Mayor· 2021-12-22 to 2028-04-01 (took office December 22, 2021 per Wikipedia infobox; month-level end: April 2028, four-year term cycle matching aldermanic Legistar OfficeRecord end 2028-04-17; mayoral end inferred from the April 2024 election cycle)
Cavalier Johnson
Milwaukee
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 2
- Total speaking time
- 11:59
- Avg per meeting
- 6:00
- Segments
- 116
Want every word Johnson has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Johnson said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (20)
Lead abatement referrals with Milwaukee County
Not stated on the floor.
Healthy Food Establishment Fund / Feed the Change MKE
Speakers asked for $1 million in the 2027 budget for the fund.
Claims against the city disallowed
About $5.7M paid in 2026 so far, plus the new $500K transfer leaving roughly $1.15M in the contingency fund.
2027 budget process and fee schedule
Amendments shift millions across the budget, including $6 million in new borrowing for paving with about $575,000 a year in added debt service.
Flock license plate reader contract and mass surveillance
Taxpayer money funds the Flock contract through no-bid renewals, plus potential liability costs from misuse-related lawsuits.
Proposed 2027 city budget
A 2027 property tax levy increase below inflation, plus higher parking fines/meter/permit fees; the mayor notes the state has shorted Milwaukee roughly $200 million a year since the 1996 shared-revenue freeze.
Amani Homeownership Initiative — 95 new homes
Details not stated on the floor; the project is financed through TID No. 136.
Flock surveillance and automated license plate readers in the 2027 budget
Flock has been funded by a grant that expires January 1, 2027, and the department's plans for continued funding are undecided — alderwomen are threatening to strip it from the 2027 budget.
Fireworks, parking and traffic control ordinances
The 10-day suspension means roughly a week and a half of lost revenue for the tavern while neighbors get relief.
911 call incident investigation and Emergency Communications demotions
Budget drops $1.4 million (5.2%), though operating costs rise for the new 911 phone system.
Pothole backlog and street maintenance capacity
$350,000 for an additional road patcher added to the proposed budget after public feedback; two hotbox trailers also funded.
Workday implementation and gender identity options
Workday is years in process, overdue, and over its projected budget; server consolidation is a $3.84 million capital item this year.
Notification of expired zoning approvals
BOZA says it can generate the notifications with existing IT tools, so no major new cost is expected.
Beating of Nicholas Beaman, Kennedy Gray and Jada Barry
The $1 million Knox claim and $250,000 Johnson claim were denied, but both remain in pending litigation that could cost the city if plaintiffs prevail.
Nuisance premises SOP improvements
No fees were at issue in this item; the designation itself was withdrawn.
One-year pause on data center development
No direct cost; the pause could shape future tax base if data centers are later approved or blocked.
City claim denials and small-claims recourse
About $5.7M paid in 2026 so far, plus the new $500K transfer leaving roughly $1.15M in the contingency fund.
Copper wire theft and streetlight outages
Nearly $800,000 in stolen cable so far, not counting labor to replace it.
One-year data center moratorium
The city is studying whether data centers could add revenue — possibly even water utility income — or strain the power grid and raise energy costs for residents.
2027 Police Department budget and staffing
About $34 million more than 2026, pushing an already strained city budget higher.
Decisions during term (1121)
Recorded while Johnson was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.