Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Improvements topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor's capital plan asks $232.6 million; borrowing to fund streets, fleet and facilities
Summary
Capital budget manager Mason Lavey told the committee the mayor's proposed 2026 capital program totals $232.6 million and includes $116 million of supported borrowing to fund street infrastructure, fleet modernization, facilities repairs and the Raise and Revive program.
Mason Lavey, the city’s capital budget manager, presented the mayor’s proposed 2026 capital budget to the committee and described priorities, funding sources and a multiyear borrowing plan.
Top line: Lavey said the total proposed capital budget for 2026 is $232,600,000, an increase of about $13,900,000 from the adopted 2025 capital plan. The administration proposes $116,000,000 of borrowing supported by levy and other revenue. Lavey said borrowing in this range follows a planned three‑year increase to address multi‑year projects.
Streets and federal matches: Lavey told the committee the administration expects roughly $98,500,000 in street infrastructure funds in 2026 when state and federal paving grants and local matches are combined. He said local reconstruction and high‑impact paving totals about $16.7 million in city dollars (roughly $1 million of that comes from special assessments), plus local matches for federal/state paving that Lavey estimated at $18.1 million.
Facilities and fleet: The mayor proposes $19.7 million for facility projects (fire, police, libraries and public works) and $14.0 million for capital equipment purchases in 2026. DPW’s fleet plan includes a push to buy 10 garbage packers annually rather than the historical eight; Lavey showed a modeling table demonstrating that purchasing 10 a year would reduce the average packer age over time and avoid future shortages.
Major projects and priorities: Lavey listed multiyear projects that drive capital needs: the joint public-safety radio system (recently closed out), replacement of the ERP (HR/finance system), and a planned Municipal Services building replacement in the Menomonee Valley. Port Milwaukee’s cruise-dock project remains in the stack and requires a small additional funding increment to complete the funding stack.
Raise and Revive and housing: The mayor proposes $4.4 million for Raise and Revive in 2026, split among in‑house demolitions, contracted demolitions and gap financing for affordable home construction on vacant lots. Lavey said the $1.6 million portion for new construction is expected to help finance roughly 14 home-building opportunities on previously raised lots.
Debt trade-offs and constraints: Lavey and Kovac told the committee they cannot fund all requested capital projects in the near term — departments requested roughly $240 million while the proposed borrowing was about $116 million. They emphasized the capital plan reflects trade-offs among leveraging federal/state grants, investing in facilities and reducing the age of critical fleet assets.
Ending: City staff committed to share detailed project lists and debt-repayment schedules with the council and to answer departmental follow-ups during departmental capital presentations in future hearings.
