By Sohaib Shams
A computer formula error has left Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, facing a $4.56 million hole in its proposed 2027 budget. The mistake emerged after the county switched from manual calculations to an automated system for handling some budget projections.
Error reverses airport budget entries
The error affected two accounts tied to the county airport budget. The system incorrectly calculated a $4.49 million airport depreciation contribution and about $2.21 million in airport revenue from reserves, making it appear the county would save $4.6 million more in property taxes than it actually would. That created a $4.6 million gap in the proposed $1.5 billion budget for 2027.
Shortfall discovered after election
The problem came to light Wednesday, one day after County Executive David Crowley defeated Republican Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin's gubernatorial race. The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the budget Thursday. The missing money represents about 0.3 percent of the total proposed budget.
Officials propose solutions
County officials have identified several potential ways to fill the $4.56 million gap, including collecting additional prescription drug rebates, using leftover money from capital projects scheduled to wrap up in 2027, and finding savings in individual county departments. The administration maintains it can cover the shortfall without ending the year in the red.
Administration denies political timing
Although the budget office knew about the error roughly two weeks before Election Day, Crowley's office said the announcement was not politically motivated. A spokesperson stated that once identified, the Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance acted immediately to create a solution and correct the formula. The Wednesday memo was timed around the County Board's upcoming budget meeting, not the election.
