On the Issues: Rob Henken

Rob Henken, president of the Public Policy Forum

Like many cities, Milwaukee has to deliver core public services for its residents, businesses, and visitors.  It has to meet the city’s retirement obligations, repair its aging infrastructure, and keep its streets safe.  But unlike many cities, Milwaukee has few options for generating the revenue needed to pay for those core services, forcing the city to lean increasingly on property owners.  The Public Policy Forum calls the city’s tax structure “broken” and says it has outlived its effectiveness.  So what can be done about it?  In a new report, the PPF looks at how other cities are generating revenue to pay the bills, and whether any of those approaches might work in Milwaukee.  Join us for this important community conversation, when PPF President Rob Henken visits the Lubar Center at Eckstein Hall.