Council backs five‑year fiscal forecast proposal; comptroller to aim for August report

The committee advanced a substitute ordinance proposing a five‑year city fiscal forecast that would mirror a county best practice and give policymakers a longer window to identify structural budget gaps. Common Council President Jose Perez sponsored the measure and described the county forecast as a useful blueprint for Milwaukee policymakers. "The goal of this forecast is to determine the extent of actions necessary to close the gap between revenues and expenditures ensuring long term fiscal sustainability," Perez said.

Comptroller Bill Christiansen told the committee he supports the model and suggested timing the final product for August so it follows the annual comprehensive financial report and precedes the proposed budget release. He said early forecasts give council members more context on likely budget holes and make it harder to rely on one‑time solutions such as reserve withdrawals.

Members from across the council expressed support and asked the comptroller to limit the first year’s scope to the general fund with the possibility of adding capital/fleet forecasting in later years. Alderman Peter Bergellis asked whether fleet replacement cycles would be included; Christiansen said the initial analysis will focus on the general fund and general operating implications, with capital and fleet added after the process is established.

The committee heard that the ordinance will be codified to ensure annual production and that the checklist in the file will help members see budget, staffing and programmatic data in advance of budget decisions.

Next steps: The comptroller will develop a rollout plan, with a target of an August deliverable in the first full year to give council and public time to review long‑range projections before the next proposed budget.