Milwaukee Fire And Police Commissioners Resign Amid New Limits: Report

MILWAUKEE, WI — Two members of Milwaukee's Fire and Police Commission on Thursday announced plans to resign amid shared revenue law that brought new restrictions for the oversight board, according to multiple media reports.

The board's Chairman Ed Fallone and Vice Chairman Amanda Avalos released a joint statement Thursday that in-part explained the FPC has provided Milwaukee's citizens with "an important measure of control over their own lives" but that it was "reduced to a pawn in someone else's game," according to a report from FOX6 News.

The statement published in full by FOX 6 said Act 12—which also brought overhauls to shared revenue between state and local governments across Wisconsin—created significant changes to the board's duties alongside new restrictions and that it was in part an "assault" on self-government.

According to a report by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Act 12 transferred the commissions' power to set policies over to the departments' chiefs, although the board still retained the power to hire and fire chiefs and investigate complaints from citizens.

Recent policy changes from the FPC, such as one requiring the expedited release of body camera footage, have sparked lawsuits from the Milwaukee Police Association, which is the union for officers, according to a report by Urban Milwaukee.

The recent state legislation that brought the changes also brought boosts to shared revenue between the state and local governments and allowed a recent vote by the Milwaukee Common Council to increase local sales taxes by 2 percent.

Opponents of the sales tax plan pointed out concerns about strings attached to the shared revenue bill like slowing funds for diversity, equity and inclusion, according to a report by the Associated Press.

See also:

Governor Evers Passes Shared Revenue Boost For Local WI Governments

Milwaukee County Considering 0.4 Percent Sales Tax Increase