Milwaukee Public Library budget proposal would cut Sunday hours at two branches, shift security and staff roles

Milwaukee — The Milwaukee Public Library’s proposed 2026 budget would reduce system spending and eliminate year‑round Sunday hours at the Good Hope and Tippecanoe branches while keeping Central Library’s year‑round Sunday service, according to presentations to the Common Council Finance & Personnel Committee on Oct. 8.

The proposed budget, presented by Nathaniel Hack of the Budget and Management Division, reduces overall Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) expenditures by “just over 2%” from the prior adopted budget and moves some operating lines into salary accounts as the library brings security services in‑house. Hack said “the big service impact of the 2026 proposed budget is the elimination of Sunday hours at the 2 branches of Good Hope and Tippecanoe, while maintaining year round Sunday hours at Central.”

Why it matters: the committee emphasized they want departments to explain how 2026 changes will affect residents. Committee members raised concerns about the effect on neighborhood access, especially for districts served by Tippecanoe and Good Hope, and asked the library to supply comparative daily usage data to support scheduling decisions.

Most important details

Nathaniel Hack, Budget and Management Division, told the committee the change would save the city about $800,000 for 2026 and…