Finance Committee Wraps Budget Amendment Day After Nearly 12 Hours of Debate

Milwaukee City Hall. Photo by Jeramey Jannene. The Common Council’s Finance Personnel Committee finished its annual budget amendment day shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday, after reviewing more than 100 proposed changes to Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s 2027 budget. The committee considered 112 amendments, several of which were withdrawn, and adopted several dozen footnotes directing city departments to report on or explore specific issues. Among the proposals that passed were a broad package from committee chair Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic that included expanded library hours and a half-percent raise for city workers who live in Milwaukee, and a complicated package that included funding for a new fire engine. Several high-profile proposals, including additional raises for city workers beyond the mayor s proposed 2% and a study of a city-owned electric utility, failed. As the work was nearing completion, Budget Director Nik Kovac warned the committee that its actions were adding more than $4 mill