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Finance staff brief committee on 2026 capital budget requests; $62.7 million added in request years
Summary
City staff told the Madison Finance Committee on May 27 that agency requests for the 2026 capital budget add about $62.7 million to the overlapping years of the five‑year plan compared with the adopted 2025 SIP and that the request is roughly 9% higher in those years.
City staff briefed the Madison Finance Committee on May 27 on the agency-submitted capital budget requests for 2026 and beyond, saying the requests add about $62.7 million to the overlapping portion of the five‑year SIP compared with the adopted 2025 plan and amount to roughly a 9% increase in the years compared.
The request and what it means: Christine (city budget staff) told the committee that the 2026 request increases borrowing principally in 2026 and 2027 and that most of the additional money in the overlapping years is expected to come from general-obligation borrowing. She said the request adds roughly $150 million in newly requested borrowing when including the furthest year of the plan.
"So when we're looking at the SIP, the 26 request is $62,700,000 greater than the adopted SIP," Christine said, describing changes by agency and identifying projects moved between years.
Major changes and examples: Staff highlighted program-level changes: upgrades to IT lifecycle projects (including election equipment), new or increased TIF-supported borrowing for redevelopment (including Boyd Farm), park improvements, additional funding for a fire station and public health clinic tied to South Madison redevelopment, and shifts in major-streets projects including Regent Street moving into 2027.
The capital fund carry-forward: Christine reminded the committee that authorized capital amounts are multiyear and that historically the city borrows on average about 69% of authorized amounts in a given period because projects span years and timing shifts. She also described the city's carry-forward reporting process and the midyear borrowing exercise conducted by the finance office.
Next steps and schedule: Staff said the executive capital budget will be prepared with alder feedback; the executive budget is due to be introduced on Sept. 2, with Finance Committee briefings scheduled in September, an amendment submission period in late September and committee amendment votes in late September followed by full council action and November budget hearings.
Council members asked for more localized impacts of federal changes and for clearer explanations of TIF capacity and how TIF increment projections are determined; staff said they would work to provide those local and program-level details in future briefings.
What was not decided: The committee received the briefing; no capital appropriations were adopted at the session. Staff requested feedback to inform the executive capital budget and said alder amendments will be considered in the fall.
