Milwaukee Council Backs $1.8M Grocery Retention Fund

The Common Council approved a 2027 budget amendment as eight grocery stores have closed across north Milwaukee and Oak Creek since June 2025.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Saving

Milwaukee Council Backs $1.8M Grocery Retention Fund

Live Poll

Should Milwaukee use public money to keep neighborhood grocery stores and pharmacies open?

The Milwaukee Common Council approved a 2027 budget amendment adding a separate $1.8 million account for grocery and pharmacy retention. The Council plans to offset the funding with an increased withdrawal from the Tax Stabilization Fund.

Why it matters

The amendment follows the closure of several grocery stores and pharmacies in the Milwaukee area, and eight stores between the north side and Oak Creek have shut since June 2025. Residents in affected neighborhoods have lost nearby access to groceries.

The Council's 2026 legislation included $2.8 million for grocery and pharmacy retention, while the 2027 amendment adds $1.8 million. Whether the Tax Stabilization Fund withdrawal needed to offset the amendment will be approved by a separate Common Council resolution has not been determined.

The players

Milwaukee Common Council

The legislative body of the City of Milwaukee that approves the city's budget and related funding measures.

Kroger

The national supermarket chain that operated the five closed Pick 'n Save stores included in the Milwaukee-area closures.

Aldi

The discount grocery chain that operated two of the eight closed stores, one of which has a pending redevelopment permit application.

The details

The amendment creates a separate funding account slated for use in 2027 and is intended to be budget neutral, with no impact on property taxes if the offset is adopted. Closures have concentrated within a roughly three-mile radius on the far northwest side, with the affected stores spanning about 15 miles.

June 2025: First of eight grocery store closures begins.
April 2026: Council introduces $2.8 million grocery retention legislation.
Early 2026: Former Sentry Foods store at 6350 W. Silver Spring Drive closes.
July 2026: Permit application filed to open Hopkins Grocery at the former Aldi at 5301 N. Hopkins St.

Economic Ripple

The amendment relies on an increased withdrawal from the Tax Stabilization Fund, the same reserve the City of Milwaukee draws on for budget shortfalls, to finance grocery and pharmacy retention. The closures follow a pattern in which grocery retail exits leave neighborhoods without nearby supermarkets, prompting local governments to step in with direct funding.

Residents in affected areas may face longer trips to buy groceries and fill prescriptions if nearby stores stay closed. If the Tax Stabilization Fund withdrawal is adopted, the amendment would add funding without raising property taxes.

The takeaway

Households in areas losing grocery access can track local budget decisions to see whether retention funding reaches their neighborhood, and compare nearby store options before a closure leaves them with fewer choices.