Advocacy

The Alliance is a key partner in driving economic development in Waukesha County. To enhance the work of the Waukesha County Center for Growth, the county’s economic development organization, we advocate for policies that support business growth and keep Wisconsin competitive with other states. Waukesha County’s economy is inextricably linked to Milwaukee and the broader region – as such the Alliance is an active participant in efforts to build a vibrant regional economy.

1. Advocate for pro-business tax policies and a regulatory climate to keep Wisconsin competitive.
2. Drive solutions that increase workforce housing in Waukesha County.
3. Promote Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) programs that drive economic growth and align incentives to strategies that address workforce shortages, such as automation.
4. Protect Wisconsin’s Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit.
5. Promote the use and expansion of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) as a municipal economic development tool.
6. Increase exports and improve trade for Wisconsin businesses.
7. Promote government efficiency at the state, county and municipal levels.
8. Support entrepreneurship by connecting start-ups and early-stage companies to resources.
9. Support policies that enhance public safety, as businesses thrive in safe environments.
10. Serve as an advocate for the Waukesha County Center for Growth and promote the organization’s GROW Fund.

Workforce development is the number one issue facing Waukesha County, the Milwaukee 7 region and our state. The Alliance is committed to developing, identifying and supporting policy solutions that strengthen our region’s talent pipeline.

1. Advocate for state investment in talent attraction efforts to bring more individuals to Wisconsin.
2. Support transferable credits among higher education institutions.
3. Expand youth apprenticeship, dual enrollment, credit for prior learning and other opportunities for students to obtain career skills, experience and higher education credits.
4. Advocate for the state’s apprenticeship program and support a seamless bridge between youth apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship.
5. Support innovative post-secondary offerings and capital projects that align with local workforce demand.
6. Advocate for increasing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) education, including Wisconsin’s Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs) Grant Program.
7. Support collaboration among K-12 and post-secondary institutions to maximize course offerings and replicate best practices and curriculum development.
8. Support programs that help targeted populations enter or re-enter the workforce.
9. Identify and promote innovative employee attraction and retention solutions.
10. Advocate for programs to address the staffing shortage in education, including innovative updates to the credentialing process and criteria.

Waukesha County’s economic vitality depends on modern, safe and efficient infrastructure, from transportation, to technology, to water. We recognize the need for sustainable funding to meet the critical transportation infrastructure needs of our state. The effective flow of goods, services and people is fundamental to business growth and a vibrant economy.

1. Advocate for completion of the I-94 East-West corridor between 16th Street and 70th Street.
2. Connect employees with jobs in Waukesha County through cost-effective, efficient, flexible public and private transportation, transit and micro-transit options.
3. Advocate for statewide, sustainable, dedicated long-term transportation funding solutions.
4. Support expansion of intermodal shipping for the Port of Milwaukee.
5. Support public private partnerships to advance emerging technologies using existing infrastructure or deployment of new infrastructure.
6. Explore opportunities to support grid modernization.