County funds dedicated to arts/culture dropped dramatically from 1,258,474 in 1987 to $500,000 in 1996. The shrinking county funds available for arts/culture groups are due to many unfunded state and local mandates in combination with caps imposed on property taxes.

Based on a survey of 5000 people, Milwaukee County residents, think parks and cultural facilities are extremely important and very important respectively. The commission recommended that the county provide steady minimal funding for publicly supported arts programs, but emphasized the need for private partnerships for an increased portion of arts/cultural program support. Examples of existing partnerships are the PGA/County owned golf courses, private restaurants in county parts and use of private organizations to run concession and equipment rental operations at county owned facilities. The commission also encourages ‘friends of’ organizations such as the Milwaukee Zoological Society to help with fund raising and volunteer recruitment.