Milwaukee leaders and taxpayers have made considerable progress from the dire fiscal cliff that the Wisconsin Policy Forum warned about several years ago. Last fall, we concluded our annual Milwaukee Budget Brief by recognizing the impact of the additional sales tax revenues that the city has received as a result of the 2023 legislation known as Act 12. The 2% city sales tax has kept at bay the financial pressures from pension and labor costs, aging streets, greater debt payments, a decreasing number of staff vacancies, and the added requirements in Act 12 itself to add police and firefighters over time. Milwaukee also has made progress in important areas such as reducing its murder rate and reinvesting in its aging streets and infrastructure.