>> AND AS WE'VE ALL BEEN BRIEFED BY THE BUDGET OFFICE IN GREAT DETAIL, THE WOLF IS AT THE DOOR.

YOU CAN'T CHASE THE WOLF AWAY ANYMORE AND WE ARE DEALING WITH SOME SERIOUS CHALLENGES WHICH HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.

WE DID GET A SOLUTION.

THE STATE LEGISLATURE DID ENABLE US TO ADOPT A LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX OF 2%, WHICH RAISES REAL REVENUE.

I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING $193 BILLION A YEAR PLUS AND PRESUMABLY THAT WILL GROW AS THE ECONOMY GROWS IN THE YEARS GOING FORWARD.

>> CITY OF MILWAUKEE LEADERS ARE BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF AFTER THE COMMON COUNCIL THERE THIS WEEK VOTED IN FAVOR OF AN ADDITIONAL 2% SALES TAX TO STAVE OFF DEEP SERVICE CUTS AND LAY-OFFS DUE TOP MOUNTING PENSION DEBT, BUT AS PART OF THE NEGOTIATED SHARED REVENUE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT PACKAGE IN THE STATE BUDGET, THE MILWAUKEE SALES TAX CAME WITH POLICY PROVISIONS THAT DEEPLY DIVIDE THE CITY.

THINGS LIKE RETURNING POLICE OFFICERS TO THE CITY SCHOOLS, ELIMINATING FUNDING FOR DIVERSITY PROGRAMS, AND REQUIRING MINIMUM POLICE AND FIRE STAFFING.

MILWAUKEE MAYOR CAVALIER JOHNSON SAID IN TAKING THIS ACTION, THE COUNCIL HAS PROTECTED MILWAUKEE AND ITS RESIDENTS FROM UNIMAGINABLE CUTS TO LIBRARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.

MAYOR JOHNSON JOINS US NOW.

THANKS VERY MUCH FOR DOING SO.

>> THANK YOU.

>> HOWTDZ IT FEEL TO HAVE -- HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE SIGNED THIS INTO LAW TODAY?

>> IT FREE FEELS GREAT.

IT WAS A PROBLEM FOUR DECADES IN THE MAKING.

IT ELUDED MAYORS AND CITY COUNCIL'S AND GOVERNORS AND LEGISLATURES IN YEARS PAST, BUT WORKING TOGETHER IN A COLLABORATIVE, BIPARTISAN WAY, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS DONE AND PUT THE CITY ON A STRONGER FINANCIAL FOOTING FOR NOW AND FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND I FEEL VERY CONGRATULATE FEUD TO DELIVER THIS FOR THE CITIZENS OF MILWAUKEE, FOR OUR DAILY COMMUTERS, OUR VISITORS, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL IN TOWN FOR HARLEY-DAVIDSON'S ANNIVERSARY, AND OTHER BUSINESSES THAT CALL MILWAUKEE HOME.

>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S ROOM FOR MORE COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE AFTER THIS?

>> I DO, I REALLY, REALLY DO.

ON A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS, BUT PARTICULARLY ON SOMETHING THAT THE CITY'S BEEN CHALLENGED WITH, ESPECIALLY AS WE ENTERED INTO AND ARE COMING OUT OF THE COVID YEARS, AND THAT'S GUN VIOLENCE.

I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS WHAT IT IS.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A POLITICAL REALIST AS IT RELATES TO DEALING WITH THE LEGISLATURE, SO THERE WON'T BE SWEEPING LEGISLATION, BUT THERE MUST BE THINGS ON THE MARGINS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WORK ON, BECAUSE WHEN I GET UP AND I GET PHONECALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES FROM THE MILWAUKEE POLICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT PEOPLE BEING SHOT AND KILLED IN OUR CITY, AND INCLUDING OUR KIDS, I THINK THAT THAT PROBABLY ALSO TROUBLES LEGISLATORS AS WELL, INCLUDING REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS, TOO, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT ALL OF US CAN DO COLLECTIVELY IN ORDER TO TAKE ON THAT CHALLENGE THAT AFFECTS CITIES IN THIS CITY AND IN THIS STATE.

>> ON THE 2% SALES TAX, UP LET'S LISTEN TO ONE OF THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT VOTED AGAINST THE SALES TAX.

>> THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, I HAVE ASKED THAT WE PRIORITIZE THOSE AMONG US WHO DO NOT EARN A FAMILY SUSTAINING WAGE AND ARE ON FIXED INCOMES, CONTRARY TO THE NARRATIVE THAT HAS BEEN FASHIONED, I LOVE MILWAUKEE.

I WOULD ARGUE THAT CHOOSING TO REMAIN HERE KNOWING ALL OF THE STATISTICS ONLY COMPOUNDS THAT LOVE.

I DO NOT WANT TO SEE US FAIL.

