS, they will have access to comprehensive services and resources.
Combatting Substance Use Disorders: Last year, Milwaukee County began strategically utilizing $102 million in opioid litigation settlements to combat overdoses and save lives. Under Crowley’s leadership, the County deployed $8.5 million in opioid settlement dollars to fund seven new projects in 2024 focused on substance use disorder (SUD) abatement, prevention, and recovery programs over the next three years. In June, Crowley announced grants for 15 organizations as part of the “Better Ways To Cope” initiative to develop prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery initiatives. In June, Milwaukee County placed eight additional harm reduction vending machines – bringing the total to 19 placed throughout the community – while also being nationally recognized for its efforts to combat opioid use.
Providing Mental Health Support and Services: Right next door to the future Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Service Center is the Mental Health Emergency Center, which Crowley’s administration relocated from Wauwatosa to the King Park neighborhood so the County could bring services closer to those who need them. This represents a first-of-its-kind public private partnership with regional health systems that is saving taxpayers money while providing care in an environment that promotes dignity and respect. In 2024, the Mental Health Emergency Center served thousands of individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder related crisis. Crowley and DHHS also continue deploying Mental Health Navigators throughout the community, as well as providing a Crisis Continuum of Care that includes the Mental Health Emergency Center, Crisis Stabilization Houses, Crisis Resource Centers, Mobile Crisis Services, and three behavioral health access clinics providing walk-in crisis mental health and SUD services in three historically underserved neighborhoods in Milwaukee.
Leading New, Innovative Emergency Medical Services Initiative: Crowley and the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) division announced a new initiative to offer whole blood transfusions in the field for critically injured trauma patients. Maintaining a history of advancing the practice of prehospital care, Milwaukee County’s EMS system is the first in Wisconsin and one of the first fire-based EMS systems in the nation to offer this care in the field. In November, the new initiative was utilized for the first time by first responders from the Wauwatosa Fire Department to save a life in Milwaukee County.
Investing in Early Childhood and Family Support Programs: In April, Crowley announced federal funding for six local organizations that will provide early childhood development support for children and families in the community. The selected partners and their projects will work to help Milwaukee County families thrive and provide them techniques to enhance the development and learning potential of children in the community.
Supporting Older Adults and People with Disabilities: In June, Crowley signed legislation adding 27 new positions to the Milwaukee County DHHS Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) to expand services focusing on youth-to-adult transition, options counseling, veterans’ benefits specialists, and community outreach. In October, nearly $4 million in grant funding was awarded to Milwaukee County by Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) to assist with the renovation of the Clinton & Bernice Rose Senior Center. Milwaukee County was also named a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, becoming the first county in the Badger State to earn the designation. This demonstrates the County’s commitment to actively engage in an inclusive cycle of continuous improvement in the “8 Domains of Livability” that the World Health Organization has identified as influencing the health and quality of life of older adults.
Expanding Housing Access in Milwaukee County
Affordable Housing Investments: County Executive Crowley is committed to expanding access to safe, quality, and affordable housing for residents and families who need it most. Since taking office, Crowley’s administration has deployed over $35 million in funding for affordable housing projects across the community, particularly in Milwaukee County suburbs where racial disparities in housing access and homeownership opportunities continue preventing many residents from living in the neighborhood of their choice. In February, County Executive Crowley met with President Joe Biden to discuss how affordable housing investments and federal partnerships are delivering results in Milwaukee County. These investments include:
- $3 million for the redevelopment of the former site of Bucyrus-Erie in the City of South Milwaukee that will include 81 units dedicated as affordable housing.
- $2.5 million for the first-ever affordable housing development in the City of Franklin to be specifically aimed at supporting persons with disabilities.
- $2.5 million for the mixed-use redevelopment of the existing Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Building that will create an estimated 65 affordable housing units.
- $2 million for an affordable housing development in the City of Oak Creek that will create more than 24 single-family homes for first-time homebuyers. Thanks to U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s leadership, DHHS Housing Services was also awarded $5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the development of affordable housing and infrastructure improvements on this site in Oak Creek.
- $1 million for a new affordable and emergency housing development in the City of Milwaukee’s Uptown neighborhood.
- Nearly $4 million to expand housing options and supportive services for both older adults and residents transitioning out of the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center (CRC).
Homeownership Opportunities: In partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the Emem Group, Milwaukee County and partners are continuing construction on 100 new homes in the King Park neighborhood, near the future Coggs Center and a future revitalized community center at King Park. Once those homes are complete, the next step will be connecting with first-time homebuyers, so more families, and particularly families of color, can achieve the dream of homeownership.
Addressing Homelessness: DHHS is continuing efforts to address homelessness through its Housing First approach. Between January 2023 and January 2024, the number of unsheltered people living in Milwaukee decreased by an estimated 36.4%, based on data from HUD’s Point in Time Count. Milwaukee County’s Housing Navigators remain out in the community everyday meeting folks where they are to connect them with stable housing, resources, and supportive services. In October, Milwaukee County announced it was selected to participate in the Just Home Project, a national program to advance community-driven efforts to break the link between homelessness and incarceration led by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Urban Institute.
Boosting Economic Development and Workforce Efforts
New Developments Rise in Milwaukee County: Several economic development projects continued rising from the ground and taking shape in 2024.
- Construction continued on the future Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center. For the first time in Milwaukee County history, DHHS will have a building designed specifically to deliver health and human services. In October, County Executive Crowley hosted a hardhat tour for federal partners and local leaders to highlight this major investment in Milwaukee County. The Marcia P. Coggs Center is scheduled to open in 2025.
- Construction continued on the Forensic Science and Protective Medicine Facility in Wauwatosa. This is the result of a significant collaboration with the State of Wisconsin and regional health system partners to create a desperately needed space for the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner and to enhance the operations of the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management.
