Milwaukee’s mayor is looking to tax more and spend more in his new city budget.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson unveiled his proposal for a more than $2 billion 2026 city budget.
“The plan closes a historic budget gap responsibly while keeping services strong. It prioritizes public safety with funding for the maximum number of new police recruits, more firefighters, and continued investments in traffic safety. It also advances housing affordability, supports our libraries, and invests in neighborhood infrastructure,” Johnson said in a Facebook post.
Johnson’s plan aims to close a $100 million deficit by raising Milwaukee’s tax levy by 3% and by raising fees 4%. The mayor is also proposing to take $35 million out of the city’s reserves.
“The budget reflects our shared values: safety, stability, and opportunity for all Milwaukeeans,” Johnson added. “Over the next several weeks, the Common Council will review the proposal, and I look forward to working together to deliver a sustainable path forward for our city.”
Johnson’s budget would spend $52.6 million more than the current spending plan, with $206 million earmarked for Milwaukee’s pension debt. (RELATED: State Senator Accuses Milwaukee of Repurposing Funds for Police for Raises Elsewhere)
Johnson’s budget proposal comes a day after Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said Milwaukee spent as much as 99% of its new sales tax and shared revenue money on pay raises and pension payments.
“I’m going to be blunt. The Legislature helped Milwaukee because it said it couldn’t afford to hire more police and was going bankrupt – quickly,” Wanggaard said Monday. “And what do they do? They balloon their budget and give large salary increases for everyone but police.”
Johnson’s proposed spending plan does include about $30 million in cuts. His office said that would be a 4% cut. (RELATED: Milwaukee Mayor Shielded From Questions by Police Union During Arbitration)
Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he is looking to close two library branches on Sunday, and he is expected to once again not buy any new fire trucks.
This post was originally published at The MacIver Institute.