Madison commission sets property tax levy, approves budget moves and collective‑bargaining changes

Madison’s City Commission adopted a property tax levy of $2,314,410.60 and passed a set of routine budget resolutions and contract updates at a budget session that opened with a department‑by‑department financial review.

Finance staff opened the session by saying it was “essential to recognize the critical need for strategic spending reductions to maintain our fiscal health,” urging commissioners to support measures to keep the 2025 budget balanced. Commissioners then approved Resolution 2024‑31 to set next year’s levy (voice vote) and Resolution 2024‑30 to create a custodian position for the new City Administration Building.

Why it matters: staff presented rising cost pressures — notably an 11.94% increase in liability insurance and projected double‑digit medical cost growth — alongside capital demands. Those pressures informed the commission’s decisions to adopt the levy and to consider measured rate and transfer policies to preserve reserves while funding major projects.

Supporting details: the commission approved updates to collective bargaining agreements with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Teamsters Local: each contract includes a 2.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment plus a 1.5% performance increase, and insurance language to apply employer cost changes across plans. The Teamsters agreement also creates three new lead positions in water and wastewater operations.

The commission also authorized a five‑year school resource officer agreement with Madison Central School District 39‑2 under which the district pays 60% of the officer’s cost and the city pays 40%; the contract includes a credit to the district if the officer is absent more than 10 days per semester.

The meeting ended with a motion to move into executive session; staff said the next regular commission meeting will be in October for the first budget ordinance reading and further deliberations.