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Council committee accepts $220,000 Cities Forward grant for civic engagement at Milwaukee Public Library
Summary
Milwaukee Public Library told the council committee it will use roughly $220,000 in Cities Forward funds to create civic engagement corners in branches, deliver quarterly programming and hire outreach staff; the committee accepted the award and referred funding to Finance and Personnel.
The Community Economic Development Board accepted and referred to Finance and Personnel a resolution authorizing the acceptance and expenditure of Cities Forward grant funding for civic engagement programming, after Milwaukee Public Library staff described planned uses.
A deputy library director (name not provided at the meeting) told the committee the City has been awarded “just over $220,000” to support a second year of Cities Forward programming. The award shifts the initiative away from voter registration activity toward broader civic engagement: the library will establish civic engagement corners at several branches, develop resources about voting and government functions, host quarterly programs, and offer library‑based field trips in partnership with educators. Melissa Howard, director of communications and community engagement for Milwaukee Public Library, said the funder’s data showed Milwaukee “did much better than a lot of our peer other cities in terms of voter turnout for the presidential this past year.”
The library said it will post a job for an outreach coordinator after the council approves the resolution and the city service commission clears the posting; staff said recruitment will include bilingual outreach. The library also said it will coordinate more closely with community outreach partners and participate in summer events.
Action taken: Alderman Dimitri Revich moved to accept the proposed Sub A to the resolution; the committee approved by unanimous consent. Alderman Revich then moved adoption and referral to Finance and Personnel; there were no objections and the motion was ordered.
Why it matters: The grant supports public civics education across several neighborhoods, staffing for community outreach, and programming intended to build trust in government and increase civic participation.
Follow‑up: Library staff said they will share a job description and more specifics with aldermen’s offices once the resolution is approved, and requested assistance from members in distributing outreach materials and scheduling library presence at neighborhood events.
