Committee of the Whole: Operating Budget 1st Read

The Monona City Council Committee of the Whole discussed the first reading of the City’s 2027 operating budget on October 29, 2026. The proposed budget includes a $97,126 property-levy increase (about 0.8%), with the tax rate projected to decrease. No budget approval or procurement award vote is recorded; members discussed possible amendments and were advised that additions must be evaluated against levy limits and the expenditure-restraint threshold, which has roughly $50,000 of remaining capacity. The budget adds one fire/EMS position costing about $120,000, funded through EMS revenue, and includes $15,000 for replacement of street-light poles damaged in collisions. Other notable operating items include $5,000 for replacement refuse carts, a $10,000 increase for snow and ice supplies, and increased maintenance and software costs.

Departments described anticipated purchasing and contract needs, including a proposed three-year Barnes contract for public works services and a proposed long-term Total Energy maintenance agreement for utility generators; both were slated for later council consideration, not awarded at this meeting. Police and dispatch described software and technology costs, including a $5,300 annual software-assurance fee for the door-access system and approximately $71,000 for the shared MPSIS records-management system. Members also discussed expected costs to meet public-sector digital-accessibility requirements, potentially including consulting, website remediation, and more than $10,000 for live-stream captioning. The accessibility requirements may shape future vendor needs. No procurement-related motions or spending votes were identified.