Mayor Cavalier Johnson puts forward 2027 budget, faults state Republican legislators for Milwaukee’s financial outlook

Due to Republican control of the State Legislature for the past 15 years, the city of Milwaukee’s budget constraints “have not diminished,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Sept. 22 during his presentation of the 2027 budget in the Common Council chambers.

Johnson proposed a $2.26 billion spending plan attacking road repairs, funding the new public library at Midtown Center, reopening another fire station, funding for more police officers and a raise for city employees.

To fund these proposals, Johnson wants to slightly increase the property tax levy by 2% and double fees for an overnight parking permit from $55 to $110 for the year. Downtown parking meters would also increase to $3 per hour from either $2.25 or $2.50 and parking tickets would increase $10.

The mayor referred to the fees as “modest increases,” which were the revenue options ranked highest in the survey results and doesn’t include a hike in the vehicle registration fee.

In addition to the largest resident survey in recent history, Johnson said he also participated in outreach to gauge “public sentiment” as his team put the budget together.

“Our survey respondents want the condition of our roadways to be improved,” he said, adding the budget has the largest commitment to road improvements ever.

City Comptroller Bill Christianson offers a stark outlook on Milwaukee’s finances, noting expenditures are outpacing projected revenues, which the mayor said is in-part the fault of Republicans in Madison for gutting funding for the city.

“It’s clear, Milwaukee is facing growing structural imbalances,” Johnson said. “This is not a short-term problem. We must be fiscally responsible this year and the years ahead.”

The city had to tap into reserves to make up for the gap and in order to gain more revenue, the mayor proposed a 2% increase of the property tax in 2027, which is below the inflation rate, he said.

“The constraints are very clear, they’re very evident,” Johnson said. “Every significant source of city revenue — property tax, sales tax, charges for service, money that we receive from the state — is all regulated or limited by state law.

“And take a look at state shared revenue, if the state had simply kept shared revenue increasing at the rate of inflation since 1996 when it was initially frozen, Milwaukee would have $200 million this year. The compounding effect since 1996 would amount to billions of dollars. That money could fill a lot more potholes. That money could pave a lot more streets.”

Johnson notes the state’s budget surplus should be returned to local governments, which is something he’s hopeful will be reevaluated if the Democrats win the trifecta in November.

Public safety and crime continues to improve annually in recent years, but Johnson wants to strengthen the police force and add more cops.

The budget calls for three full classes of new police officers, which Johnson said will boost “sworn strength in the Milwaukee Police Department.”

But the city has struggled to fill the classes and keep the department fully staffed, which the mayor addressed after his speech.

“I want folks to sign-up to be police officers, to remain with (MPD),” he said. “There’s a challenge all across the United States of America in terms of hiring police officers. We’ve seen that over the last number of years. Especially in wake of the murder of George Floyd and the situation that happened in this country afterward. It’s my desire to continue to grow the police department in Milwaukee, regardless of that fact. We’re leaving no stones unturned.”

The Office of Community Wellness and Safety funding for outreach remained the same, plus Johnson wants to allocate $1 million for more violence interruption.

The demolition of blighted properties is also a priority in the budget, Johnson said.

“The demolition alone is not enough,” he said. “This year, the city is involved in building more homes than we demolish. We are closing the racial gap in home ownership. And our permitting speeds rank near the top.

The budget now goes before the council's Finance and Personnel Committee, where amendments and adoption will be proposed and the mayor will have a chance to veto.

There is a joint public hearing scheduled for Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers, as well as a public input hearing on Oct. 17 at 9:30 a.m. at the Mitchell Street Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St.