Council Steps Up to Support City Workers by Overriding Mayoral Veto

Yesterday (Tuesday, November 25), the Common Council voted unanimously to override the Mayor’s vetoes related to the 2026 city budget. In doing so, we stepped up to ensure that our city workers, who are the human infrastructure that keeps Milwaukee running, receive the compensation bump they deserve.

Throughout the entire budget process, I received many calls and emails from, and had regular conversations with, residents who tremendously value the work our employees put forward every day. Throughout all these communications, one theme emerged. Our city workers cannot be overlooked.

While the Mayor’s veto represented a disagreement over a single percentage point of a raise, we must keep in mind what that percentage means. For many, it can be the difference between making a car payment, purchasing enough groceries, or being the deciding factor in whether they want to continue working for the city or seek a higher-paying job elsewhere.

The fact is that these employees push the city forward. To that end, a 3% pay increase for all general city employees, with an extra 1% increase for city residents, is the least we can do to show them that they are valued and that, as leaders within the city, we support them.

I want to thank my colleagues on the Council for standing with me in support of our city workers. I also want to thank the leadership and members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees labor union who fought for this pay increase. While I believe our city workers deserve even more, we remain under difficult financial constraints. The package we were able to adopt represents a compromise that made our 2026 budget stronger for our residents and friendlier to our workforce.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.