Milwaukee County approves Building Bridges small-business program using WEDC grant and county reserve

Milwaukee County supervisors on Tuesday recommended creation of a small-business assistance program that pairs a $200,000 Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation grant with funds from the county—s Economic Development (ED) reserve to provide direct technical support and one-time grants to small businesses.

The program, presented by Timothy Schabow, deputy chief of staff to County Executive David Crowley, and Celia Benton, the county—s economic development director, would use the WEDC award to distribute $10,000 grants to qualifying small businesses and fund a small-business liaison position based in the county—s economic development office.

County administrators said the WEDC grant is competitive and targeted; Benton said "all of that $200,000 will go back directly in grants of $10,000 to small businesses." The program would make 20 grants initially (the presenters said the award provides $200,000), and the county would pair that award with ED reserve funds to build longer-term program capacity, including marketing and corridor activation.

Why it matters: County leaders said the program would make Milwaukee County a single point of contact for entrepreneurs struggling to navigate a fragmented offering of support organizations and municipal processes. Benton described the liaison as a "single point of contact" who would coordinate technical assistance, help entrepreneurs assemble teams for permitting and build relationships with municipalities, chambers and other business-support organizations.

Program design and money: Administrators described two funding sources: the WEDC award and a county ED reserve created by a 2011 board resolution. Aaron Hertzberg, director of administrative services, described the reserve—s history and said contributions to it ceased after 2014; the administration located remaining funds and proposed using them consistent with the 2011 resolution—s goal to invest in economic development. The county—s proposal requested a one-time transfer from that reserve to stand up the liaison and related work; supervisors asked for reporting and staged approvals.

Supervisors pressed administrators about oversight and longevity. Vice Chair Supervisor Steve Taylor proposed an amendment to stage the funding (short-term funding now, additional transfers later tied to reporting and the 2026 budget); administration officials warned a short-term funding approach could hamper recruitment of an experienced liaison. Benton said the goal would be to recruit the liaison by September. Schabow said the WEDC grant must be spent by the end of 2026.

Vote and next steps: On a motion by Supervisor Lynn Martinez the committee recommended the measure for adoption (5 ayes, 1 no). The administration said it would proceed with hiring steps if the full board and personnel committee approvals follow; supervisors asked for periodic reporting and said they expected the county would address long-running questions about how the ED reserve lost ongoing contributions after 2014.

Community context and risks: Supervisors representing both urban and suburban districts asked how the program would fairly reach businesses across municipalities and supervisory districts; Benton said the grants would be awarded on a rolling, vetted basis to businesses judged most likely to succeed and that the liaison would work to spread awareness across all districts. Several supervisors asked that the county return with program metrics during the 2026 budget process and recommended six-month reports. Administrators described the implementation risk as moderate because the program depends on locating and hiring a qualified liaison and on reconciling the ED reserve—s historical record.

Authorities referenced in committee discussion include the WEDC grant award (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation small business development grant) and the county—s 2011 resolution creating the Economic Development Reserve (as discussed on the record). The administration also cited "section 59.6 sub 8" in referring the file to other committees (as recorded in the meeting packet).