Southeast counties take hard hit in Walker budget. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 3/20/2011)

Excerpt:    Southeastern Wisconsin communities would be hit harder than the rest of the state by $151.2 million in aid cuts to local governments in Gov. Scott Walker's proposed 2011-'13 budget, state figures show.

Most municipalities in the four-county area, and all three suburban county governments, would face the maximum reductions in state-shared revenue, local road aid or both, according to calculations by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. As a group, all area governments together would bear a larger-than-average share of the statewide cut in road aid, and all suburban governments together would be hit with a disproportionately large part of the statewide cut in shared revenue, Walker administration figures show.

By contrast, the budget would offer a lesser cut in shared revenue for the Milwaukee city and county governments, the governor's figures show.

The bottom line: Less money for most area communities and counties to run police and fire departments, patch potholes, maintain parks and keep libraries open.