Bill Christianson
Milwaukee City Comptroller
Tenure
Term ends
Years in position
Predecessor
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Bill Christianson is the Milwaukee City Comptroller in Wisconsin. He assumed office on April 16, 2024. His current term ends in 2028.
Christianson ran for election for Milwaukee City Comptroller in Wisconsin. He won in the general election on April 2, 2024.
Christianson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Bill Christianson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Christianson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2008 and a graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2011. He has been a member of the Government Finance Officers Association.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: City elections in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2024)
General election
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Bill Christianson and Gregory Gracz advanced from the primary for Milwaukee City Comptroller.
Endorsements
To view Christianson's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Christianson in this election.
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Bill Christianson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Christianson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Currently serving as Deputy Comptroller, I’m a public finance professional with 14 years experience all with the City of Milwaukee. I’m a Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO). I’ve lived my entire life in the City of Milwaukee, growing up on the City’s southwest side as the proud son of an MPS teacher and a Milwaukee firefighter. I believe in the City of Milwaukee and its residents, and I feel that the City’s future looks incredibly bright with the right kind of leadership in place.
- With nearly 14 years experience in public finance including my current role as Deputy Comptroller and as a Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) I have the experience and credentials necessary to step in on Day One and fully execute the duties of the City of Milwaukee Comptroller.
- The next few years will bring tremendous opportunity to improve and streamline the City’s financial processes. I am ideally positioned to lead the Comptroller’s Office through a once in a generation opportunity to modernize operations.
- As Comptroller, I will take steps to improve the City’s bond rating, so the City pays less in interest to bankers and investors and more on core services that matter most to City residents.
I am a strong believer in civic engagement. I previously led the City’s efforts to educate and involve residents in the City’s budget process. As Comptroller I would look to revitalize these efforts, engaging in two-way conversations about the City’s financial outlook and ensuring that residents have an opportunity to have their voices heard on this important topic.
My first boss in when I was in the Budget Office, former City of Milwaukee Budget Director Mark Nicolini, is someone whose example I aim to follow. He held his staff to a high standard, which motivated us to excel and surpass his expectations, but he also knew how to have fun and make the office an enjoyable place to be. The balance he was able to strike between high standards/professionalism and creating the kind of atmosphere you look forward to coming into each day is something I strive for.
Integrity, transparency, and accessibility are key characteristics of elected officials. Trust in elected officials is lowered when the ideals and priorities of a candidate seeking office are cast aside when the candidate wins an election. Honesty and setting realistic expectations of what candidates can and will do if elected to office are important. And it is critical that elected officials make themselves available to the residents they are ultimately accountable to. Open communication with the people you work for, City residents, is essential.
I am honest, I am experienced, and I am motivated by the desire to do what’s right for the City of Milwaukee’s residents, not what’s easy or what’s in my own interest.
As the City’s fiscal watchdog, the Comptroller is responsible for accounting, auditing, financial reporting, processing payroll, issuing debt, supporting the City’s financial management system, reviewing Tax Increment Financing proposals, and a number of other essential functions. The Comptroller is the voice of responsible and sound financial management, ensuring that we don’t solve today’s problems on the backs of future generations.
I want my legacy to be that I took what was left for me by my predecessors, but who I have immense respect for, and built on it. Upcoming changes to financial management software will bring a once in a generation opportunity to modernize and streamline the City’s financial processes. I intend on leaving a legacy of efficiency and modernization in City financial operations.
I did roofing, mostly tear off and clean up, during my summers while I was in high school. It was very hard work, but I really enjoyed working outside!
Hard to say it is my favorite, but the book that sparked a lifelong interest in history is the book Pegasus Bridge by Stephen Ambrose. It does an excellent job of putting you in the scene yourself and I found myself visualizing the scenes that play out in the pages in a way that I haven’t quite been able to do with any book before or since.
Annie Lennox- Walking on Broken Glass. The contrast between the pure joy I hear in the melody contrasts so sharply with the pain expressed in the lyrics. I find it fascinating.
Having experience and credentials in municipal finance, whether it be in budgeting, accounting, or both, is essential to being able to fulfill the duties of the position. The Comptroller is responsible for an office of 50 staff, made up of 7 divisions, that performs a range of complex services and tasks. It would be extremely difficult for somebody without experience in municipal finance to take on this role.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Comptroller Aycha Sawa, former Comptrollers Marty Matson and Wally Morics, Common Council members Bauman, Brostoff, Spiker, Taylor, Westmoreland, Zamarripa.
Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFSCME, Milwaukee Police Association, Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization, Milwaukee Fire Department Chief Officers Association
I am strongly in favor of transparency in City finances and operations. It is important to remember that “The City” doesn’t have its own money. Revenues ultimately come from residents and taxpayers in some form or fashion. This is why City finances must remain an open book, so that those who pay into this system can see how the City puts those revenues to use.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
External links
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 11, 2024
