Common Council Adopts Amended 2027 City Budget
Today (Friday, November 6), the Common Council adopted an amended 2027 City of Milwaukee budget of approximately $2.2 billion. The budget included an amendment sponsored by Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic that emphasizes funding in areas residents value most: increased library accessibility, road funding, and investment in city employees who deliver direct services. The amendment includes restoring previously cut electrical services positions and a new bonus program to hire and attract more electricians to work for the city to improve street light repairs. This is in addition to a half-percent residency incentive increase for city employees. The amendment also reduces the Mayor’s proposed increase in overnight parking permit fees while increasing funding for the city’s High Impact Paving Program. The Alderwoman’s amendment also continues the popular Sunday library hours at Central Library and four additional branches.
The budget will now head to Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who will have until the close of business on Tuesday, November 17, 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 reflects residents’ priorities. “I’m proud that we were able to amend the Mayor’s proposed budget in a way that balances rising costs with the needed investment in areas our residents are asking for,” she said. “This budget seeks to make our city brighter, our roads smoother, and our organization healthier.”
“I 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 2027 City budget can be viewed here along with previous department presentations and other information. In total, the Council passed 63 amendments to the Mayor’s proposed budget. The 2027 tax rate will be $7.30, a $.31 decrease from 2026. The levy total will be $343,667,570, which is a 2% 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.
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