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Milwaukee County employee salaries, 2010-2011
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A Milwaukee County employee salaries and overtime database is available at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online.[1]
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin had a population of 947,735 as of the 2010 U.S. Census and the county seat is Milwaukee.[2] Milwaukee County employs approximately 6,660 employees.[3]
Salaries
| Title | Salary (maximum annual) |
|---|---|
| County Executive | $129,114 |
| Board of Supervisors | $50,090 annually* |
| County Treasurer | $83,982 |
| County Clerk | $84,276 |
| Sheriff | $132,290 |
| District Attorney | $122,662 |
(*)Supervisor Joe Sanfelippo proposed cutting the pay and benefits of county board members starting in April 2012. At the time, supervisors earned $50,090 per year, but the resolution would reduce that to just $15,000. The measure, if adopted, was expected to save county taxpayers more than $850,000 per year.[4]
Top 10 highest-paid workers
| Title | Overtime | Annual salary (maximum) |
|---|---|---|
| DHHS Medical Forensic Director | $31,489 | $222,700 |
| Medical Examiner | $0 | $210,840 |
| DHHS Medical Crisis Director | $10,098 | $202,421 |
| Medical Detention Director | $0 | $192,694 |
| Medical Acute Services Director | $0 | $189,359 |
| Medical Director MH | $0 | $184,512 |
| Staff Psychiatrist | $5,983 | $179,380 |
| Medical Examiner | $0 | $178,508 |
| Medical Program Director CATC | $0 | $177,873 |
| House Physician | $588 | $176,040 |
Twenty employees make in excess of $150,000 and 115 employees make in excess of $100,000.[5]
Projected pension cost
The 2010 Annual Report by Pension Board reported that the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) experienced a positive investment return for the year of 12.1 percent. As a result, net assets available for pension benefits increased $72.6 million. This increase included $32.9 million in actual county contributions. Total assets at the end of the year were $1.895 billion.[6]
Car use/purchasing
A breakdown of cursory information regarding vehicle purchase and maintenance is available in the budget.[7]
Effective in 2011, all new vehicles and equipment were to be placed on a replacement schedule of either three, five or eight years. After replacement, depreciated vehicles and equipment were to be sent to auction and the user department was to be credited for the revenue generated.
As a result of the new purchasing program, county departments were no longer provided expenditure authority for new vehicle leases in their operating budgets. Current leases were to be terminated upon the contract expiration and, depending upon the necessity of the vehicle, may or may not have been transferred into the purchasing program.
Fleet Management retains ownership of all county vehicles. Departments were not permitted t0 exceed their 2011 vehicle allotment without approval of the County Board.
March 2010 bond issue (vehicles to be phased in during 2011)[8]
| Description | Quantity | Purchase cost per vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Patrol Truck (single) | 11 | $166,800 |
| Stake Body | 3 | $75,000 |
| Bucket Truck-Lg | 1 | $250,000 |
| Dump Truck-Md | 1 | $75,000 |
March 2010 bond issue (vehicles to be phased in during 2012)[9]
| Description | Quantity | Purchase cost per vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Market Squad Sedan | 22 | $27,000 |
| Market Squad Tahoe | 16 | $39,000 |
| 4X4 Pickup Utility | 6 | $45,000 |
| Du4X4 Pickup w/plow | 21 | $33,000 |
| Sedan | 21 | $20,000 |
| Cushman | 15 | $20,000 |
| Patrol Truck (single) | 14 | $170,000 |
| Patrol Truck (tandem) | 1 | $190,000 |
| Wheel Loader | 3 | $194,000 |
| Street Sweeper | 3 | $264,000 |
| Transport Bus | 1 | $64,000 |
2011 vehicle and equipment allotment per department[10]
| Department | Total |
|---|---|
| Parks Department | 841 |
| Sheriff | 180 |
| Highways Division | 165 |
| Facilities Management Division | 40 |
| Zoo | 37 |
| Fleet Management Division | 20 |
| Department of Health & Human Services | 18 |
| Behavioral Health Division | 14 |
| District Attorney | 10 |
| Architectural Engineering & Environmental Services | 5 |
| Information Management Services Division | 3 |
| Medical Examiner | 3 |
| Transportation Services | 3 |
| County Executive | 1 |
| Officer for Persons with Disabilities | 1 |
| House of Correction | 1 |
Total: 1342
The county’s 2010 application for the New Freedom grant also included a “car-share” pilot program that would make handicapped accessible vehicles available to para-transit eligible residents. It was anticipated that para-transit demand would decrease to the extent that disabled riders accessed the shared car system. The shared car program is operated by a contractor and costs users $8 per hour with no tax levy expense for the county.[11]
Phone use
Telephone purchasing information is available in the 2011 adopted budget.[12]
| Department | Cost |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee County Historical Society | $1200 |
Salary records project
In 2011, Sunshine Review chose 152 local governments as the focus of research on public employee salaries. The editors of Sunshine Review selected eight states with relevant political contexts (listed alphabetically):
1. California
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. New Jersey
6. Pennsylvania
7. Texas
8. Wisconsin
Within these states, the editors of Sunshine Review focused on the most populous cities, counties and school districts, as well as the emergency services entities within these governments. The purpose of this selection method was to develop articles on governments affecting the most citizens.
The salary information garnered from these states were a combination of existing online resources and state Freedom of Information Act requests sent out to the governments.
A study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia said the city of Philadelphia faced challenges owing to the cost of public employee pensions.[13] The report claimed the amount that Philadelphia paid to pension recipients limited the city’s ability to use its budget effectively.
The report said there were more individuals receiving pension benefits—33,907 claimants in 2006—than workers in the city—28,701.[13] The authors recommended three steps towards addressing the problem of high costs in pensions: improved data collection, expanded transparency initiatives, and reductions to the city's overall budget.[13]
Salary schedules can be published as ranges, not as specific compensation figures, and may leave out compensation received through health and retirement benefits, as well as benefits such as commuter allowances and cell phone reimbursements. This project aimed to close the gap and provide a more accurate picture of public employee salaries for the sake of public education and transparency.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Milwaukee County Salary Database
- ↑ Milwaukee County
- ↑ County employee #
- ↑ Supervisors salary (dead link)
- ↑ Employees making $100-150k
- ↑ Projected pension costs
- ↑ Vehicle purchasing and maintenance information
- ↑ Vehicle information
- ↑ Vehicle information
- ↑ Vehicle information
- ↑ Car Share Program
- ↑ Vehicle purchasing and maintenance information
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 '’Philadelphia’s Quiet Crisis: The Rising Cost of Employee Benefits, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, January 23, 2008
