Mayor’s Office budget rises 21% as council presses for staffing details and faster constituent responses

The Finance & Personnel Committee reviewed the Mayor’s Office proposed 2026 budget on the third day of the 2026 budget hearings, where the administration said the office’s total operations plan is about $2.1 million — an increase of roughly 21% over 2025 that the administration attributed to position reclassifications and updated market placement.

The budget presentation was made by Brian Reinders of the Budget Management Division and Chief of Staff Nick Desiato, who told the committee the increase “is completely located in our salaries and estimated fringe benefits” and flows largely from Department of Employee Relations market studies and reclassifications of mayoral office positions. Desiato said some prior wage-supplement funds were being moved back into the mayor’s budget for 2026.

Committee members pressed for more detail. Alderman Peter Bergellis asked which positions received raises and whether all mayor’s‑office staff benefited. Desiato said the increases reflected market studies and were not simply a uniform percentage “across the board,” and he described the current reclassification effort as the final stage of a multi‑year series of adjustments meant to correct long‑running compression.

The committee also queried the mayor’s office about responsiveness to constituent emails after Alderman Sharlyn Moore and others said residents often report no reply when emailing mayor@milwaukee.gov. Desiato said the office has an outreach team, interns and front‑desk staff who handle correspondence and asked aldermen to forward specific examples so staff could investigate individual breakdowns.

Other operational topics arose in questioning: Alderman Scott Speicher asked about the mayor’s new alternative work arrangement requiring three days in the office, two remote, and Desiato said the administration believes “a lot of good things happen when people are around the table,” while recognizing waivers and supervisory discretion for special circumstances.

Council members also pressed for an updated organizational chart and clearer breakdowns of the office’s 16 authorized positions and 14.47 FTEs, including which roles are interns or grant‑funded. The administration said the position count includes three paid interns and that the FTE figure reflects fractional intern positions; Desiato offered to provide the more granular org charts in the department addendum and to follow up on requested personnel details.

The mayor’s office noted two budget amendments from Alderwoman Coggs related to a city action app and to internships and apprenticeships; Desiato said the administration supports expanding the use of the city action app and values youth internship programs.

The committee did not take a separate vote on the mayor’s budget presentation at the hearing. Members said they plan follow‑up questions on salary detail, hiring and constituent‑service metrics.

Looking ahead, aldermen asked for line‑by‑line clarifications and documentation of which increases are permanent versus one‑time transfers from prior wage‑supplement funds. The mayor’s office agreed to provide examples showing how constituent emails and complaints are routed and handled so the council can evaluate whether responses meet expectations.

Desiato closed by thanking the committee for their oversight, and the administration noted it would provide the additional documentation and org‑chart detail requested by council members.

The mayor’s office presentation is one portion of a multi‑day budget review; follow‑up information and any amendments will be considered in later hearings.