Move Forward MKE (Sales Tax)

AN HISTORIC VOTE TO HELP SOLVE MILWAUKEE’S FISCAL CRISIS

Project Overview

Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee were careening dangerously close to a catastrophic fiscal cliff. With limited options for increasing local revenue, there was a great need to identify and garner support for a new source of revenue: a local sales tax.

The Challenge

Municipalities and counties across Wisconsin were relying on limited and state-restricted sources of revenue, resulting in budget challenges. Opportunities for those governments to increase revenue – even to keep up with inflationary increases in the costs of services – were few and far between.

In the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, the challenge to maintain the level of services was complicated by unique pension obligations that drove the governments to the edge of a dramatic fiscal cliff. As the county said for several years, by 2027 it would have no local dollars to fund local services.

The backdrop of this situation, and what many felt made a solution even farther from reality, was the challenging and longstanding Madison-Milwaukee political dynamic. For many years, the relationship had been strained between elected officials in Milwaukee and legislative leaders.

Pursuing a legislative solution to local funding issues would require a cross-sector, broad base of support from across the state and a clear explanation of a complex funding challenge, with an engaging call to action.

The Solution

The Greater Milwaukee Committee, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County came together to form the Move Forward MKE coalition and engaged Mueller Communications to help develop and deploy a comprehensive outreach strategy designed to educate, inform and build a coalition of supporters to encourage the State Legislature to give the County and City the authority to enact a local sales tax.

For years, Mueller Communications supported legislative efforts, developing a narrative for the coalition and communicating it through collateral material, digital ads, earned media outreach, presentations, and individual briefing meetings.

The Mueller Communications team were trusted advisors and strategic counselors throughout the process. Their ability to quickly and efficiently pivot to meet the needs of changing lobbying strategy was invaluable to our effort. They were the right partner to have at the table and their contribution helped make historic legislation a reality.”

– Alec Knutson, Government Affairs Director, Office of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley

The Mueller Communications team were trusted advisors and strategic counselors throughout the process. Their ability to quickly and efficiently pivot to meet the needs of changing lobbying strategy was invaluable to our effort. They were the right partner to have at the table and their contribution helped make historic legislation a reality.”

– Alec Knutson, Government Affairs Director, Office of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley

The Results

After years of lobbying and communication efforts, the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County achieved what once felt impossible when the State Legislature gave the City and County the authority to enact a local sales tax, addressing the municipalities’ funding crisis and ensuring a rich and vibrant future for their residents

The Greater Milwaukee Committee, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County came together to form the Move Forward MKE coalition and engaged Mueller Communications to help develop and deploy a comprehensive outreach strategy designed to educate, inform and build a coalition of supporters to encourage the State Legislature to give the County and City the authority to enact a local sales tax.

For years, Mueller Communications supported legislative efforts, developing a narrative for the coalition and communicating it through collateral material, digital ads, earned media outreach, presentations, and individual briefing meetings.

The Mueller Communications team were trusted advisors and strategic counselors throughout the process. Their ability to quickly and efficiently pivot to meet the needs of changing lobbying strategy was invaluable to our effort. They were the right partner to have at the table and their contribution helped make historic legislation a reality.”

– Alec Knutson, Government Affairs Director, Office of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley

The Mueller Communications team were trusted advisors and strategic counselors throughout the process. Their ability to quickly and efficiently pivot to meet the needs of changing lobbying strategy was invaluable to our effort. They were the right partner to have at the table and their contribution helped make historic legislation a reality.”

– Alec Knutson, Government Affairs Director, Office of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley

The Results

After years of lobbying and communication efforts, the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County achieved what once felt impossible when the State Legislature gave the City and County the authority to enact a local sales tax, addressing the municipalities’ funding crisis and ensuring a rich and vibrant future for their residents

The Greater Milwaukee Committee, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County came together to form the Move Forward MKE coalition and engaged Mueller Communications to help develop and deploy a comprehensive outreach strategy designed to educate, inform and build a coalition of supporters to encourage the State Legislature to give the County and City the authority to enact a local sales tax.

For years, Mueller Communications supported legislative efforts, developing a narrative for the coalition and communicating it through collateral material, digital ads, earned media outreach, presentations, and individual briefing meetings.