Fiscal Facts

Four years after the arrival of COVID-19, Wisconsin’s state finances are the strongest on record, with ample reserves and comparatively low debt levels.

Voters across Wisconsin approved 62 of the 103 school district referenda held in this year’s spring elections, the February primary and April general election.

The overall quality of Wisconsin’s paved local roads has deteriorated modestly since 2010, with Milwaukee having especially poor local road conditions relative to most of the state’s large cities.

In the years prior to the pandemic, Wisconsin’s reported homeless population shrank, following changes in programs to serve that population.

Home prices in Wisconsin have grown much faster than incomes in recent years, creating especially acute challenges for prospective first-time homebuyers.

In seeking approval to exceed state revenue limits in an April 2 referendum, Milwaukee Public Schools and its supporters can cite the district’s many challenges, such as a past lack of growth in revenue limits, workforce hurdles, and rates of students in poverty and with special learning needs.

With last year’s enactment of historic state legislation, most Wisconsin municipalities are receiving their first substantial increase in a generation in their main source of state aid, shared revenue.

Milwaukee County’s private-sector health care stakeholders increasingly are investing in strategies to help find and stabilize housing for the individuals they serve, and early assessments suggest these efforts are making a positive difference.

While the massive unmet capital and maintenance needs facing the Milwaukee County Parks will require a variety of far-reaching solutions, one strategy that county leaders could immediately pursue is partnering with municipalities and other local governments.

Wisconsin has seen a 17.7% drop in licensed school bus drivers over the past 15 years, creating challenges for school districts and the families they serve.