Abele to cut Milwaukee County's $3 million paramedic subsidy

Milwaukee County would end its $3 million annual payment toward local paramedic programs, under a cut County Executive Chris Abele says he'll include in his 2012 budget. Abele announced his intention to eliminate the payments to municipal fire departments as part of his plans to fill a projected county shortfall of up to $55 million during a meeting Monday with municipal leaders from the county. In a statement released Tuesday, Abele called the county payments "an out-of-date subsidy" that had been continued for years after the county turned over billing for paramedic services to the local communities. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/14)