I am Jeff Stone, and I want to be your next Milwaukee County Executive. I come to you today as a small business owner, a longtime Milwaukee County resident and a person who understands the challenges of living within a tight budget. My experience in running a business and serving in government, both locally and at the state level, has brought me to this moment. A moment when I offer my commitment
to bring together businesses, workers, the County Board and others in the community to embrace unique, high quality, affordable solutions for Milwaukee County. There is an opportunity now to lead Milwaukee County into a more modern and progressive way of doing business. Everything we do will be measured by a single standard; does it create jobs? During the first 100 days of my administration I will meet with the leaders of at least 50 of the County’s most dynamic companies to see what can be done to help them add employees now. At any point, if there is a company that is looking to bring as few as 5 or more new jobs into the County, I stand ready to hear how we can best help them grow and prosper. In addition to the focus on business growth and development, dealing with the financial health of the County is critical. Milwaukee County is not alone in facing budget issues. Many local governments, along with the State and Federal Government are encountering serious financial challenges as well. We need to look at all options to keep our County financially viable . . . Almost everyone realizes that raising taxes during a recession is a poor idea and will kill job opportunities. I will not allow Milwaukee County to be turned into a high tax island with fewer jobs and opportunities for our citizens. I look forward to working with anyone and everyone that is committed to taking responsible and effective measures to deal with the challenges our County is facing. I’m here to commit to a future where recent graduates can build rewarding careers . . . and where long term workers can enjoy success and family stability. We will lead the way in job growth because our future is one where our natural resources and human resources will stand above all. Not so long ago, as new legislators, Governor-elect Walker and I car pooled to Madison. Most often the conversation on those rides centered around our hopes for Wisconsin. We shared a vision to help create prosperity. As Milwaukee County Executive, I will create a new working partnership between the State Capitol and the County Courthouse; one that solves our challenges and creates opportunity. We need to focus on creating jobs and getting our fiscal house in order. I would be honored and pleased to lead those efforts so Milwaukee County once again has a strong financial foundation and sets the standard for economic development across the state and the nation.
