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Community leaders and city voters on what Mayor Johnson has done and still needs to do

Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson looks at Johnson's early accomplishments and challenges ahead.
Cavalier Johnson
Posted at 6:03 PM, Apr 03, 2024
and last updated 2024-04-04 05:09:01-04

A decisive victory Tuesday night for Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson as he coasted to re-election for his first full four-year term as mayor.

"We began this journey with determination, said Johnson, guided by the belief that together we can accomplish great things."

In just two years on the job - the city's first elected African American Mayor has combined ambition and accomplishments with some success.

But big challenges await the city's 37-year-old mayor.

Jose Lazo represents the entrepreneurial spirit Milwaukee needs to succeed.

The retired police officer took a risk a few years ago to open Lazo's Taco restaurant on James Lovell and it's working.

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Joseph Lazo, Lazo's Taco restaurant.

Lazo has not met the Mayor but he likes what he sees so far under Cavalier Johnson's leadership.

"I think he's one of those guys that likes to listen to people."

In his victory speech - Mayor Johnson agreed there's still more work to do to improve public safety and economic opportunities for everyone in the city.

Johnson has already negotiated a new city sales tax to avoid fiscal crisis- navigated a new Brewers stadium funding deal, helped the city land the Republican National Convention, and seen a slight decline in violent crime and reckless driving.

Tim Sheehy has engaged Johnson to take on many of the city's big challenges.

"Albert Einstein once famously said that vision without execution is hallucination. And what I've seen so far in the mayor is he's had the vision, especially to get the city's funding in order and he's executed, said Sheehy.

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Tim Sheehy, Long-time former President and now Senior Advisor of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

The long-time former President and now Senior Advisor of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has been an active player in helping Milwaukee move the ball forward.

Sheehy's to-do request for the mayor?

"I'm hoping he leans into education. We need a mayor that is going to really buy into getting all of our kids educated across the city, and then helping us recruit companies into the region and I think he's capable of doing all those," said Sheehy.

Mayor Johnson supported the $252 million Milwaukee Public Schools referendum that narrowly passed but was opposed by Sheehy's MMAC organization.

Dr. Joan Prince and Johnson have collaborated on projects in the past including on the city's library board around literacy issues.

"He just had this passion around Milwaukee, when others would be naysayers. He would always come back with sort of a positive angle around this, said Dr Prince. How do we build the community? How do we build the city?"

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Dr. Joan Prince, former UW Milwaukee Vice Chancellor and now a UW Board of Regent

The former UW Milwaukee Vice Chancellor and now a UW Board of Regent knows and understands what Milwaukee needs to succeed. She's optimistic about Johnson's early accomplishments and aspirations- but says more needs to be done.

"We have major companies coming back downtown. As a child growing up here, we had companies down there and they left, but to see the downtown, economically starting to move up. I need to see that operationally in every zip code in the City of Milwaukee, said Prince. So bringing that economic health into the city itself. I'm going to press him on making that happen as well. "

TMJ4 talked with voters who generally say Johnson is doing a good job.

"I've been impressed with him, to be honest, said Roger Winter. I think he's a good representative for the city."

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Roger Winter, voter.

But Hazel Frazier had one big concern. "Mayor has done okay but I would like him to lower my taxes, said Frazier. I don't like the sales tax, it's too high."

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Hazel Frazier, voter.

For Milwaukee and the mayor to succeed - the owner at Lazo's Taco believes it's going to take collaboration - especially when tackling one of the city's biggest challenges - crime and public safety.

"We just need to, I think as a community, said Lazo. I think we just need to help him and maybe get more people in the police department to fight the crime."


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