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Council hears hours-long confirmation hearing for interim DCWS director; members question selection process and funding stability

Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety and Health Committee · April 10, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Karen Tyler, interim director of the Department of Community Wellness and Safety, told the committee she aims to lead with a public-health lens; council members pressed her on the appointment process, prior searches, and whether the mayor will backfill grant shortfalls from the levy.

The Public Safety & Health Committee spent significant time on April 10 vetting Karen Tyler as the mayor’s nominee to lead the Department of Community Wellness and Safety (DCWS). Tyler, who has served in the office since 2017, told the committee she has a decade of public-health and violence-prevention experience and pledged a data-driven, community‑oriented approach.

Tyler said she has worked on disease-intervention, contact-tracing and citywide violence-prevention strategies and touted partnerships with community…

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