County officials point to jail overtime, staffing gaps and state underpayment as drivers of 2025 deficit; committee asks OSBP to form work group

Milwaukee County officials told the Committee on Finance on March 13 that persistent overtime, staffing vacancies and a mismatch between state reimbursements and actual CRC costs are the main drivers of a projected 2025 budget deficit, and the committee asked the county's Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance to convene a cross‑functional work group to seek solutions.

Chief Deputy Brian Barko of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office and jail leaders described rising overtime and vacancy rates as the top operational pressures. Barko said pay increases over recent years have raised overtime costs: "Since 2016, the deputy wage increased by 47%. The correction officer rate increased by 70%, and funding for overtime has not been fully adjusted to match those wage increases," he told the committee.

The work group mandate, adopted by the committee by a 5-1 vote, instructs the director of OSBP to develop options that preserve the county's debt service reserve where possible, identify permanent solutions for the sheriff's office and the Community Reintegration Center (CRC), collaborate with the courts to expand virtual hearings for noncriminal matters, and explore shared back‑office services with the City of Milwaukee. The resolution also asks the director to report regularly to the board and seek county board approval for any actions that require formal authorization.

Why it matters

Committee members and county staff framed the issue as one that affects public safety operations and the county's fiscal stability. The sheriff's office and CRC consume large shares of the overtime budget, and the comptroller's first fiscal projection for 2025 flagged a possible countywide shortfall. The work group is intended to create a single forum to coordinate operational, budgetary and policy options across the courts, the sheriff, the CRC and administration.

Details from presentations

Sheriff's office: Barko and jail leaders described multiple drivers of overtime: statutory and court‑related duties, vacancy rates in patrol and corrections, hospital watches and increased nonwork leave such as FMLA. Barko estimated deputy vacancies at about 40 positions and told the committee the jail had "about a 22% vacancy rate" for correctional officers, which he said translated to roughly 50 vacant correction officer posts. He said the agency has stopped mandatory overtime to reduce resignations, is piloting a lateral transfer program for sworn deputies from other agencies to shorten training time, and has engaged an IACP staffing study now in the data‑collection phase.

Recruitment and retention steps: Assistant/Deputy director Rue Gaber and other jail staff described outreach partnerships with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development job centers, MATC recruitment events (April 2 and April 30), veterans employment services and vocational rehab. Gaber said the jail now runs stay interviews, supervisory training programs, a referral incentive for employees who recruit hires, and a rolling application process tied to the capacity of background investigators. She said county pay increases have helped retention: "People are staying, first of all, for the pay. Thank you, County Board, for raising the pay," she said.

Community Reintegration Center: Superintendent Shantel Jewell and fiscal administrator Michael Bickerstaff said CRC overtime and a drop in expected DOC referrals are major budget pressures. Jewell said five main factors drive the CRC deficit: the court backlog (which increases jail population pressure and creates transfer demand), higher FMLA use, extra vacation time vesting for newer hires, hospital runs and hospital watches, and correction officer vacancies.

Bickerstaff gave overtime comparisons: he reported the CRC's overtime hours rose year over year in early 2025 versus early 2024 (first five pay periods), and the agency is seeing a multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar increase in overtime pay in that window. He said the CRC's vacancy count represents roughly a 22% vacancy rate.

State reimbursement limits: Jewell said the Department of Corrections pays $60 per resident the CRC receives, while the county's cost to house those residents is roughly "a little bit over $100" per day, creating a structural gap. She said the legislative process determines the reimbursement level and that state officials indicated they cannot unilaterally change that rate.

Committee direction and next steps

Supervisor Rolland (mover) and other members pressed for visible, coordinated action. The adopted by‑the‑committee resolution asks OSBP to convene a cross‑functional working group to, among other tasks, prioritize preserving the debt service reserve, identify permanent solutions for the sheriff and CRC deficits, work with the chief judge on virtual hearings for noncriminal matters to reduce bailiff demands, and explore front‑ and back‑office shared services with the City of Milwaukee. OSBP director Joe Lamers told the committee the administration already monitors the issues and will coordinate with departments but welcomed the formal direction.

Concerns and constraints

Presenters emphasized limits on quick fixes. Barko said filling vacancies will reduce overtime but will not fully eliminate it because of legally mandated duties and court demands; Gaber and jail managers warned that reductions in overtime can mean reducing programming or increasing time held in cells. Jewell said CRC has reached operational reductions short of affecting safety and has moved to contract background investigators to speed hiring.

Public‑safety and fiscal context

Comptroller office projections presented earlier in the meeting flagged a countywide preliminary shortfall in 2025 driven in part by the sheriff's office and CRC deficits. Committee members pressed for more public advocacy with state legislators to address mandated services that generate local cost but receive limited state reimbursement.

Ending

The committee adopted the resolution instructing OSBP to convene the work group, and members asked for frequent updates. Staff said some staffing studies (IACP) and audits already underway will feed the work group's recommendations, and supervisors requested that any legislative advocacy be both public and coordinated.