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Budget director outlines $286 million proposed increase in 2027 capital requests, flags debt-service pressures
Summary
Budget Director Christine Coe told the finance committee the 2027 capital improvement plan request adds roughly $286 million across 2027—131 compared with the 2026 SIP, including $164 million in proposed GO borrowing, and described major project shifts, federal funding assumptions and the 2027 budget timeline.
Budget Director Christine Coe presented an overview of the City of Madison's 2027 capital improvement plan request to the Finance Committee on May 11, describing large increases in agency requests, borrowing assumptions and a schedule for council consideration.
CoE said the aggregate request for 2027 through 2031 adds about $286 million compared with the 2026 adopted SIP, with approximately $164 million of that coming from general-obligation borrowing. She said the 2027 request represents a 26.3% increase to the current SIP and noted the agency requests did not include a fixed ceiling for new borrowing.
CoE said that if all requests were funded as submitted, debt service could rise significantly in the out years, potentially approaching "almost 20%" of the general fund in the SIP model used for the presentation. She highlighted changes in projected federal and state funding, noting an increase of roughly $56 million in federal funding assumptions largely driven by Metro and traffic engineering projects.
Major project changes she flagged included a $25 million increase in the CDA redevelopment Triangle project, timeline shifts for the Police South District and property and evidence facility (moved from 2027 to 2029), and a proposed $64 million replacement for the Sale Street facility. Coe also pointed to a $20 million use of water utility reserves for an advanced metering infrastructure project and new projects adding tens of millions of dollars in later years.
Coe walked committee members through how to find full agency request packets and transmittal memos on the city's budget web page (cityofmadison.com/budget) and outlined the schedule: the executive budget is expected to be introduced Sept. 8, finance briefings and an amendment period follow in September with deliberation on Sept. 28, and the full council will consider capital and operating budgets in November with decisions anticipated around Nov. 10.
Why it matters: The request would add substantial borrowing and new projects to the capital plan; committee members were encouraged to review agency packets and submit memos identifying priorities or projects to drop or rescope.
The presentation was for committee review and did not require a committee vote.
