Roads, Bridges, Buses Could Squeeze Future Milwaukee Budgets

Roads, bridges and buses in Milwaukee and Milwaukee County will need increased investment in coming years. A report from the Public Policy Forum found the city and county have followed best practices for infrastructure maintenance, but borrowing to stay on track could mean future financial trouble.

The report asserts aging infrastructure and dwindling state and federal transportation funds will force the city and county to find more local funding sources to support infrastructure projects, which could stretch the governments’ borrowing abilities.

One of the larger projects looming in the region is getting the county’s fleet of more than 400 buses on a regular replacement schedule. The county estimates that will cost $13.3 million in each of the next three years after federal funds are applied to the effort. That’s almost a third of the county’s annual borrowing limit.

“And that’s a problem given all the competing infrastructure needs and capital needs at Milwaukee County ranging from its parks to its aging mental health complex to the needs for a new safety building and courthouse complex,” said Rob Henken, the forum’s president

The city of Milwaukee estimates it will need to spend $76 million a year from state, local and federal sources on road and bridge maintenance and construction. Henken said paying back borrowing to cover those projects could put pressure on the already financially stressed city down the road.

“This does come down to whether being able to invest city resources, for example, in local streets and bridges may be in competition with being able to maintain police staffing levels or an appropriate number of nurses for the public health department,” he said

Gov. Scott Walker’s office released its own information on transportation spending Tuesday. The fact sheet pointed out state transportation funds for cities and counties rose 4 percent in 2015 and state and local per capita spending on highways in Wisconsin is 33 percent above the national average. Still, the fact sheet indicates the governor “will provide more money for all levels of local government in the next budget.”