Last Monday, Wisconsin State Senator Van Wanggaard released an analysis of the city of Milwaukee’s financial report, specifically regarding the funds granted by ACT 12. 

The report claims that about 90-99% of the ACT 12 funds granted to Milwaukee was spent on raises for city employees, including the mayor and common council, and its unfunded pension obligation.

The report also shows that Milwaukee increased spending on all other City functions by an average of 35% over the last two years. The police budget increased just 11%, receiving only two-thirds of the next smallest budget increase, the Mayor’s office. (RELATED: Tom Tiffany Enters Wisconsin Governor’s Race)

“The Legislature passed Act 12 to help Milwaukee avoid bankruptcy due to its underfunded pension, and to improve public safety,” said Senator Wanggaard in the report. “I’m going to be blunt. The Legislature [ACT 12] helped Milwaukee because it said it couldn’t afford to hire more police and was going bankrupt – quickly.” 

The Senator says his suspicion arose from a report he received from the Milwaukee Budget Office, where they reported $182.5 million in actual expenditures, while the City of Milwaukee Comptroller reports $200.6 million in sales and use tax revenues received in 2024. The Senator wanted to know what happened to the money within the $20 million gap between those two reports. 

According to 620 WTMJ, a spokesperson from Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s office claimed that the Senator’s claims are “cherrypicking” data to underline the lack of police raises. They refuted ever using the ACT 12 funds for wages. “Legally, neither ARPA money nor Act 12 sales tax money were (or could be) spent for wages,” said the spokesman.

However, Senator Wanggaard responded with “How do you justify a 150% increase for some of these positions?,” he told WTMJ. (RELATED: Wisconsin Democratic Aide Under Fire for Facebook Post About ‘Choosing Violence’) 

This report now has the attention of the Milwaukee Police Association, who have just entered contract renegotiations with the City.  The Association made a post earlier to Facebook acknowledging the data and calling for change. (RELATED: Milwaukee Mayor Shielded From Questions by Police Union During Arbitration)