Common Council adopts amended 2026 City budget

Today (Friday, November 7), the Common Council adopted an amended 2026 City of Milwaukee budget in the amount of approximately $2 billion. The budget, via an omnibus amendment sponsored by Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic and adopted 13-1-1 by the Council, emphasizes investments in neighborhoods to bolster residents’ day-to-day quality of life. Among the items adopted in the omnibus amendment are expanded Sunday hours for libraries; funding for housing programs to increase homeownership and prevent eviction; and an investment in city employees who live in the city and who are the human infrastructure that keeps Milwaukee running. The budget will now head to Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who will have until the close of business on Tuesday, November 18, to sign the budget or issue any vetoes.

Finance and Personnel Committee Chair Alderwoman Dimitrijevic appreciates the collaborative effort and work to adopt a budget that is reflective of residents’ priorities. “This year we increased the opportunities for residents to participate in the budget process, and we took that feedback to adopt a budget that reflects the priorities of the people,” she said. “The Council adopted budget reflects democracy in action and is full of compromise.”

“I also want to thank my Council colleagues, the dedicated staff from the budget office, legislative reference bureau, and countless others who help throughout the budget process. This endeavor is always a large undertaking among many parties,” she continued.

All amendments to the 2026 City budget can be viewed here along with previous department presentations and other information. In total, the Council passed 56 amendments to the Mayor’s proposed budget. The 2026 tax rate will be $7.64, a $.65 decrease from 2025. The levy total will be $336,820,871, which is a 3.9% increase from the year before.

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.