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Milwaukee County executive stalls shift of House of Correction control

By: Beth Kevit, [email protected]//March 20, 2013//

Milwaukee County executive stalls shift of House of Correction control

By: Beth Kevit, [email protected]//March 20, 2013//

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Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele vetoed a resolution Wednesday that would require Sheriff David Clarke Jr. provide access to the House of Correction to the interim superintendent.

According to Abele’s veto message, the resolution, drafted to work around Clarke’s refusal to allow access to the facility, would hinder his efforts to prepare the interim superintendent to take over.

The County Board approved transferring control of the HOC from Clarke to a superintendent through the 2013 budget and assigned an April 1 deadline. Clarke sued the county in December to retain control. The lawsuit, according to Abele’s veto message, is expected to “drag on for more than a year.”

Because of that uncertainty, Abele asked to delay the transfer of control until after the lawsuit is resolved. The resolution as drafted would have shifted the deadline to July 31.

The resolution also would require Clarke allow Michael Hafemann, whom Abele has named interim superintendent, to visit the facility and go through its records.

Both of those provisions were included in the original version of the resolution, which the board’s Judiciary, Safety and General Services Committee passed March 7.

But Supervisor David Cullen, who is not a member of the judiciary committee, submitted an amendment to the resolution during the board’s special meeting March 12 that would only require Clarke to allow Hafemann access after the board confirmed him as superintendent.

The County Board of Supervisors approved the amended resolution 12-4 at a special meeting March 12.

That amendment, according to Abele’s veto message, is the sticking point, as Abele does not intend to officially nominate Hafemann until after the lawsuit is resolved. The original resolution would have required Clarke to immediately grant that access to Hafemann, Abele and other county officials.

In his veto message, Abele asked the supervisors to reconsider the judiciary committee’s original resolution at their full board meeting on Thursday.

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