Votes at a glance: Finance committee approves airport and general obligation bond parameters, deferred‑comp contract and inmate‑calling amendment

The Milwaukee County Committee on Finance on March 13 approved a set of financing and contract measures and recorded the following outcomes.

Airport revenue bonds (Item 1)

The committee approved a parameters resolution authorizing issuance of airport revenue bonds for General Mitchell (Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport) with a not‑to‑exceed amount of $17,765,000. The Office of the Comptroller presented proposed components: roughly $15.7 million for project costs, about $355,000 for cost of issuance and underwriter discounts, a $470,000 project contingency, and a $1.2 million contribution to an airport debt service reserve. Parameters included a maximum true interest cost of 7%, final maturity no later than February 1, 2045, and a minimum purchase price of 99% of the par amount. Supervisor Balinski moved adoption; the motion carried unanimously in committee (7–0).

General obligation corporate purpose bonds (Item 2)

The committee approved a parameters resolution to issue general obligation corporate purpose bonds or promissory notes in an amount not to exceed $195,785,000 to finance various capital projects previously authorized by the board and county executive. Parameters included a maximum interest cost of 6.5%, an anticipated 10‑year call provision to permit future refunding, and a delegation to the county controller to approve final sale results consistent with the resolution. Supervisor Rowland moved adoption; the committee recommended approval 7–0.

Deferred compensation vendor contract (Item 8)

The committee recommended approval of a five‑year record‑keeping contract with Empower Retirement to administer Milwaukee County's 457(b) deferred compensation plan (effective 4/1/2025–3/31/2030 with up to two 1‑year extensions). The presenter said the plan serves roughly 5,500 participants and holds about $423 million in assets; the proposed price was about $21.50 per participant per year and included continued operation of the county's closed stable value fund (approximately $117 million in assets) and two on‑site Empower representatives. Supervisor O'Connor moved adoption; the committee recommended approval 7–0.

Inmate calling contract amendment with Inmate Calling Solutions (Item 12)

The committee voted to authorize a three‑year amendment with Inmate Calling Solutions LLC (ICS) for correctional communications (3/29/2025–3/28/2028) at the Milwaukee County Jail and Community Reintegration Center. Presenters and staff described the amendment as implementing a "free minutes" model (90 minutes of free telephone calls per week and 15 minutes of free video visitation per week), and noted the county does not receive calling commissions; under the amendment the vendor is paid by the people in custody and the county receives only tablet revenue that will fund one county deputy dedicated to managing the program.

The amendment also reflects reduced per‑minute rates following the FCC's 2024 order (FCC 24‑75), which county presenters said lowers phone rates from about $0.16/minute to $0.06 and video rates from about $0.40/minute to $0.11; presenters emphasized the county will receive no commission revenue from calls under the amendment. Public comment included objections to for‑profit telecom arrangements; advocate Ron Jansen said he preferred unlimited free calling and criticized for‑profit models, saying "I literally cried when I heard that the county exec had included free calling" and urging further reforms. Supervisor Rolland moved adoption; the committee approved the amendment 4–3 (4 ayes, 3 noes). Members voting in favor included the committee chair and a majority of supervisors present; three supervisors opposed, expressing concerns about remaining costs to incarcerated people and absence of a full financial impact estimate in the packet.

What was requested of staff

Committee members asked staff to provide additional financial analysis on the inmate calling amendment, including current per‑person and aggregate spending by people in county custody and projected costs under the new rate structure. The committee also requested that staff forward the presentation slides to the coordinator for the record.