Milwaukee's Common Council has voted to sustain Mayor Tom Barrett's three vetoes to his proposed 2005 budget, which means the city's budget for next year will result in a tax freeze.

Barrett "is absolutely pleased that he is able to keep his promise to taxpayers," said Carlene Orig, press secretary for the mayor.

The Common Council voted Tuesday in its regular meeting to keep the tax levy for next year at 2 percent, down from the 2.37 percent levy council members initially proposed Nov. 12. The tax rate will be $9.22 per $1,000, less than the $9.73 taxpayers are paying this year.

Orig said the budget will freeze the tax levy and still provide adequate services for the city.

Ten votes are required to override vetoes.

Council members spent most of the time debating moving up a police recruitment class from December to August. Barrett vetoed an amendment moving the class time to August, and the council sustained it, with eight votes in support of overriding the veto and seven votes against.

Alderman Mike D'Amato of the 3rd District said the police amendment to the budget would have cost over $600,000. He said the council should not barely miss the goal of a 2 percent tax levy because of the money that would be added for the police amendment.

"You've been fiscally responsible, but you haven't made the number to make the political point," D'Amato said.

For other council members, the police amendment issue was about public safety.

"If people do not feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods, nothing else we do as a city matters," said Alderman James Bohl, who represents the 5th District.

Alderman Bob Bauman of the 4th District, which includes Marquette, said cutting back on the budget would not matter to the state legislature.

"I think they would absolutely care less if we cut the levy in half," Bauman said.

The council had voted nine to six to pass the police amendment on Nov. 12. Alderman Ashanti Hamilton of the 1st District changed his vote from last time to vote against overriding the veto.

Hamilton said he heard members of the police force had beaten and abused residents in his neighborhood. He said the police should be able to do a better job with the funding they currently have.

"Adding more police officers is not the only way, and it's not going to lower crime," Hamilton said.

The class will take place in December, as originally planned.

The police department will follow through on the class date.

"We do whatever they tell us to do," said Sgt. Kenneth Henning, public information officer with the Milwaukee Police Department. "We wish we could have gotten (the amendment), but oh well."

The other two vetoes were voted on more quickly. The first vote was on an amendment for creating two additional prosecutor positions in the city attorney's office.

Tenth District Alderman Michael Murphy said the amendment called for the positions to last a year, when only 10 months were needed.

The council voted 10-5 to sustain Barrett's veto. Instead, they adopted an amendment that will allow funding for the prosecutor positions for 10 months.

Finally, the council went along with Barrett's veto of a proposition that would give $95,000 to the county district attorney's office to fund community prosecution activities.

D'Amato said such funding is the responsibility of the county, and the burden should not be placed on Milwaukee taxpayers.

"I think we should sustain the veto to send a message to the county executive that the City of Milwaukee is not going to pick up everything they're going to drop," D'Amato said.

The council voted 8-7 to override the veto, which was sustained.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Nov. 30, 2004.