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From the Director of Economic Development, DTPW, an informational report on the Milwaukee County Comprehensive Economic Development Plan progress. (INFORMATIONAL ONLY UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED BY THE COMMITTEE)
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BACKGROUND
Milwaukee County, in order to compete for talent and investment in the global economy, needs to continuously improve its capacity to support the generation of economic growth. Developing a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy is a first step towards building a framework to drive long term economic growth in Milwaukee County.
The need for a Comprehensive Economic Development Plan for Milwaukee County could not be greater. Currently, Milwaukee County is the only county in the seven-county region that does not have a Comprehensive Plan, putting Milwaukee County at a distinct disadvantage as it works to integrate and leverage its economic development drivers to grow industries and create value. Compared to other rustbelt counties in the Midwest (Allegheny, Marion, Hennepin, Cuyahoga, Wayne) Milwaukee County - the 44th largest county in the United States - is the only county without clear strategy for growth.
The State of the economy also underlies the need for a Comprehensive Economic Development Plan: The population of Milwaukee County has been relatively stagnant for two decades; a large percentage of the workforce is unprepared for the jobs in new “innovative economy” of the 21st century - and, even if they were, there is no regional transportation system to them to where the jobs are. The City of Milwaukee has recently been designated the fourth poorest city in the United States; a dubious honor that is only compounded by the fact that the region is considered one of the most segregated in the country. Faced with increasing competition and looking to cut cost and improve productivity, local businesses are constantly reassessing whether the county of Milwaukee gives them the competitive edge to compete in the globa...
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