At a time when business owners around Milwaukee are intent on increasing security staffing, a recently passed city ordinance presented an unnecessary, financially burdensome hurdle – until this week.
On Monday, the city of Milwaukee rescinded an ordinance that required licensure of security personnel. Those requiring a license included on-site employees, contractors or employees of a third-party security firm.
“We are pleased that the City has finally made the right decision,” said Emil Ovbiagele, attorney for several local small businesses that filed suit against the city. “Milwaukee can be a challenging environment for businesses due to excessive red tape and ambiguous licensing rules.”
A state law passed in 2015 prohibited municipalities from imposing new occupational fees or licenses on any profession, which Ovbiagele said made the city’s ordinance illegal. He added that such a measure would likely hurt some of the most vulnerable in the community.
“At its core, the ordinance was regressive, likely to unjustifiably exclude many workers from the private security profession, particularly people of color, while drastically increasing operational costs for small businesses and their owners,” he said.
MMAC spoke out against the ordinance after the lawsuit was filed.
“Although the ordinance is well-intentioned, it’s in violation of state law and will result in unintended consequences. It makes Milwaukee the most difficult city in Wisconsin for employers to hire security staff at a time when they’re looking to bolster safety for their guests and employees,” the statement read.
With the ordinance now rescinded, Ovbiagele said small businesses can focus on making their businesses successful without dealing with overregulation.
“With the law now rescinded and its enforcement stayed citywide, this is a significant victory for small businesses and workers,” he said.
