The Milwaukee Common Council on Nov. 6 adopted an amended 2026 budget (file 250001) after extended floor debate and a series of roll-call votes.

Alderman Marina Dimitrijevich, chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee, led the discussion of amendments the committee recommended and explained that the councils omnibus changes reflected listening sessions and committee deliberations. "What you have in front of you is a lot of stuff," Dimitrijevich said while introducing the substitute amendment that reworked down-payment assistance and other priorities.

The adopted package contains a mix of policy and funding adjustments: council members preserved and expanded library Sunday hours at select branches, restored funding for eviction-prevention programs, moved money into a new Milwaukee Home Buyers Fund for down-payment assistance, and approved raises for many general city employees. Council members also approved capital borrowing for fire apparatus and several departmental footnotes directing further study or reporting. After final votes the council recorded 14 ayes and 1 excused on the overall budget adoption.

Why it matters: The budget sets city service levels and tax levy decisions that will affect property-tax bills, fees and city operations in 2026. Debate on the floor showed clear divisions over how much to add to the levy for raises and services and how to allocate scarce resources among competing priorities.

What the council did: Among the headline actions the council adopted were the omnibus adjustments approved in committee (including the down-payment assistance rework), an additional borrowing allocation for fire apparatus, and a series of fee and operational footnotes. The council adopted a later substitute (1J) on the omnibus package that the clerk recorded as passing with 13 ayes, 1 no and 1 excused.

What happens next: The mayor may review the adopted budget and any executive actions; council members said they would monitor implementation closely and follow up through required reports and committee oversight.

Source: Council debate and roll-call votes recorded on the Common Council floor, Nov. 6. The council adopted the budget file 250001 by recorded vote.