Madison Common Council approved amendments to the 2006 Executive Operating Budget Thursday, funding Sunday hours for the downtown Central Library and a Regent Street Master Plan. The council approved the budget by a vote of 13 to seven.
Thursday marked the third night in a row in which discussions about the 2006 Capital and Executive Operating budgets took place. Each meeting carried on deep into the night, and alders fought hard for their constituents, their values and their amendments.
Among the additions to the 2006 Executive Operating Budget approved Thursday was the addition of $20,000 to assist the development of a Regent Street Master Plan, in addition to the approval of Sunday hours for the downtown Central Library. Ald. Austin King, District 8, whose district includes Regent Street, said the street needs a plan.
"Potential developers need guidance," King said. "A master plan will help us utilize this very underused corridor."
When it came to approving the budget, debate focused on the tax levy increase, which came in at 4.35 percent, a quarter of a percent greater than Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's goal of 4.1 percent. Wisconsin statute law limits municipalities to tax levy increases of 4.1 percent. However, Madison is exempt from the statute on what the mayor called "a technicality." Cieslewicz sought to prove Madison Common Council was responsible enough to hold the tax levy increase to the amount required by statute.
"The 4.1 was a goal for a local mayor. It was something for us to shoot for," Cieslewicz said. "It was not required by [the] Legislature. I would be happy to sign this budget. At the end of the day, it's not just about numbers; it's about people."
Ald. Zach Brandon, District 7, who was a self-proclaimed "bad guy" over the course of the three nights in the sense that he proposed a number of the cuts to the budget and voted against many of the additions, said he would not vote for the budget because the council failed to meet the 4.1 percent goal.
"This is not the mayor's budget," Brandon said. "[My colleagues] added money to the budget tonight. The mayor sent a clear challenge to us — the 4.1 percent levy increase. I can't vote for this budget because [it's] at 4.35 percent."
According to Brandon, the City of Madison, in the view of cities and towns across Wisconsin, is fiscally irresponsible.
"We are portraying that we cannot handle a budget responsibly," Brandon said. "I know what they say about Madison up north and around the state, and it's … that we can't handle our funds."
King said he agrees with the comments made about irresponsible handling of the budget and that he does not care if the budget is above the goal only by a slight percent.
"Don't applaud yourselves tonight because we held the levy down," he added.
King said in spite of the council missing the 4.1 percent increase goal, the budget discussion was successful. There were about 58 amendments and most were rejected, he said, adding that it has been a long three days.
"What we did tonight should prove to everyone that Madison is a city that can control its spending," King said. "This is a really responsible budget. This is a good budget, and it's one that we can be really proud of."
Ald. Robbie Webber, District 5, took King's side and said she could sleep comfortably Thursday night knowing she did what her constituents wanted.
"They wanted Metro, they wanted childcare," Webber said. "My constituents wanted the budget to provide funds for people who needed help, even though they weren't the ones who needed the help."
