Crowley administration disclosed $4.6 million budget error one day after election

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley's office revealed a $4.6 million error in the 2027 county budget on Wednesday, a day after Crowley secured his election as Wisconsin's next governor. The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt the $1.5 billion budget on Thursday, a decision overshadowed by the late disclosure of the fiscal mistake. Supervisors expressed frustration that the administration did not inform them until after the vote on Tuesday.

The error stemmed from a software glitch in the county's automated budget compilation process. Nick Sinram, the county budget director, explained that the system incorrectly inputted savings related to operations at Mitchell International Airport. Those savings did not exist. Sinram stated that his team identified the issue on October 20. He said the budget office delayed notifying the board because they wanted to investigate the problem thoroughly and propose specific remedies rather than presenting the error without a plan for correction.

"We choose to bring solutions to the board, not just problems," Sinram told reporters following the vote. When asked if his department could not finalize those solutions until after the election, he replied that the issue was complicated and required time to ensure the proposed fixes were realistic.

Supervisor Steve Taylor, who chairs the board's finance committee, called the timing of the disclosure "totally inappropriate." He noted that the $4.6 million gap represents approximately 0.03% of the total budget. Taylor said the delay broke a level of trust that will be difficult to restore. Supervisor Patti Logsdon echoed this sentiment, demanding greater transparency from the county administration.

Logsdon criticized the budget office's decision to withhold the information while searching for fixes. She argued that the finance committee exists to help find such solutions. "That is why we have a finance/budget committee, so they can help find those solutions," Logsdon said. "That's our job."

The board unanimously adopted an amendment on Thursday ordering the budget office to review its verification process. The amendment requires Sinram and his staff to present their findings to the board in January. This incident marks the third time in over a year that the Crowley administration has delayed disclosing a fiscal mistake. Previous errors included an $11 million budget gap at the Milwaukee County Transit System in summer 2025 and a lapsed health insurance contract in January 2026.

The memo sent to the board on Wednesday suggested potential remedies for the $4.6 million gap. These included prescription drug rebates, remaining balances from building projects, and savings from agency surpluses. Taylor dismissed these as hypotheticals rather than concrete solutions. Crowley has not commented directly on the error or the timing of the disclosure.