FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2018

Contact: Brian Rothgery, 414-278-4230
or brian.rothgery@milwaukeecountywi.gov

MILWAUKEE – The County Board rejected four contracts totaling more than $1,875,000 with troubled non-profit UNISON Thursday, after adopting an amendment from Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr., calling for the county to procure the services from another vendor or provide them directly.

The problems with the management and oversight at UNISON are too serious to ignore. Taxpayers need to have the highest confidence that Milwaukee County contracts with vendors that operate with the utmost integrity at all levels, said Lipscomb.

The CEO of UNISON, a provider of senior services including operation of the County’s five senior centers, was arrested in late November and is currently facing allegations of embezzlement.

Milwaukee County’s Department on Aging originally recommended continuing to contract with UNISON for 2019.

Chairman Lipscomb first proposed rejecting the UNISON contracts at the December 6 meeting of the County Board’s Committee on Finance and Audit.

On December 11, the Director of the Department on Aging reversed course and recommended that the county not contract with UNISON in 2019.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email