2026 Budget Update

Finding Budget Information

Madison is three weeks from finalizing its 2026 capital and operating budgets. Background, summaries, details, and process information are all available to the public on the Finance Division’s budget webpages.

Timeline

The basic process for both capital and operating budgets consists of (1) the assembly of agency capital and operating requests, (2) development of the mayor’s capital and operating executive budgets, (3) Finance Committee hearings and amendments to the executive budgets, (4) alder amendments to the budgets, and (5) final deliberations on the executive budgets and amendments thereto by the Common Council with approval of the adopted capital and operating budgets.

• Finance Committee amendments to the executive capital budget were approved on September 29 and posted on the budget web pages.
• The Mayor submitted the executive operating budget on October 7.
• The Finance Committee conducted hearings on the executive operating budget on October 13 and 14.
• Proposed amendments to the executive operating budget by members of the Finance Committee had to be submitted by noon today (October 22). They will be posted for public inspection this Friday, October 24.
• The Finance Committee will deliberate on the proposed amendments to the executive operating budget on October 27.
• Alders can propose amendments to the executive capital and operating budgets between October 27 and noon on November 5. They will be posted for public inspection on November 7.
• The Common Council will begin deliberations on both the capital and operating budgets on November 11. Public comments and testimony can be heard at that meeting. Deliberations leading to final and adopted capital and operating budgets will overflow to November 12 and 13, as necessary.

Significance of Dane County Budget Decisions

City of Madison operations are impacted by Dane County’s budget decisions. Historically, Dane County has been the primary funder of services to the homeless, both shelter operations and support services. Wrestling with an estimated $31 million operating deficit for 2026, County Executive Agard’s executive operating budget reduced the health and human services budget by 8%, drastically reducing homeless shelter and services support. Supervisors Furman and Kigeya who represent Madison’s District 19, are sponsors of several amendments to restore some of that funding. Multiple alders, including me, have encouraged the supervisors to support those amendments, which would greatly increase our joint capacity to provide robust services at the new men’s shelter and assistance to shelter overflow cases.

• Dane County committees are conducting budget hearings this week and next.
• The Dane County Personnel and Finance Committee will make final recommendations on October 30.
• The Supervisors will conduct budget hearings on November 3.
• The Supervisors will deliberate and approve a final budget on November 5 and 6.

ClearGov Platform

In addition to the regular format, Madison’s Finance Committee is presenting this year's budget documents, using the ClearGov platform. The digital budget book is web and mobile-friendly, featuring enhanced navigation features and visualizations.

Here are some navigation steps:

1. Open the ClearGov platform file & select the preferred language
2. Use the arrows to expand each section
3. Find the Agency
4. Navigate to the agency services
5. Additional navigation to move up and down the pages, click left or right arrow
6. To create a PDF file of a single agency, click the PDF tab
7. Select specific pages
8. Enter email address
9. Create PDF
10. On the Next page, find the agency
11. Check the services to be included
12. Click "Create Custom PDF"

Independent Analysis

This is the seventh year that the Wisconsin Policy Forum has conducted a detailed and independent analysis of Madison’s budgets. Their latest report was published on-line today, October 22. As I did last year, I find the report helpful. I believe the report conclusion is accurate: the successful 2024 tax referendum, some improvement in state funding, a healthy “rainy day fund” and adherence to our five-year operating budget plan are buying Madison time while we work together to find a permanent solution to our structural deficit.