Milwaukee County officials are laying the groundwork to issue a request for redevelopment proposals for the Downtown Transit Center as part of the broader initiative to revitalize Milwaukee’s lakefront.

The county hasn’t decided the precise duties, salary or size of the comptroller’s staff. With only about three weeks left for candidates to gather 500 signatures and formally file to run for the position in the April election, the pressure is on for Manske – or any other potential candidates – to make a move.

The issue: A push by several Milwaukee County municipalities to seek a referendum on the downsizing of the County Board
Our stance: Since a majority of the board refuses to listen to anyone else, maybe a push from the communities that make up Milwaukee County will convince it to do the right thing.

On the night of Sept. 8, Gina M. Raimondo, a financier by trade, rolled up here with news no one wanted to hear: Rhode Island, she declared, was going broke.

This state has barely a million residents, but it is at least $6.8 billion short when it comes to funding pension plans for retired teachers, police officers and other public employees.

As state General Treasurer Gina M. Raimondo and Governor Chafee’s pension panel continue their work to address Rhode Island’s $9.4-billion local and state government pension crisis, leading state lawmakers say they are also eying their own pension-related meetings starting in a matter of weeks.

The Milwaukee County Board’s budget committee will hold three listening sessions this month on the county’s 2012 budget.

County Supervisor Michael Mayo, Sr., Chairman of the County Board’s Redistricting Committee, is inviting all interested Milwaukee County residents to attend a Public Hearing on redistricting Wednesday. The County is required to adjust districts based on results from the 2010 U.S. Census.