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President's Message
I have written in previous messages about the virtues of the Governmental Research Association (GRA), the 100-year-old national association of public policy research organizations from across the country. Among the many benefits the Forum gains from being an active GRA member are the opportunity to discuss research ideas and findings with researchers from other states, as well as the chance to gain insights on fundraising, communications, and other organizational issues from fellow administrators.
Read on...
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Register now!
Viewpoint Luncheon: Milwaukee County's Future at the County Grounds
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New Members
Center for International Health
Milwaukee Public Museum
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Havenwoods Economic Development Corporation
Thomas Beug
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Local economic development leaders urged to heed successful lessons of the Menomonee Valley
The successful redevelopment of the Menomonee Valley - and the potential to replicate that success in other parts of Milwaukee - was the subject of a Forum report released on September 22 and a Viewpoint luncheon held that same day.
The report finds that several strategies utilized in the Valley could be adapted and applied to other large-scale redevelopment efforts in Milwaukee. Those include robust and widely inclusive planning and design activities, strong intergovernmental and public-private partnerships, and the assumption of financial risk by public sector entities to assemble and make properties "shovel ready."
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Report warns against near-term reductions in psychiatric inpatient beds
A report released in mid-September by the Forum and a team of national mental health consultants finds that for the immediate future, current adult psychiatric inpatient bed capacity in Milwaukee County is appropriate and should not be reduced further as part of mental health redesign efforts. Over the longer term, however, additional reductions in bed capacity should be possible, though it will depend on the ability of public and private stakeholders to better coordinate service delivery and expand community-based services that decrease the need for hospitalization.
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Region's property tax levies increase only minimally in 2014
The Forum's annual report on property values and property taxes in southeast Wisconsin found that the aggregate property tax levy in the region grew by only 0.2% ($8 million) from 2013 to 2014, continuing a three-year stretch of minimal increases or declines.
"This year's 0.2% increase in the region's aggregate gross property tax levy - combined with last year's growth of 1% and a decline in 2012 of 0.3% - means that the average property owner in the region has seen little change in his or her property tax bill in the past three years, unless the value of his or her property increased or decreased substantially," says the report.
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Greater Milwaukee's nonprofit sector characterized by robust growth but mounting competition
A report released by the Forum in mid-July finds that the number of nonprofit organizations in Greater Milwaukee has grown dramatically thanks to increased contributions from individuals, foundations, and other sources. The report also raises questions, however, about diminishing nonprofit capacity and the long-run viability of larger programs as a result of shrinking per-organization revenue.
"On the whole, it is reassuring to find that the nonprofit sector has expanded considerably in the past 25 years and that the philanthropic contributions that support it have similarly increased," says Phillip Laper, the Forum's 2013-14 Norman N. Gill Fellow and lead author of the report.
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Policy in a Pub focuses on City's strategic economic development plan
Close to 100 Forum members turned out to learn more about the City of Milwaukee's new strategic economic development plan at a Policy in a Pub event on July 21 at Jackson's Blue Ribbon Pub. The event featured Department of City Development Commissioner Rocky Marcoux, who presented the new plan, titled Growing Prosperity: An Action Agenda for Economic Growth in the City of Milwaukee. Marcoux cited the Forum's November 2011 report - "Assembling the Parts" - for spurring action on the planning process. Photos of the event can be accessed here.
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Forum welcomes two new senior researchers
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Mike Gavin
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Joe Yeado
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The Public Policy Forum's research team has been re-formulated and is poised to take the organization's nonpartisan policy research efforts to new heights. In early September, the Forum welcomed Joe Yeado and Mike Gavin to the research staff. Joe will focus on education issues, while Mike will specialize in local government finance. They replace Virginia Carlson, who left in June for a position with IMPACT Planning Council, and Vanessa Allen, who left in July to pursue her MBA at McGill University.
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Forum receives GRA award for arts and culture reports
 The Public Policy Forum's reports exploring the needs and funding options for Milwaukee's cultural and entertainment assets received national recognition in August from the Governmental Research Association (GRA) at its annual policy conference in Washington, D.C. The reports - "Pulling Back the Curtain" and "The Show Must Go On?"- received the GRA's "Most Effective Education" award for a regional issue.
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Forum in the news
The Forum was frequently featured in different media outlets in the 3rd quarter of 2014.
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Forum on the streets
Forum staff were busy disseminating research and sharing their policy insights with government and civic entities in the 3rd quarter of 2014.
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