Fiscal Facts

The number of small businesses in the state expanded rapidly in the post-pandemic period, a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report finds.

Milwaukee Public Schools has proposed a 2027 budget that would tackle some immediate challenges and balance its books, but it would still leave the district facing an ominous long-term outlook, the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s annual review of district finances finds.

Lower rates of cigarette use translate to many health benefits for Wisconsinites, extending the lifespans of former smokers and sparing many state residents from life-altering chronic health conditions. Another consequence of this sweeping shift: Wisconsin’s reliance on cigarette tax revenue is waning.

As in the rest of Wisconsin, the pace of development in Jefferson County has slowed over the last decade, while its schools have seen sizable student enrollment declines.

In the last two decades, Wisconsin’s prison population has come to include growing numbers of older adults, those whose most serious offense was a violent crime, and those convicted of intoxicated driving.

Voters across Wisconsin approved 46 of 75 school district referenda this spring, a 61.3% approval rate that aligns with a recent downward trend. 

Milwaukee County municipalities may stand to benefit by working collaboratively to conduct property assessments, either with an in-house or contract assessor.

Women in Wisconsin hold a record share of corporate leadership positions, a recent Wisconsin Policy Forum analysis found. At the same time, parity has yet to be achieved despite decades of gradual gains. 

State prisons and county jails in Wisconsin in the 2020s have significantly expanded access to medications for opioid use disorder for those whom they incarcerate.

Building projects in metro Milwaukee are approved more quickly in cities that allow development to move through a streamlined review process so long as it meets appropriate standards for its proposed location.