Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s unilateral decision to lay off 10 employees at General Mitchell International Airport should be called into question. Several supervisors learned of the issue at the County Board’s Personnel Committee this week.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations forbid our airport from using local tax dollars, so the property tax levy cannot fund airport operations or capital improvements. Mitchell International is entirely funded by user fees.
It is simply preposterous to think that layoffs at the airport can be used to help balance the overall county budget. The county executive could lay off every employee at the airport, and property tax payers wouldn’t save a dime. Mitchell International is on track to serve a record-breaking 8 million passengers this year, and these layoffs only put our airport at risk.
With business booming at the airport, why in the world are we cutting the staff that provides high-quality services to travelers, and then justifying it with tax savings that are forbidden and impossible? According to a news release issued by the county executive earlier this week, passenger counts at Mitchell International in January were up 43 percent from a year earlier due to increased competition and additional passengers from northern Illinois.
The increase in usage comes despite a challenging economy and decreases in passengers experienced by airports nationwide.
I challenge the administration to tell the taxpayers of Milwaukee County how much they’ll save by laying off these employees and explain why cutting service will help.
Supervisor Chris Larson represents the 14th District, which includes General Mitchell International Airport.
