Taylor Flips Position, Votes Against County Board Reform

Just three days after supporting a county board reform package, County Supervisor Steve Taylor reversed course and voted against the measure when it came to the full board.

Taylor voted yes on the proposal, which cuts supervisors' pay by 20 percent and reduces the board's staff by 50 percent, in a committee meeting Monday. 

But he said he flipped his position after a Journal Sentinel story alleging the county board was negotiating with a de-certified union, which is illegal under Act 10.

"Act 10 is the law of the land and if members of the board are willingly and knowingly violating this law, then how can I honestly trust that they will follow through with the proposed board reforms," Taylor said in a statement.

"This is the first time in my nine-year political career that I can recall where in less than 24 hours after voting on an issue I felt that I made a mistake. Rarely in politics do you get a do-over and I decided to take full advantage of this opportunity, reverse my decision and vote against the board’s reform proposal."

"Due to what appears to have gone on behind closed doors over the past few months, my confidence in this body and its leadership has greatly eroded. That is why the only chance for real reform to take place in Milwaukee County is for it to occur in Madison."

The county board measure was in response to a state bill that would institute more drastic cuts, marginalize the Board of Supervisors' role in many county affairs and put a referendum on supervisors' pay to Milwaukee County voters.

"While the state is attempting to mandate board change without local support, without even a hearing in Milwaukee County, we have accomplished meaningful reform by listening to the residents of Milwaukee County," Board Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic said in a news release. "Reform without local buy-in cannot work. This is true local reform."