Madison Operating Budget Introduced

Earlier this week, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway introduced her proposed 2023 Operating Budget. The budget, which pays for much of what is considered basic services, totals $381.9 million, a six percent increase in spending from last year and the highest year-over-year increase since 2009.

The increase is in part attributable to one-time spending items, including employee payments and funding for a private-public endowment to support on-going homeless shelter operating costs. Also adding to the increase is the amount of spending to pay back borrowing (debt service), which increases nearly 10 percent.

Efforts to balance the budget is benefited by the successful closure of TID 25 downtown ($6.9 million windfall) and increased state and local revenues. The property tax levy increases by $14.2 million (5.5 percent), due in part to the Town of Madison annexation and net new construction. If approved, taxes on the average home ($376,900) would increase by nearly 4 percent ($110.97).

Among the Mayor’s budgeted priorities are:

• Salary increases and one-time payments for all employees
• Expansion of Madison CARES program to 7 days a week
• Increased funding for the Public Health Department’s Violence Prevention Team
• Increased funding for the Police Department
• Funding for Vision Zero traffic safety programs and infrastructure
• Expansion of staffing and hours at Public Health Madison & Dane County’s reproductive health clinic
• Expansion of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
• Funding for a new Mad-CAP program which assists low-income households pay for municipal service bills
• Funding for youth employment and internship opportunities

See full budget here.

Finance Committee hearings on the budget begin next week, with council deliberations occurring in mid-November.