Why the Common Council’s Amended Budget is Good Policy for Milwaukee

Milwaukee City Hall. Photo by Urban Milwaukee staff.

The amendments made by the Common Council to the Mayor’s proposed executive budget were crafted with the community in mind and offered only after one of the most open and participatory budget processes in recent memory.

For months, the Common Council has worked to build a budget that doesn’t just manage services, but actively invests in the people and neighborhoods that make Milwaukee home. Plainly put, the Council invested in human capital, block by block.

These amendments are not mere adjustments; they are a clear statement of our values, as the level of government closest to the people.

Our amended budget is unified by a central theme: investing directly in our neighborhoods to improve the quality of life for every resident. This vision is concentrated on three critical areas: supporting our workforce, strengthening housing stability, and expanding access to essential services. Our two districts are different and demonstrate the need for citywide collaboration. We are united by wanting more homeownership, more city workers residing in our districts, and high-quality city services that our residents demand and deserve.

Our city employees – the sanitation workers, librarians, inspectors, and public safety personnel – are the backbone of Milwaukee. They keep our city running, often under challenging circumstances. To retain these dedicated public servants and encourage more city residents to join their ranks, we added a modest additional wage increase for general city workers who live in Milwaukee. This targeted approach is designed to help offset inflation and reward employees who are also our neighbors.

By increasing the residency incentive, we are also doubling down on our commitment to local hiring. This is sound economic policy. It encourages our workers to live in the areas they serve, keeping their dollars in our local economy and strengthening civic bonds between employees and the community.

The stability of a neighborhood starts with the stability of its residents. For too long, Milwaukee has struggled with a deep homeownership gap and a crisis of housing insecurity. Our amended budget directly addresses this challenge by increasing the funding needed by $800,000 for the successful Milwaukee Home Down Payment Assistance Program. This is a direct, metrics-based pathway to homeownership for low-to-moderate-income families, enabling them to build generational wealth and stabilize our city’s tax base. While we represent two distinct areas with divergent median household incomes, we are united in our action to change the trajectory of home ownership in our city.

The proposed vetoes will result in cuts to essential services, specifically our cherished public libraries. We cannot and will not go backward on services that directly benefit our families and children. Our amendments not only preserve Sunday hours at neighborhood libraries but also expand them to additional branches. Libraries are more than just books; they are safe, free community anchors that offer job resources, digital access and educational programming. Expanding hours makes these vital resources accessible to working families and students on the only day many have off, and is a direct reflection of what our residents are asking for. It sends a clear message: Libraries are not optional, they are our third space.

The Council package wisely invests in more life-saving fire equipment. We’re in a reality where wheels are falling off of fire trucks, and our fire department is having to borrow vehicles from suburban departments. Continuing to defer the replacement of fire apparatus is failing to meet our city’s needs and reflects poor fiscal planning. Hard decisions were made to redirect limited city resources to add another $8 million to purchase desperately needed fire engines and trucks to ensure that every Milwaukeean, whether it be in Metcalfe Park or Bay View, receives the fastest response when an emergency arises.

We stand committed and united to continue to build a city where we all have an opportunity to thrive, not just survive. That takes courage, planning, and action.

Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee and Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Chair of the Community and Economic Development Committee