PolitiFact | Tom Barrett

The Poynter Institute

Tom Barrett has served as mayor of Milwaukee since 2004. He previously served in the U.S. House and the state Legislature. He lost bids for governor in 2002, 2010 and in the 2012 recall race against Gov. Scott Walker

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Mostly True

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Mostly False

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Pants on Fire

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Tom Barrett
stated on November 20, 2019 in a public forum:

Says since he took office, the City of Milwaukee has seen the creation of 7,000 new affordable housing units.

By D.L. Davis • February 17, 2020
Tom Barrett
stated on September 15, 2019 in an appearance on WISN-TV's UpFront:

Milwaukee has less taxing power than most similar cities and is the only U.S. city of 400,000 or more "that does not have a sales tax or local income tax."

By Eric Litke • September 18, 2019
Tom Barrett
stated on March 7, 2016 in a radio ad:

"Republican Bob Donovan" has "run as a Republican time and again."

By Tom Kertscher • March 11, 2016
Tom Barrett
stated on September 22, 2015 in a speech:

Every general City of Milwaukee employee "pays toward his or her pension, but approximately 88 percent of our police officers and firefighters do not."

By Tom Kertscher • September 30, 2015
Tom Barrett
stated on March 3, 2014 in an interview:

Using a surcharge on the cigarette tax to help pay for a new downtown sports arena "is not feasible under state law."

By James B. Nelson • March 13, 2014

Save Our City, Milwaukeeans Can't Wait
stated on July 7, 2017 in a recall filing:

Says Tom Barrett "has directed that tens of millions of City of Milwaukee tax dollars be used for the construction of a downtown trolley at the expense of: health and public safety; repair and replacement of public infrastructure; public education; and, job creation and economic development."

By Tom Kertscher • July 14, 2017
Bob Donovan
stated on January 29, 2016 in a Facebook post:

"This is the true picture of ‘Milwaukee's Renaissance’ after 12 years of Mayor Tom Barrett's leadership."

By Tom Kertscher • February 2, 2016
Bob Donovan
stated on July 29, 2014 in an interview:

Under Mayor Tom Barrett, the number of Milwaukee police officers "has not increased."

By Dave Umhoefer • August 18, 2014
Robin Vos
stated on May 30, 2014 in a radio interview:

"In the city of Milwaukee, we’ve still got a mayor and a police chief who are furloughing police officers at a time when we have violence all across the city."

By James B. Nelson • June 11, 2014
David A. Clarke Jr.
stated on May 19, 2014 in a news release:

Milwaukee has seen "an uptick in violence" since 2010, and "the only period of calm we get is when winter sets in."

By Dave Umhoefer • May 23, 2014

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