Scott Walker (politician) - Milwaukee County Executive

Milwaukee County Executive

Walker became Milwaukee County executive in a special election called in April 2002, after the former county executive, Tom Ament, resigned in the wake of a county pension fund scandal. He was elected to a four-year term in 2004, winning 57% of the vote to defeat former state budget director, David Riemer. He won another four-year term in 2008, defeating State Senator Lena Taylor with 59% of the vote.

Walker won the office on a platform of fiscal conservatism, promising to give back part of his own salary. He criticized other county workers who held onto their salaries. He said that his voluntary give-back gave him some moral authority in attempting to make cuts in the county budget. He continued returning $60,000 per year (slightly less than half of his salary) for several years, but by 2008, he reduced his give-back to $10,000 per year. During his eight years in office, there were disputes with the county board "over taxes, privatization of public services, quality of parks and public buildings, and delivery of social services", according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He never submitted a budget with a higher property tax levy than the county board had approved over his veto the prior year. He cut the number of county employees by more than 20%, and reduced the county's debt by 10%. The Greater Milwaukee Committee produced a report indicating the county was "in such dire financial shape that state lawmakers should push through legislation that would allow it and other local governments to file for bankruptcy", as reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.