Number
180849
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
76-1428-a
Sponsor
ALD. DONOVAN, HAMILTON, BORKOWSKI, BAUMAN, PEREZ, RAINEY, STAMPER AND LEWIS
Title
Resolution directing the Department of Administration - Intergovernmental Relations Division to seek introduction and passage of State legislation relating to municipal budget systems in cities of the 1st class.
Analysis
This resolution directs the Department of Administration - Intergovernmental Relations Division to seek introduction and passage of State legislation to amend s. 62.02(3), Wis. Stats., to provide that a board of estimates in a city of the 1st class consists of the mayor, common council president, comptroller, budget and management director, police chief, commissioner of public works and chairs of the common council’s finance, public safety and public works committees. This State legislation should also amend s. 62.20, Wis. Stats., to remove the language providing that any transfer of the duties and responsibilities relating to preparation of a 1st class city’s proposed budget from the board of estimates to the mayor is permanent, and add language creating a procedure by which these duties and responsibilities may be transferred back to a board of estimates.
Body
Whereas, Chapter 65 of the Wisconsin Statutes provides for the municipal budget system in a city of the 1st class to be directed and overseen by an 11-member “board of estimates” consisting of the mayor, president of the common council, comptroller, treasurer, city attorney, commissioner of public works and members of the common council’s finance committee; and
Whereas, In 1977, the State Legislature amended Chapter 65 to create an alternative to the board of estimates budget process under which the common council of a 1st class city may, by adoption of a charter ordinance, permanently transfer the duties and responsibilities of the board of estimates relating to preparation of the city’s proposed budget to the mayor of the city; and
Whereas, The board of estimates budget system was used by the City of Milwaukee and served it well from 1907 until 1978, when the Common Council passed File Number 76-1428-a, a charter ordinance that , under the new state law, replaced the board of estimates system with a mayor-controlled executive budget process; and
Whereas, Accurate, prudent and efficient City budgeting is critical to the fiscal health of the City of Milwaukee and affects the financial well-being of all Milwaukee taxpayers, residents and businesses; and
Whereas, The involvement of Common Council members and City department heads in formulating the City budget through a return to the board of estimates budget system would improve the responsiveness of the budget process to the needs and wishes of Milwaukeeans and the officials elected to represent them; and
Whereas, A 9-member board of estimates consisting of the mayor, common council president, comptroller, budget and management director, police chief, commissioner of public works and chairs of the common council’s finance, public safety and public works committees would be more manageable than the 11-member board of estimates currently prescribed by ch. 65, Wis. Stats., yet reflect a greater range of perspectives and expertise than that 11-member board; and
Whereas, The language of s. 65.20(10), Wis. Stats., providing that a common council may permanently - but only permanently - transfer the duties and responsibilities relating to preparation of a 1st class city’s proposed budget from the board of estimates to the mayor is unduly restrictive, tying the hands of all common councils following the one that approved such transfer and limiting their ability to improve the municipal budget process; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Department of Administration - Intergovernmental Relations Division is directed to seek introduction and passage of State legislation to amend s. 65.02(3), Wis. Stats., such that a board of estimates in a city of the 1st class consists of the mayor, common council president, comptroller, budget and management director, police chief, commissioner of public works and chairs of the common council’s finance, public safety and public works committees; and, be it
Further Resolved, That this legislation should also amend s. 65.20, Wis. Stats., to remove the language providing that any transfer of the duties and responsibilities relating to preparation of a 1st class city’s proposed budget from the board of estimates to the mayor is permanent, and add language creating a procedure by which these duties and responsibilities may be transferred back to a board of estimates; and, be it
Further Resolved, That File Number 160538 is amended by inserting the following item in the document attached to the file and identified as “2017-2018 State Legislative Package Proposals” and included in the 2019-2020 State Legislative Package Proposal:
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Local Control and Flexibility |
Common Council |
Amend Wis. Stat. §62.02(3) to provide that a board of estimates in a city of the 1st class consists of the mayor, common council president, comptroller, budget and management director, police chief, commissioner of public works and chairs of the common council’s finance, public safety and public works committees. Amend Wis. Stat. §62.20 to remove the language providing that any transfer of the duties and responsibilities relating to preparation of a 1st class city’s proposed budget from the board of estimates to the mayor is permanent, and add language creating a procedure by which these duties and responsibilities may be transferred back to a board of estimates. |
Requestor
Drafter
LRB171863-1
Jeff Osterman
September 11, 2018