MILWAUKEE – During the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s Viewpoint Luncheon on Monday, April 28, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Chief Judge Carl Ashley and District Attorney Kent Lovern joined Wisconsin State Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) and Representative Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) to discuss the need for investments in Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex facilities – specifically the Public Safety Building.
During the discussion, panelists shared the following:
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley:
“The Public Safety Building needs to be replaced, and we’re very open to creative funding options. We know we need to be innovative because the more we delay, the more we’re going to have to pay. We’re talking about a $400 to $500 million project cost today, but that cost will increase about $100 to $125 million on average for every two years we don’t act.
To fund this project, partnerships will be key. We’ve established a strong foundation with the State of Wisconsin and are committed to continuing dialogue with legislators and the Governor’s office as we work to provide the critical, state-mandated services, like Highway Patrol and the Community Reintegration Center, that are unique to Milwaukee County. These services are crucial to our community, and we have no intention to give up our responsibilities; what we’re asking for is fiscal help so we can unlock more resources for Milwaukee County and other municipalities.
Every day, officers from police departments across our region spend a lot of time in our courthouse waiting to testify at hearings. Those are costs that our local municipalities and taxpayers have to bear. By creating a building with secure corridors and more efficient operations, we can save taxpayer dollars, better utilize staff time, and make sure this is a safe environment for everyone.”
Mary Felzkowski, Wisconsin State Senate President:
“In recent years, the State has provided a lot of support to Milwaukee, and it’s easy to make a case for doing so: a strong Milwaukee is a strong Wisconsin. I am 100% behind the State’s involvement in supporting the new Public Safety Building.
That said, how we get it done has to be creative and fiscally responsible on behalf of the taxpayers of Wisconsin. It’s not like $200 million [in State funding] has to come in one year; this will be a long project and $13 or $14 million per year over 20 years of bonding is much more palatable. At the same time, we need to take a serious look at how the County can take advantage of innovations and efficiencies to reduce the taxpayer investment in other services and redirect dollars to cover building costs.
I will also say, I am hearing loud and clear from counties across Wisconsin that it’s time for us to take a deep look into how we’re funding our judiciary and our court system. We need to investigate whether our funding system is set up to incentivize our desired outcomes. Both sides of the political divide understand the need for public safety, and we also need to take the individual challenges that each county faces into consideration.”
Chief Judge Carl Ashley, First Judicial District:
“I’ve been Chief Judge since 2023, and each of the four previous Chief Judges thought something would happen to replace this crumbling building during their terms. We have long known that investments are needed to support public safety, efficiency, and the dignity of all who use the Milwaukee County courts.
The Supreme Court of Wisconsin ruled that courthouses should have separate corridors for the public, jurors, judicial officers and staff, law enforcement officers and those in custody. We don’t have that and it is dangerous. The lack of separated, secured corridors means that jurors, witnesses, family members and all others are in the same public areas where lawyers and defendants are holding ‘garbage can meetings’ in the hallway, reviewing important case notes on the only surface available: a garbage can.
I’ve sat in many a trial when a juror overhears something they shouldn’t and it results in a mistrial. That case has to be adjourned and rescheduled… not for next week, but four months out. If we had the right kind of building that would never happen.”
Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern:
“Having worked there for 27 years, I can attest that the Public Safety Building is deteriorating daily. The building is not conducive to the safe adjudication of the important cases we’re handling every day. Our justice system is currently experiencing an increase in higher-level cases, predominantly felonies, which are the most serious offenses.
A fundamental problem is that the existing building was not designed to accommodate criminal courts, which require enhanced security measures, private hallways, and additional meeting spaces to function properly. A lot of this is about efficiency, trying to move cases in a more efficient and just way. Everyone has an interest in that – both a person charged with a crime and a victim want a case to be resolved as quickly as possible. Delays do not serve anyone well and engender a lack of trust in the system.
Our goal is always to process cases more efficiently and justly. A new building is required to achieve this.”
Bob Donovan, Wisconsin State Representative:
“This project is another opportunity to expand the growing partnership that has already begun [between the State and Milwaukee County]. Every one of us who has taken the tour of the Public Safety Building immediately recognizes it needs to be replaced. It should have been replaced 20 years ago.
In my conversations with my colleagues, they understand that Milwaukee’s court system is unique and unmatched across the state. The challenge is, how are we going to pay for it? The opportunity is there, but the execution and funding structure are essential to ensure this partnership benefits the entire state of Wisconsin and certainly this metro area.”
Milwaukee County leaders have identified a need to remove and replace the outdated Public Safety Building that raises concerns for both safety and the integrity of court cases. There is also a need to make associated renovations to other facilities in the Courthouse Complex, including the Historic Courthouse.
To improve outcomes for all who are impacted by public safety challenges and the judicial system, and to maintain other essential services provided by Milwaukee County, strong partnerships will be key.
State-mandated services cost Milwaukee County nearly 80% of the County’s local levy or $284.7 million annually. The cost of mandates is increasing at twice the rate of revenues, including almost $80 million more since 2020 for public safety services. These growing costs have been funded by local dollars and are squeezing out other areas of the budget. A partnership with the State is necessary for Milwaukee to build a new facility that will positively impact public safety outcomes in the region and preserve important state-mandated public safety services.
Additional information about the Investing in Justice: Courthouse Complex project is available online.
