Finance & Personnel Committee Meeting - May 6, 2026

The Finance & Personnel Committee of the Milwaukee Common Council met on May 6, 2026, from 9:19 AM to 1:07 PM, with all five members present (Chair Dimitrijevic, Vice-Chair Burgelis, Alds. Spiker, Coggs, Moore). The committee considered 26 agenda items, including appointments, financial reports, ARPA fund reallocation, payroll, and bond issues. The most debated item was the reallocation of $617,215 in unspent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lianna Bishop, Zilber Family Foundation, testified in support of The Bridge Project, which provides unconditional cash stipends to low-income pregnant mothers. She cited a 67% decrease in housing instability and over 1,000 applications for 122 initial spots.
• Colleen Foley, Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, testified in support of Eviction Free MKE (right to counsel). She reported that in 2025 the program served 2,088 city residents and has served over 31,000 since 2021. Default judgment rates dropped 40% and eviction filings fell 13% citywide. Every dollar invested yields $4.66 return.
• State Representative Ryan Clancy (District 19) testified in support of both programs, emphasizing their transformative impact and urging the committee to “double down on proven strategies.”

Discussion Items

• Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline Report (Item 1): Comptroller’s Office presented the 2025 annual report. The hotline received 83 complaints (vs. 79 in 2024), 14 actionable, 3 substantiated. Abuse remained the most common type. A motion to place on file carried 5-0.
• ARPA Fund Reallocation (Item 7): The administration proposed reallocating $617,215 from closed-out projects to various programs. Two substitute amendments were offered: Substitute A (Ald. Spiker) would allocate $300,000 to The Bridge Project and $317,214.37 to Eviction Free MKE. Substitute E (Ald. Burgelis and Moore) proposed a broader split: $150,000 to Eviction Free MKE, $150,000 to Employ Milwaukee Earn & Learn, $55,000 to the City’s Summer Youth Intern Program, $120,000 to ECO energy efficiency upgrades, $75,000 to down payment assistance, and $67,000 to The Bridge Project. After extensive debate, Substitute A’s components failed on separate roll calls (first: 1-3-1; second: 2-2-1). Substitute E was introduced but before a vote, the committee voted 4-1 to hold the item to the call of the chair, with a plan for a special committee meeting before the May 12 Common Council meeting.
• Pension Cost Recovery (Item 8): Adopted unanimously; directs departments to prepare summary on reimbursable overtime and extra-duty contract pension costs.
• City Information Management Committee (Item 9): Ordinance passed to expand membership and increase meeting cadence to bi-monthly due to rapid changes in IT and AI.
• Vacancy and Fund Transfer Agenda (Item 10): Approved with one exception: the Media Producer position for Police Department was held for further discussion at the Public Safety and Health Committee. Other positions approved. Fund transfers were also approved, including $2.5M from DPW Infrastructure salaries to operating due to higher-than-expected vacancy rates.
• Carryover of Fund Balances (Item 11) and Contingent Fund (Item 12): Adopted to close 2025 financial books.
• Fire and Police Revenue Reimbursements (Items 13-14): Adopted.
• Sole Source Contracts (Items 15-16): Approved/placed on file after presentation by Purchasing.
• Classification Studies (Item 17): Placed on file; included market study for lab positions in Waterworks and Health Department, costing ~$450,000 annually. DER noted this is the final large market study in a five-year cycle.
• Sewerage System Revenue Bonds (Items 18-20): Adopted in order. The refunding will release ~$9 million in trustee-held funds and achieve ~$1.5 million annual debt service savings through 2033 in the sewer fund.
• Grants (Items 21-22): Adopted.
• Travel, Rates of Pay, Positions (Items 23-25): Adopted.
• Place on File (Item 26): Resolution creating ARPA Funding Allocation Task Force placed on file as no longer necessary.

Key Outcomes

• Appointments confirmed: Jerry Allen and Deborah Ford to Employees’ Retirement System Annuity and Pension Board; Steve Mahan and Molly King to Deferred Compensation Plan Board. (All 5-0)
• Health & Wellness Program (Item 6) held to call of chair.
• ARPA Funds (Item 7) held 4-1; special committee meeting to be scheduled before May 12.
• Police Media Producer position held for further review.
• All other items adopted/passed as noted, mostly unanimously.
• Meeting adjourned at 1:07 PM.