Muskego City Council approves 2025 operating budget after hours of line‑by‑line review

Muskego City’s Common Council approved the Mayor’s proposed 2025 operating budget Oct. 22 after a public hearing, a presentation from staff and several hours of line‑by‑line questions from alderpersons.

Jenny, the city budget presenter, told the council the proposed package covers general fund operations, debt service, special revenue and capital project funds and reflects constrained levy limits and inflationary pressures. She said the proposed levy increase was based on 1.82% of net new growth, translating to an allowable increase of $213,738 and a projected marginal rise in the city tax rate from $3.82 to $3.83 per $1,000 of assessed value. She also said most revenue (about 80%) comes from taxes and state aids and that the 2025 proposed budgets show a general fund increase of about $890,831 (4.97%).

The council’s discussion focused on specific line items after the presentation. Alderperson Wolf and others drilled into sizable percentage increases in IT and network charges, long‑distance phone service, contracted landscaping and compensated‑absences funding. City staff explained many of the apparent jumps reflect recurring licensing, replacement cycles and the end of multi‑year capital accounting treatments; for example, IT storage purchased as capital in earlier years is now accruing annual service costs.

Finance staff also described the compensated‑absences account established by a 2015 resolution (Resolution 53) and tied to GASB guidance; that fund covers potential liabilities such as termination and retirement payouts and, the finance director said, supports the city’s bond rating. Public works and parks staff explained that some contracted services vary widely year‑to‑year (leaf grinding, trucking, facility rentals) and that recent changes in outside vendors and school district rental rates drove part of the increases.

Several alderpersons proposed a package of amendments to reduce or reallocate about $80,000 in operating spending (items suggested for reduction included IT consulting, a portion of audit fees, landscape contract increases, uncompensated absences funding, and recreation rental allowances). There were further, competing amendment motions to restore specific items (notably the senior taxi contribution and the benefits consultant) during roll‑call votes. After debate and successive roll calls, the Council voted to approve the operating budget as presented, with recorded roll‑call votes on the amendments and final motion.

Beyond the line‑item debate, councilors and staff discussed the city’s reliance on one‑time funding for approximately $200,000 of the budget and the mayor and council repeatedly urged greater caution about using nonrecurring sources to balance ongoing operations. Mayor Singh began the evening by thanking the clerk’s office for handling a high turnout for early absentee voting and announcing a move to Robert’s Rules of Order to restore meeting decorum.

The council closed the public hearing portion of the agenda before taking up the consent agenda and later the formal votes on the operating budget. The approved document will move forward for implementation with staff directed to follow up on some of the items raised during questioning, including grant status checks and clarifications about specific contracts.

A next procedural step noted in the meeting: staff and the Council expect to continue follow‑up on capital budget details (separate vote) and to provide more detailed reconciliations on several questioned line items for the record.