up the total count in the month footer and also split up the complaint desc's defeating it's original purpose... 
I really didn't think this change was going to be a big deal, but a solution has evaded me for a while now. I've read similar questions and tried to follow examples but they didn't lead to my intended result.
Any Idea?

A:

I figured it out! Thank you to @UnhandledException who got me thinking on the right track.
So here's what I did:
The original query the report was based on contained the following:
Design mode:

Field | Year      | Month     | Complaint_Desc | Complaint# |
Total | Group By  | Group By  | Group By       | Group ByBeijing

﻿Beijing is a city with tremendous history and beautiful architecture. It was placed on display four years ago when Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics and presented one of the most breathtaking opening ceremonies seen in the modern Olympic games. We will be visiting just a few of the historic locations located in Beijing, China.