Madison voters passed a $22 million funding referendum Tuesday, authorizing the city to increase the property tax levy limit by $22 million.

With the extra funding, city officials hope to address the structural deficit in the city’s operating budget, according to the City of Madison. 57% of residents voted “yes” to passing the referendum, according to Dane County.

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway proposed two possible operating budgets Oct. 8, ahead of the referendum. If it failed to pass, the city would have had to reduce its overall budget by $5.6 million, according to the executive summary of the budget.

City of Madison Communications Manager Dylan Brogan commented on the referendum’s passage and what it means for city residents.

With the referendum outcome, the city can maintain vital services, Brogan said.

Services such as Madison Metro Transit, garbage pickup and street upkeep would have faced cuts if the referendum failed, according to the executive summary.

“Cuts to Madison Metro would be tough,” Brogan said. “It’s a good thing when Madison Metro is able to run more frequently and more days, so it’s great that a mass of voters decided that it’s something, along with everything else with the city government, worth investing in.”

The approval of the referendum will allow for other budgeting plans such as reducing funding for the independent monitor and reallocating money to the library system to help fund start-up costs for the Reindahl Imagination Center, according to the executive summary.

While the referendum’s passage will help to narrow the budget deficit, city agencies reduce their budget by 1% each year to maintain efficiency, Brogan said.

Next year city leaders and communities across Wisconsin will be looking to lobby and make their voices heard during the state budget process, Brogan said.

“The state budget does have a big impact on local governments and the school districts, and so I think Madison is in a good position to really work with other communities around the state to address some very long-term, structural problems with how we fund cities and towns and villages,” Brogan said.

District 8 Alder MGR Govindarajan expressed his gratitude in a written statement to residents who voted to pass the referendum.

While the referendum was an undesirable route, increasing the tax levy was the only option for city officials to maintain vital services, MGR said.

“I am particularly grateful that we do not have to consider cuts to essential services that students rely on, such as late-night and weekend buses and public safety,” MGR said. “These are services that students rely on daily, and I will not let the city compromise on them.”