Taylor Supports Both County Board Reform Efforts

As discussion continues on dueling efforts to reform Milwaukee County government, County Supervisor Steve Taylor said Tuesday he supports them both. 

One proposal, which is making its way through the state Legislature, would marginalize the Board of Supervisors' role in many county affairs and put a referendum on supervisors' pay to Milwaukee County voters.

Opponents of that bill last week introduced a counter-proposal cutting supervisors' pay, though not as much, and reducing the board's staff by 50 percent.

Taylor, who represents most of Oak Creek on the board, has previously endorsed the state bill and voted in favor of the new proposal in a committee meeting Monday.

"I cannot cast a vote in Madison but I can in Milwaukee County," Taylor said in a statement.

Given that two of the three communities in his district overwhelmingly approved advisory referendums supporting a downsizing of the county board, Taylor said he would vote for reform at the local level if given the opportunity.

Not that he thought an opportunity would ever come.

"When I was campaigning for this position a little over a year ago and someone had told me this type of reform was possible, I would have asked in disbelief, 'what were you smoking?'" Taylor said.

Indeed, Taylor said in a post-election interview with Patch that while he agreed the county board should be downsized, he did not expect the board to propose any measures to do so.

But the state bill introduced by a former county supervisor, Republican state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, forced a group of county supervisors to develop an alternative proposal. County Executive Chris Abele and other backers of Sanfelippo's legislation are skeptical about the plan, according to a Journal Sentinel report.

Taylor said he hopes the counter proposal is a genuine effort toward reform. But he acknowledged it won't prevent state legislation from moving forward.

"If the bill in Madison passes, then for the most part what we have done becomes irrelevant," Taylor said. "However, if the bill is stalled, then we have put something into place that will make Milwaukee County govern more efficiently."