2025 Budget
Budget development is a multi-step process that involves City agencies, the Finance Committee, and Common Council. The full adopted budget book includes both the capital and operating budgets.
Capital Budget
Capital Budget: $426.5 Million
The capital budget provides funding for the City’s major construction projects including building new facilities, improving our transit system, maintaining our roads and parks, and purchasing major equipment. The 2025 Capital Investment Plan includes funding for 2025 and outlines future investments for 2026 - 2030.
Budget Kickoff
The budget development process begins with guidance from the mayor on priorities and goals for the upcoming year.
Agency Requests
Agencies prepare budget requests to fund services to residents, invest in capital needs, and achieve the goals outlined in the mayor’s budget message.
Executive Budget
The mayor introduces the executive budget for consideration by the Finance Committee and Common Council.
Amendments
The Finance Committee and Common Council may propose amendments to the Executive Budget
Adopted Budget
The Common Council adopts the final budget and authorizes the property tax levy to fund the budget.
Operating Budget
Operating Budget: $432.5 Million
The operating budget provides money for running City departments and services. It pays for the day-to-day spending on employees and materials and supplies. The Operating Budget total reflects the General and Library Funds.
Budget Kickoff
The budget development process begins with guidance from the mayor on priorities and goals for the upcoming year.
Agency Requests
Agencies prepare budget requests to fund services to residents, invest in capital needs, and achieve the goals outlined in the mayor’s budget message.
Executive Budget
The mayor introduces the executive budget for consideration by the Finance Committee and Common Council.
Amendments
The Finance Committee and Common Council may propose amendments to the Executive Budget.
Adopted Budget
The Common Council adopts the final budget and authorizes the property tax levy to fund the budget
Budget Outlook
Resolutions and Presentations
Staff provide updates to the Finance Committee throughout the year. This section provides links to significant resolutions that amend the adopted budget and other presentations to the Finance Committee.
Members of the public can find a schedule of Finance Committee meetings, agendas, recordings of past meetings, and to register to speak through the Committee Webpage.
- Budget Adoption Resolution: Legistar File 85776 adopted the 2025 budget and authorizes the property tax levy to fund the budget at the November 12, 2024 Common Council meeting
Impact of Federal Funding on the 2025 Budget
The Finance Department is monitoring the impact of federal policy on the City budget and providing regular updates to the Finance Committee. All updates on this topic will be added to Legistar File 86892. Meeting recordings can be found on the Madison City Channel.
- February 3, 2025 Presentation
- March 3, 2025 Presentation
- April 7, 2025 Presentation
- April 28, 2025 – a verbal update was provided at Finance Committee, with no attached presentation
- May 27, 2025 Presentation
- Legistar File 87963: Resolution declaring support for the preservation of the federal tax exemption for municipal bond interest