- In December, Milwaukee County officials celebrated the new habitat for the Humboldt Penguins at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Thanks to Governor Tony Evers, federal partners, and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, the Zoo’s penguins now have a barrier-free habitat with new filtration and an expanded pool. The Milwaukee County Zoo is also continuing construction on the Adventure Africa Rhino Habitat.
- Construction continued on Milwaukee County’s future Highway Maintenance Facility that will enhance transportation service delivery in the North Region of Milwaukee County.
Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment: In August, County Executive Crowley was appointed to the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment, an advisory body tasked with shaping workforce development strategies across the State of Wisconsin. The council is charged with aiding Wisconsin employers in finding the workers they need and providing resources to enable Wisconsinites to access training for in-demand careers, with the ultimate goal of moving Wisconsin’s economy forward.
New Apprenticeship Coordinator: Crowley’s 2025 Adopted Budget includes the addition of a new Milwaukee County apprenticeship coordinator. This is aimed at helping foster the next generation of workers in the community and ensure young people have career pathways, job training opportunities, and the tools to succeed.
Promoting Public Safety
Addressing Reckless Driving: In August, Crowley signed legislation affirming Milwaukee County’s commitment to Vision Zero by the year 2037 in combatting reckless driving, traffic violence, and fatal and serious injury crashes. Prior to this action, Crowley unveiled the County’s motor vehicle collision dashboard to bring the data to the forefront of the reckless driving conversation. The Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) also released the first-ever Transportation Safety Assessment Report, as part of the Complete Communities Initiative. The report, paired with the data displayed in the County’s motor vehicle collision dashboard, gives policymakers a clear grasp of where crashes are occurring, to whom, and the causes behind each collision. The next step of the project will be the formal release of the Milwaukee County Comprehensive Safety Action Plan in 2025. This will include action plans for each participating municipality.
Investing in Justice: County Executive Crowley is pursuing a key public safety project in need of reinvestment: The Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex, specifically the Public Safety Building. Non-partisan partners like the Wisconsin Policy Forum have recommended the removal and replacement of the current Public Safety Building with a new Courthouse Complex facility that will house state-mandated courts and other services – impacting the entire public safety continuum. Crowley’s 2025 Adopted Budget includes $6 million to continue the planning and design of this capital project. Crowley will continue working to pursue this project that will enhance safety and security in the courtroom, reduce jail crowding and case backlogs, support trauma-informed care, and invest in fair and equitable justice for all.
Advance Peace Model: In October, Crowley, DHHS, and community leaders and project partners launched a new evidence-based gun violence prevention program, Advance Peace, to be implemented in Milwaukee County over the next three years. Advance Peace interrupts gun violence in urban neighborhoods by providing opportunities to young people involved in firearms actions.
Credible Messengers Program: County Executive Crowley also highlighted the continued success of the Credible Messengers Program. Since its inception in 2020, this innovative multi-disciplinary approach has made significant strides in improving public safety and supporting Milwaukee County youth involved in the justice system or referred by community partners through expanding mentorship, resources, and job opportunities.
Enhancing Public Transit and Local Roadways
Maintaining Public Transit Services: In his 2025 Adopted Budget, Crowley is directing over $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding dedicated to the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS). This will allow MCTS to maintain current route service levels, help replace the County’s aging bus fleet, and ensure transit security remains throughout the MCTS network.
Delivering Federal Transportation Investments: Crowley praised the Biden-Harris Administration for delivering nearly $29 million in federal funding for transportation improvements and public transit investments in Milwaukee County. Almost $22 million in federal funds will help redesign and rebuild segments of County-owned highways and bridges that are in critical need of repairs and improvements. Milwaukee County and MCTS will also receive over $7 million in funding to replace 13 buses.
Juneteenth Bus: County Executive Crowley, MCTS, and TRUE Skool unveiled the County’s first-ever Juneteenth bus. The “moving mural” is traveling along MCTS routes for one year, as a reflection of the County’s commitment to celebrating Juneteenth and advancing its mission to achieve racial equity.
Supporting Parks, Outdoor Assets, and the Environment
Supporting Local Parks: In 2024, Crowley celebrated the grand opening and groundbreaking of several capital projects at Milwaukee County Parks. This follows County Executive Crowley’s continued commitment to reversing the long trend of budget reductions for Milwaukee County Parks. That’s why the 2025 Adopted Budget is directing more than $2 million in additional funding for parks operations that will create 10 new full time positions to support increased recreational activity and business services, which will help generate revenue for parks programming. Crowley’s budget also invests $11 million for five new capital projects across the Milwaukee County Parks system. Those projects include trail and amenity improvements to provide the quality experience that residents expect at Milwaukee County Parks.
Healthy County Challenge: In 2024, Crowley, in partnership with the Milwaukee Parks Foundation, once again hosted the Healthy County Challenge – an annual slate of events in Milwaukee County Parks throughout the summer to promote healthy activities. Crowley launched this initiative to help the community recover from the pandemic. Community events, which have collectively attracted hundreds of Milwaukee County residents, included group bike rides, hikes throughout the parks, yoga, golf tournaments, park clean ups, community pool days, and more.
Milwaukee County Climate Action Plan: Crowley’s administration continued advancing the development of the Milwaukee County Climate Action Plan, with a goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, while advancing equity, justice, and resilience in the community. The full plan will be released in 2025.
Securing Funding for Environmental Sustainability: Crowley’s administration also created a new contractor position in the 2025 Adopted Budget focused on identifying and applying for competitive federal funding made available through the Inflation Reduction Act. This will give Milwaukee County greater capacity to secure more federal grant funding for environmental sustainability, clean energy, and energy efficiency efforts.
