2027 Executive Budget: Let's Talk about the Budget!

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Thank you for joining my blog!

As you know, my favorite time of the year is not winter. It's budget season! This season has been a lot, and we are getting closer to the finish line. But I couldn't wrap things up without sharing a few highlights.

This year, in addition to including how the property tax levy is calculated, and budget navigation, I also want to focus on some areas of the budget that we don't always talk about, where the City's revenue comes from, and how the budget supports services that affect our daily lives.

PDF copy of the budget, referenced in this blog (includes page numbers)

PDF of the images shared (better visual quality and resolution)

First, a reminder: Make page 43 your best friend!

Every year, I encourage residents to spend some time with the Finance Summary table. This year, the most important page to start with is page 43.

I cover this information every budget season because I want residents to feel comfortable navigating the budget and understanding how the numbers connect.

The City Tax Rate Computation takes us through the process: starting with assessed property values, accounting for expenses and revenues, determining the property tax levy, and ultimately calculating the mill rate used to estimate our property tax obligation.

Let's break it down.

How is the property tax levy calculated?

The calculation starts with approximately $52 billion in assessed property value across residential, commercial, agricultural, and manufacturing properties.

Not all property is treated the same. Under state law, certain properties may qualify for tax exemptions. If you want to learn more about how property is assessed, visit the City's Annual Assessment Process page.

The Property Tax Assistance page has programs worth exploring. The City's Property Tax Assistance for Seniors is a program for homeowners aged 65 and older who meet certain income requirements.

The next part of the calculation is the property tax levy.

In simple terms, levy is the amount the City needs to collect through property taxes after accounting for other budgeted revenue sources.

For 2027, the City is budgeting approximately $477.5 million in operating expenses. After accounting for approximately $140 million in other revenue, the property tax levy is approximately $337.9 million.

The resulting mill rate is 0.69277%, or 0.0069277.

$337.9M 2027 Property taxes Collection
Wisconsin Statutes
Wisconsin state laws limit how municipalities can raise revenue and how much they can increase certain revenue sources. As a result, the City depends heavily on property taxes to fund services and operations.
For 2027, the City will collect approximately $337.9 million through property taxes. A significant portion of this funding supports employee salaries and benefits. That's because the people delivering services are one of the City's largest operating expenses.

$133M 51 other revenue sources
Property taxes are not the City's only source of revenue, though.
The 2027 budget includes 51 other revenue sources totaling approximately $133 million.
These sources include fees, grants, state aid, and other allowable revenue.
Some of the largest include:
Ambulance conveyance fees: $18 million
State highway aid: $13 million
Shared revenue: $10 million
Employee Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP): $8 million
The ambulance conveyance fee is particularly worth highlighting. If you want to learn more about ambulance billing, visit the City's Ambulance Rates page. You can also explore the Ambulance Hardship Waiver , which is designed to help eligible individuals who do not have health insurance.
For the complete list of revenue sources, look at pages 44–47 of the 2027 Executive Budget.

Where does the money go?

Now for the part that connects the budget to our everyday lives!

The 2027 operating budget totals approximately $477.5 million. Of that amount, approximately $195 million is invested in public services, which is more than 40% of the operating budget.

These are the services and operations residents encounter throughout the year. Think about the fire department responding to an emergency, police patrols, snow removal, street maintenance, parks, libraries, public health, and public transportation.

Other specific services worth exploring include:

Streets: snow and ice control, pavement maintenance, traffic signals, streetlights, and pedestrian and bicycle services.
Parks: maintaining public spaces, recreation opportunities, and neighborhood facilities.
Libraries: access to books, technology, programming, and welcoming public spaces.
Transit: the City's investment in public transportation.
Traffic Engineering: traffic safety improvements, and transportation-related services

I encourage you to explore the budget's table of contents and look beyond the agency names. The service details can tell you much more about what the City actually does and how those investments show up in your neighborhood.

Continue here & Next steps

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Budget