The Waukesha City Common Council voted to adopt the city’s 2026 operating budget and a separate tax levy ordinance during its Nov. 4 meeting.

City Administrator Tony, presenting the proposal, said the overall budget is increasing by about $1.4 million — roughly 1.76% — and explained the operating levy mechanics and a reduction related to a newly adopted garbage special charge. “The budget’s going up overall about 1,400,000.0 or 1.76%,” Tony said during his presentation.

The finance committee recommended the budget and Alder Aldwin Piper moved its adoption, noting the finance committee’s months-long review. Piper said the committee would accept amendments before a final vote and moved to approve the budget as reviewed by the committee.

Why it matters: the adopted budget sets city spending priorities for 2026 and funds core services. The city administrator said about 70–75% of the city’s $84 million spending is personnel costs and emphasized forthcoming public engagement — a national citizen survey, focus groups and community workshops — to guide future priorities.

Key details: the proposed 2026 budget was presented as a package with an $84,127,448 general-fund total. The operating tax rate is estimated to fall roughly one dollar, and the presentation projected an approximate $90 reduction in operating taxes for the average single-family home equivalent assessed value used for the analysis. The presentation also explained that the difference between the total budget and the levy reflects use of non-levy revenues and the removal of the garbage collection charge from the levy.

The council also approved a separate tax levy ordinance (No. 2025-13) to collect $79,645,364 for 2026; Alder Piper explained this amount is the levy necessary to fund the adopted budget after accounting for other revenues. Both the operating budget and the levy ordinance passed on recorded voice tally announcements during the meeting (budget vote announced as 14–1; levy vote announced as 14–1).

What council members said: Finance committee members thanked staff and emphasized the need for continued resident engagement and careful management of personnel costs. Members repeatedly urged participation in upcoming public engagement to inform service-level trade-offs.

What happens next: with the levy ordinance and budget adopted, departments will proceed under the approved 2026 spending plan; staff will begin the community-engagement activities described in the presentation to inform budgeting discussions for 2027 and beyond.

Sources: Presentation and motions read into the record by the city administrator and Alder Aldwin Piper during the Nov. 4, 2025 Waukesha City Common Council meeting.