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Finance Committee adopts 2026 Executive Capital Budget with amendments including State Street pedestrian improvements and body-worn camera horizon listing
Summary
The committee unanimously adopted the 2026 Executive Capital Budget as amended. Key amendments added funding or horizon-list entries for State Street pedestrian and sidewalk work, Central Library improvements, Edgewood fence work, a police body-worn camera project on the horizon list, and streetlight/signal work on the Southwest Commuter Path.
The Finance Committee unanimously adopted the 2026 Executive Capital Budget on Sept. 29 after voting to adopt six amendments that adjust or add projects to the executive plan.
The committee first moved to adopt the overall budget and then considered amendments individually. Amendments adopted included:
- Amendment 1 (Fleet): technical correction regarding fleet equipment replacement (adopted unanimously).
- Amendment 2 (Engineering—State Street pedestrian and sidewalk work): a plan to repair sidewalks on State Street (100–600 blocks) and to advance study and potential construction for a Lower State Street pedestrian mall in consultation with city engineering and TIF 50. Alder Rivera said the amendment was drafted with city engineers and the work will be sequenced; engineering staff described the upper portion of State Street as a priority for sidewalk replacement and said curb removal and pedestrian-only treatments on the lower blocks would be evaluated through the normal public engagement and design process.
- Amendment 3 (Library—central library horizon-list item): adds Central Library improvements to the horizon list. Alder Rivera and Library Director Tana said the central library was last renovated in 2012 and a zone-analytics study funded by the Madison Public Library Foundation is underway; the horizon listing is intended to ensure the project is tracked for future capital planning.
- Amendment 4 (Parks—Edgewood fence): provides funding to remove two deteriorated fences along Park and Pleasure Drive adjacent to Edgewood College and to install a new fence on the campus side; the lakeside fence would be removed. Alder Evers said the city’s 1904 agreement places responsibility for the campus-side fence with the city and that replacement is needed rather than repair.
- Amendment 5 (Police—Body-Worn Camera Project, horizon list): places a placeholder on the horizon list for a body-worn camera implementation project. Sponsors said the item is a holding space that reflects department interest and includes very rough capital and operating estimates to inform future planning; staff said the department needs additional work to scope a phase-in and that federal grant opportunities could offset costs.
- Amendment 6 (Traffic Engineering—Southwest Commuter Path lighting and West Washington signal): funds streetlight installation and signal work to improve the Southwest Commuter Path and add a traffic signal at the path crossing of West Washington Avenue. Traffic engineering staff and Alder Revere said the work responds to safety and a state order for crossing improvements and will use TID 48 funding for the signal.
City staff said the amended executive capital budget will be sent to the full council following the unanimous committee vote. During the deliberations committee members emphasized that several items (the State Street lower-block pedestrian mall and the body-worn camera implementation) will require further public engagement, design work and detailed scoping before construction or purchase. For the Central Library amendment, staff said planning studies are underway to determine timing and scope.
All amendments and the amended capital budget were adopted by unanimous recorded votes and will be transmitted to the Common Council for final adoption.
