Milwaukee County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb on Thursdayfiled a lawsuit against County Executive Chris Abele. Lipscomb says he has serious concerns over extent of the County Executive's powers, especially as it pertains to county employee pay.
In the lawsuit, Lipscomb contends, Abele "since the enactment of Act 14, has refused to implement compensation policies enacted and directed by the Board."
Regarding the suit, Lipscomb issued this statement:
We are forced to respond to the Executive’s overreach and his creation of a shadow system of compensation to increase the pay of his political appointees, as well as his continued refusal to appear before the public in committee meetings as required by law. We file this action because our citizens respect the checks and balances in their government, and the County Executive is not above the law. With today’s action, we ask the Courts to hold the County Executive accountable to the law.
Melissa Baldauff, director of communications for Abele's office, offered this statement:
The county executive is incredibly proud of the team whose great work allowed him to offer a budget that gives pay raises across the board, holds taxes flat for the fifth year in a row, and makes significant investments in economic development, transit, and mental health. County staff has spent hours answering the County Board’s questions about this budget. During that time surely the Board heard about programs that could benefit from hundreds of thousands of dollars in public resources, yet they are instead choosing to spend money on a lawsuit that seeks to cut pay for County workers.
