Wauwatosa committee adopts $179.3 million five‑year capital plan, approves $23.57 million 2026 budget

Wauwatosa — The Financial Affairs Committee voted 8‑0 on Nov. 4 to adopt a five‑year capital improvement plan totaling $179,317,039 and to approve a 2026 capital budget appropriation of $23,569,440.

John, city finance director, told the committee the city presents a five‑year plan but can only adopt the first year as the 2026 budget; he said the five‑year plan should be seen as policy direction for later projects. “Within that five year plan, we balance revenues and expenditures,” John said during the presentation. He added the presentation this year shows full project costs with grant revenues listed separately to reflect the scale of work included.

Why it matters: staff said the plan includes nearly $54 million in grant funding over five years, which reduces direct city capital obligations for many roadway projects but does not apply to water and sanitary work. “None of [the grant dollars] can be used for water,” a presenter said, and staff warned that large water components on grant‑funded road projects (North Avenue and the I‑181 corridor) will increase borrowing for the water utility and put upward pressure on water…