Barrett, council clash over police, fire board shakeup

Mayor uses prerogative, some object to choices

Mayor Tom Barrett is looking to shake up the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission — including replacing one board member who still wants to serve and has strong support from the Common Council.

Several members of the powerful civilian oversight board have terms ending next month.

The changes come as the commission continues to have a full slate of issues before it, including an ongoing audit of how the Milwaukee Police Department handled an internal investigation into the arrest of Bucks player Sterling Brown.

Barrett has proposed appointing two retirees from the city’s Police and Fire Departments to replace outgoing commissioners, but he is coming under fire for his decision not to reappoint Commissioner Marisabel Cabrera.

Cabrera, an immigration attorney, is running for the 9th Assembly District against incumbent State Rep. Josh Zepnick, D-Milwaukee.

Cabrera, who was not available for an interview, told Barrett in a letter she had “no desire” to leave the board. She also pointed out that Barrett had kept his position as mayor while running for governor.

“While Commissioner Cabrera understands that it’s likely she’ll need to be replaced on the commission soon, she is still passionate about the work she does there and she would prefer to continue it as long as she can,” campaign spokeswoman Jessica Lovejoy said.

Council vs. mayor

A majority of the Common Council urged Barrett to reconsider his decision Wednesday, calling Cabrera thoughtful, independent and “free of undue influence.”

Council members praised Cabrera for her role in pushing back against last year’s short-lived changes to the Police Department’s immigration policy, which she and other critics said would have made it easier for officers to work with federal immigration agents.

They also accused Barrett of prioritizing “personal loyalty over public transparency and accountability.”

“It is difficult to imagine a worse time at which to send a message of this type to our residents,” they wrote.

The letter was signed by all of the council members except Council President Ashanti Hamilton, Ald. Terry Witkowski and Ald. Cavalier Johnson.

Ald. José Pérez said he “fundamentally” disagrees with not reappointing Cabrera.

“She’s done an outstanding job representing the community and being a strong voice,” he said. “And that’s exactly what needs to continue happening.”

Barrett’s office released a statement thanking Cabrera, Ann Wilson and Kathryn Hein for their service, saying, “Mayor Barrett appreciates the dedication of all residents who serve on boards and commissions.”

Building tension at City Hall

The tension over Cabrera’s reappointment comes after several council members accused Barrett of seeking to reassert control over the commission and forcing out its previous leader.

The former executive director, MaryNell Regan, resigned soon after the commission was criticized for violating Wisconsin’s open meetings law when it appointed Alfonso Morales as the city’s police chief to fulfill the former chief ’s term through January 2020.

Barrett and other city officials said they were blindsided by the appointment. Regan said she was asked to resign by Barrett’s chief of staff.

Since then, the Common Council confirmed her replacement, La Keisha Butler.

On Wednesday, the council approved a measure pushing a change in state law to allow commissioners to hire the executive director rather than going through a mayoral appointment process.

Another proposal recently pushed by Republicans at the state Capitol would have required a host of changes to Milwaukee’s FPC, including having at least one member with professional law enforcement experience and one with professional firefighting experience.

Barrett called the measure, which failed to pass the state Senate, an attack on local control.

‘The mayor’s prerogative’

In the past year, the commission has flexed its oversight power in a way rarely seen before.

The commission has acted as an independent body, ordering the former police chief to change the department’s pursuit policy and acting when it believed the department had improperly changed its immigration policy.

Commission Chairman Steven DeVougas, whose term is up this year, said he hopes to be reappointed. He said he has not seen the list of who Barrett has put forward.

“That’s the mayor’s prerogative to appoint,” he said in an interview.

New candidates

Barrett has proposed Everett Cocroft to replace the long-serving Hein; William Gielow to replace Wilson; and Mariana Rodriguez to replace Cabrera.

The appointees, who are city residents, are expected to attend community meetings set up by the Fire and Police Commission to discuss their candidacy. They also must appear before Common Council’s Public Safety and Health Committee, which meets June 28, before being approved by the full Common Council.