Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
On October 26, 2026, the Manitowoc Common Council held a special meeting at 5:30 PM in Council Chambers and via Zoom to receive the 2027 Executive Budget presentation from Mayor Nickels. Eight alderpersons were present (Dunbar, Beeman, Cummings, Schlei, Sitkiewitz, Reckelberg, Brey, Benzinger); two were absent (Anderson, Norell). The only action item was a call for a public hearing on the budget.
Mayor Nickels presented the 2027 budget, emphasizing public safety as the top priority. Key proposals include:
The mayor stated that the budget reflects feedback to "take care of what we have" and acknowledged difficult trade-offs. No council questions were recorded during the meeting.
All right. It is 5 30. We'll call the special council meeting to order at this time. All members are present. Alderman Norrell did let us know in advance. And Alderman Anderson, I'm not sure. Maybe he'll pop in. Otherwise, all other members are present. We only have one item on the agenda, and that is the presentation of the 2027 executive budget. As always, I'll begin with my budget letter, and then I'll go into a brief presentation. On the high level of the 2027 executive budget, Alderman Sickwitz has assured me that the finance committee after this will be very fast as he wants to get home to watch the Brewers in game three of the World Series. So I appreciate that very much. Could be the quickest budget we've ever had. I'll read my budget letter at this time. Citizens, common council, and city employees. I am pleased to present the City of Manitowak's 2027 executive budget for your consideration. Every year developing a municipal budget becomes more challenging. Cities across Wisconsin continue to rely heavily on local property taxes as a primary revenue source while having limited flexibility under state imposed levy restrictions. At the same time, Manitowak faces the same inflationary pressures, rising costs, and workforce challenges that impact households and businesses throughout our community. The cost of providing essential services continues to increase, yet our responsibility remains the same to deliver those services efficiently while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. As I worked with department heads and staff throughout this budget process, one message became clear. Public safety must remain our highest priority. After careful review of our operational needs and the challenges facing our police and fire departments, this budget makes investments to strengthen the safety and security of our community. One of the most important recommendations in this year's budget is the addition of three firefighter paramedic positions. Manitowak's population continues to age and emergency medical service demands increase. Ensuring adequate EMS staffing is critical to maintaining the high level of service our residents expect and deserve. The need for these additional positions has been discussed for many years, and I am proud that this budget finally provides the opportunity to make that investment. The budget also includes the addition of a detective position within the Manitowoc Police Department focused on investigating internet crimes against children. These crimes represent one of the most serious threats facing our community. By dedicating resources to this growing area of concern, we are taking proactive steps to protect some of our most vulnerable residents and provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to address these crimes efficiently, effectively. These investments were only possible because of the thoughtful and responsible approach taken by city staff during the budget process. I want to extend my sincere appreciation to our department heads, especially finance director Sean Alfred, who approached this year's discussions with an understanding that financial resources are limited and difficult decisions must be made. While not every request could be accommodated, their willingness to work collaboratively allowed us to focus available resources on the areas of greatest need. I look forward to discussing the details of the 2027 executive budget during my presentation and working with the common council throughout the budget review process. Together we can continue to make responsible investments that strengthen public safety, maintain essential services, and ensure Manitowak remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family. With that, I will go through some high-level overview of what is in the 2027 budget as you have all in front of you, and will be available on the city's website tomorrow morning for all residents to see as well. 2027 budget at a glance. Again, utilizing 3.5 million dollars in fund balance applied. Proposed borrowing is at 7.84 million dollars, and there are six new positions total that are proposed. The budget really focused really on four areas public safety, infrastructure, technology, and employees. We'll go through each of these individually a little bit. What does a 2.78% assessed tax rate mean? If you look, I again always lay out a chart of uh assessed value of homes from 100,000 to 500,000.