Finance Committee Meeting 9-29-2026 - 5 PM

The City of Franklin, Wisconsin Finance Committee’s September 29, 2026 meeting reviewed the mayor-recommended 2027 budget. Capital and infrastructure items included $3.7 million for South 51st Street reconstruction plus about $300,000 for design, a $502,000 South Lover’s Lane trail project, and the $9.4 million estimated total cost for the Elm Road project, which has grant support. Parks requests discussed included $300,000 for pedestrian bridge replacements, tennis and pickleball court replacements budgeted at $500,000 annually for three years, and $190,000 play structures. The committee also discussed a potential $100,000 replacement of voting machines; Milwaukee County may contribute, but the amount was not confirmed. No contract awards or procurement approvals were made; the only vote was to adjourn.

The committee reviewed technology spending and future procurement needs, including a proposed $275,000 SharePoint migration project, with $70,000 in 2027, and a $100,000 Samsara fleet-management proposal that members questioned as a lower priority. The IT director forecast that cloud migration and subscription costs could raise annual IT operating costs to roughly $1.1–$1.2 million by 2029, and reported plans to move security services from Rapid7 and Bitdefender to Arctic Wolf. The city’s solid-waste collection contract runs through 2027, with a new contract expected in 2028; the 2027 solid-waste fee would remain unchanged. The committee also discussed staffing, operating costs, and the risks of declining landfill-related revenue, without taking related spending votes.