MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday to override Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s veto of Amendment 95, restoring $8 million in new capital funding to replace the fire department’s aging fleet.
Previous coverage: Longtime residents respond to budget proposals for MFD's aging fleet as mayor vetoes amendment
Last week, Johnson initially proposed $2 million for the fleet, then offered a $6 million compromise.
Tuesday’s override aims to “correct long-term underinvestment in the Fire Department’s equipment budget and to prevent future public safety failures” and reinstates the full amount adopted Nov. 7, according to a release from Ald. Peter Burgelis.
Watch: Milwaukee Common Council votes to override mayor’s veto on fire-equipment funding
“Public safety is not negotiable, and it cannot be funded on half measures or hope. Today the council refused to gamble with people’s lives,” said Ald. Peter Burgelis, author of Amendment 95. “This city has spent years kicking the Fire Department’s equipment needs down the road. That approach has put our firefighters and our residents one mechanical failure away from disaster. That ends today.”
Burgelis said Milwaukee’s aging fire fleet has been strained by years of deferred replacements, increasing call volumes, and escalating maintenance costs for outdated equipment.
The amendment also maintains the requirement that the Fire Department study modern deployment strategies, including the use of light-duty vehicles for medical calls, to extend the lifespan of heavy apparatus and improve long-term fleet sustainability.
When asked for comment, the mayor’s office said he would be available Tuesday afternoon to react to the council’s vote.
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