I ALSO DO NOT WANT TO SAVE A CITY BY SACRIFICING CITIZENS.

>> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO SAY THAT THIS NEW TAX, WHEN ADDED TO THE EXISTING TAX AND POTENTIALLY A NEW COUNTY TAX WILL AMOUNT TO A 7.9% SALES TAX IN MILWAUKEE.

IS THAT LEGITIMATE HARDSHIP FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS AS SOME PEOPLE ARE SUGGESTING?

>> FIRST, FREDERICA, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I DON'T DOUBT THAT ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, INCLUDING THOSE THAT VOTED "NO" ON THIS HAD ANY LESS LOVE OR DESIRE FOR THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE THAN I DO OR THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THEY'RE COLLEAGUES THAT VOTED "YES" ON THIS, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT THE ACTION THAT THE COUNCIL TOOK WAS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANTLY.

THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO VOTED YEPTION O "YES" ON THIS TOOK STS TO CITIZENS WHO LIVE IN CHALLENGED NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THOSE IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS DEPEND ON.

IT'S DISTRICTS LIKE THOSE WHERE PEOPLE CALL THE POLICE THE MOST, DISTRICTS LIKE THOSE WHERE FIRE SERVICES AND MEDICAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE DEPENDED ON THE MOST.

IT'S DISTRICTS LIKE THOSE WHERE LIBRARY SERVICES ARE DEPENDENT ON THE MOST, AND SO THE ACTION BY THE COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO VOTED "YES" ON THE 2% SALES TAX INCREASE, PUTS US IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES TO ALL OF THOSE RESIDENTS, WHO ACTUALLY NEED THEM IN NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS MILWAUKEE AND INCLUDING IN LOW-INCOME DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY.

>> SO THE COUNCIL INTRODUCED LEGISLATION OPPOSING THE POLICY PART OF THIS DEAL WITH THE LEGISLATURE, INCLUDING LAWSUITS TO BLOCK PROVISIONS LIKE WHIMINAELIMINATING CERTAIN PROGN SCHOOLS.

DO YOU SUPPORT LISTI LITIGATIONR THOSE THINGS?

>> I BELIEVE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER, TO STILL GET THE CITY'S VALUES IMPLEMENTED, INSTILL WORK ON IMPLEMENTING DIVERDIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLN PROGRAMS IN MILWAUKEE, AND I INTEND TO DO JUST THAT.

I'M SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO GET OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS TEAM TO GO BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE TO START TO WORK TOWARDS THE REPEAL OF THE POLICY PROVISIONS THAT WERE THERE THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T THINK HAD ANY PLACE BEING IN THE BILL.

THEY DIDN'T NEED TO BE THERE.

I WISH IT WERE SIMPLY AN UP-AND-DOWN VOTE ON THE CITY'S FINANCES WHICH, OF COURSE, WAS NOT AN ISSUE THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY RELATED ONLY TO THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE.

COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE OF WISCONSIN HAD AN ISSUE WITH FUNDING COMING BACK FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, SO IT'S MY DESIRE, AGAIN, TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT WE WORK TO DELIVER DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS IN MILWAUKEE AND I THINK THERE ARE WAYS FOR US TO GO ABOUT IT EVEN NOW.

>> WHAT DO YOU ST SAY TO PEOPLEO SAID THAT YOU NEGOTIATED A BAD DEAL?

>> I SAY THAT THEY'RE WRONG.

THEY SIMPLY ARE.

LOOK.

THIS WAS A BIG, DIFFICULT, COMPLEX, BUT ULTIMATELY TRIUMPH FOR THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, AND THE REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE, THEY KNEW THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO SEE THE POLICIES THAT THEY WANTED TO IMPLEMENT IN MILWAUKEE ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES COME TO FRUITION WAS TO ATTACH IT TO SOMETHING THAT THE CITY NEEDED, AND AFTER FOUR DEKING OF STAGNATION DECADES OF STAGNATION AND REVENUES COMING BACK TO MILWAUKEE AND OUR FISCAL CLICHE INCHING CLOSER AND CLOSER, THE OPPORTUNITY WAS RIPE FOR THEM TO DO THAT.

SO, YES, THERE ARE NEGATIVE THINGS THAT THEY ATTACHED TO THE BILL AND THAT I FOUGHT AGAINST AND HAVE A STRONG AVERSION TO, BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET THE REPUBLICANS TO MOVE CONSIDERABLY FROM THEIR POSITION, MORE THAN 20 YEARS, PROBABLY 30 YEARS OF NOT ADDING A TAX FOR THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE.

SO THERE'S COMPROMISE ON BOTH SIDES.

WE GOT SOMETHING DONE THAT WAS EXTRAORDINARY FOR MILWAUKEE AND SETS THE CITY UP FOR SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE.

>> MAYOR CAVALIER JOHNSON,