Basic Questions For Milwaukee Officials About SEWRPC In A Tough Economy

Milwaukee County, without two spare nickels to rub together, sent $841,845 in property tax dollars to fund more than than one-third of the operating expenses of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, according to the commission's 2008-2009 budget.

And about half that sum comes from City of Milwaukee, whose budget is stretched pretty thin, too.

So as 2010 budgets are being put together, can officials at the city and county justify those expenditures?

Have they looked at the SEWRPC budget?

Will County supervisors finally take a hard look at the wisdom of that expenditure?

Can City aldermen explain why they are subsidizing a planning operation that assists smaller cities and out-counties in rural areas with land-use, transportation, and other study production when the City of Milwaukee has its own planning staff?

Couldn't the Department of City Development, or Public Works better use that city half share of $841,000+, or should it go back to the taxpayers for property tax relief?

Should SEWRPC be doing those local and county-wide plans described in the budget?

Is that a good deal for the locals? Do they get from SEWRPC fresh, unique plans on contract, or are the municipalities getting cookie-cutter photocopying?

Should private sector consultants be allowed to bid on the work that somehow routinely goes to SEWRPC?

Should so much small-scale, or even county-wide piecemeal work, be a SEWRPC responsibility?

Does it deter big picture work?

Why don't Milwaukee County and City officials treat SEWRPC as a contractor that is required to submit an annual work plan, then regular updates, that show value received for $70,000 a month?

It's time for city and county officials to change the rules of the game, and to follow through on their separate legislative initiatives that sought investigations and action at the state level to bring about a restructured and redefined regional planning agency.