The Executive Capital Budget and District 19

What is the Executive Capital Budget?

Mayor Rhodes-Conway released the 2026 Executive Capital Budget and Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) on Wednesday, September 4. The capital budget covers expenditures for long-lived public assets including buildings, stormwater improvements, major equipment, and a wide range of infrastructure. There are two parts. The 2026 Executive Capital Budget proposes $285.2 million of expenditures between January 1 and December 31, 2026. The CIP proposes $1.38 billion of project expenditures for the ensuing five years.

Many of the capital projects take multiple years from design through completion. Funding comes from a variety of federal and state grants and from city borrowing. The impact on your property taxes is the portion that covers debt service on the borrowings – principal and interest. Madison typically originates loans for a ten-year period. Our City’s cautious borrowing has allowed it to get the highest possible credit rating for many years, which results in lower interest rates.

The Executive Capital Budget is an important step in the process. First, all agencies submit their capital requests. These are digested by the Mayor’s staff and the Finance Department and refined down to the Executive Capital Budget. In the next step, the Finance Committee will conduct hearings on sections, with presentations by the relevant agency staffs. The Finance Committee typically makes some amendments. It will eventually go to the Common Council, which will also consider amendments. A final “Adopted Capital Budget and CIP” will be finalized by the Common Council in November.

There are many ways to slice and analyze the Executive Capital Budget. An Executive Capital Budget Summary of 22 pages has been posted by the Finance Department. You can also inspect the full 285 pages of the Full Executive Capital Budget. The following table looks at the biggest high-priority projects.

Image credit: Madison Common Council

What is in the Capital Budget for District 19?

Numerous budget items contain small amounts spread across the entire City. There are four larger projects for District 19.

• The West Towne Pond Improvement Project with a total estimated cost of $3.6 million involves a significant expansion and deepening of the pond beginning in 2026. By increasing its capacity, the likelihood of major flooding of Mineral Point Rd, Odana Rd, Gammon Rd, and surrounding businesses and residences will be reduced.
• The Capital Avenue Reconstruction will replace the deteriorating pavement and make improvements to sewer infrastructure that is simpler and less-costly when done in coordination with a street reconstruction. It is one of fifteen street reconstruction projects with a total budget of $17.8 million that will begin in 2026.
• Marshall Park Boat Launch Dredging is scheduled in 2027 at an estimated cost of $300,000.
• Reconstruction of Norman Way is also scheduled in 2027, one of numerous projects with a total budget of $24.2 million.

Of course, there is no guaranty that these projects will survive to take their place in the final adopted budget.