Wrestling with the Budget for 2025

Even though it is only the middle of February, the Madison Common Council is already aware that the next nine months will be dominated by the challenges of developing a budget for next year. We expect to face a potential deficit of around $27 million.

 This gap is due to the expiration of federal COVID-relief funds, the strict controls the state legislature has put upon our municipalities regarding tax levies, and the paltry aid to municipalities the state has provided, in spite of the state still sitting on a $3.25 billion surplus of taxpayer-provided money. 

The Finance Department has created a website providing an overview of the issue, and the potential solutions that might be employed to balance the 2025 budget. There will be a presentation on this topic at the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, February 13. The meeting begins with a couple of honoring resolutions. We expect the presentation to begin around 6:45 pm. The meeting will also be recorded, so you can view it at your leisure after the fact.