Milwaukee County's "living wage" ordinance will cost taxpayers after all

Milwaukee County`s “living wage” ordinance will cost taxpayers after all

Milwaukee County`s "living wage" ordinance will cost taxpayers after all

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee County plans to hire three people to enforce Milwaukee's "living wage" requirement -- and it's going to cost taxpayers.

The Milwaukee County Board in March overrode a veto of the "living wage" law by County Executive Chris Abele -- who argued it would increase County spending.

The three employees will watch companies who do business with Milwaukee County to be sure they are following the living wage requirement.

They will work in the Milwaukee County Comptroller's Office -- and it will cost $78,374 to bring them on board in August or September.

The three positions will cost $217,369 next year -- according to the Milwaukee Business Journal, which got that number from a County report.

The "living wage" requirement applies to employees working under service contracts or leases with the County worth at least $20,000 or in developments receiving at least $1 million in County subsidies.

The living wage requirement raises the minimum wage for these workers to $11.32 an hour.

The Milwaukee County Board on Thursday, April 24th approved the money for the new employees by a 14-4 vote.

Some County Board members aren't happy to learn about the extra costs this year and in the future.

"$78,000 -- but annually $218,000. It's not going to cost taxpayers anything? That was B.S. -- and it proves it right here," County Supervisor Steve Taylor said.

"We have people in the Audit Department that say to comply with the County ordinances that we pass that we'd like some more staffing and more equipment. It's a common sense request. It's not a bunch of garbage. It's just government functioning like it should be," County Supervisor John Weishan Jr. said.

CLICK HERE for more on this story via the Milwaukee Business Journal.