SB 95

Under current law, in a county with a population of at least 500,000 (presently

only Milwaukee County), county board supervisors are paid an annual salary that

is set by the board. In general, county board supervisors may receive other benefits

such as life and health insurance, and supervisors in counties other than Milwaukee

County are paid a per diem by the county for each day that the supervisor attends

a county board meeting. Current law provides a maximum number of days for which

a supervisor may receive such per diem payments, ranging from 20 to 30 days, based

on the population of the county.

Subject to approval by the electors in a referendum to be held in Milwaukee

County in April 2014, under this bill, county board supervisors in a county with a

population of at least 500,000 may be paid an annual salary that may not exceed the

annual per capita income of Milwaukee County, as determined by the U.S. Bureau

of the Census, beginning with the term that commences in April 2016. Currently, the

county's per capita annual income is approximately $24,000. Under the bill, a

Milwaukee County supervisor may not receive any additional compensation or

benefits, including health insurance and pension benefits, that are not authorized

or required by law, although the bill authorizes the board to provide the board

chairperson additional compensation, such that his or her salary may be up to 150

percent of the salary paid to a supervisor. The board may also provide the

chairperson of the finance committee additional compensation such that his or her

salary may be up to 125 percent of the salary paid to a supervisor. The board may

increase a supervisor's salary by the rate of inflation or, subject to approval by the

electors in a referendum, at a rate greater than the rate of inflation. In no case,

however, may the salary of a supervisor, other than the board chairperson and

finance committee chairperson, exceed the annual per capita income of Milwaukee

County, as determined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Currently, Milwaukee County employees are covered under the Milwaukee

County Employee's Retirement System (MCERS), a retirement system established

for a county having a population of 500,000 or more. MCERS is not part of the

Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), but is a separate retirement system.

The bill provides that no individual who is receiving an annuity under an

employee retirement system of a county having a population of 500,000 or more and

who is reemployed by the county may continue to receive the annuity if a similarly

situated individual who is receiving an annuity under WRS and who was reemployed

by a participating employer under that system would be required to terminate the

annuity. This provision first applies to individuals who terminate employment on

or after the bill's effective date.

Under current law, the term of a Milwaukee County supervisor is four years.

Under the bill, beginning with the spring election in 2016, the term of such a

supervisor is two years.