Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Milwaukee Common Council held a joint public hearing on the proposed 2027 city budget on Monday, October 6, 2026, starting at 5:30 p.m. Over 50 community members registered to speak, voicing a wide range of positions on funding priorities. The hearing was presided over by Council President Jose Perez, with Mayor Cavalier Johnson and 13 council members present. No formal council deliberation or votes occurred; the hearing served solely to gather public input.
Food Access & Feed the Change MKE – A large coalition of speakers, including Sue Blosline, Lily Celestine, Lisa Yang, Artena Westfall, Jason Donald, Elise Che, Patricia Wilson, Janaya Trishay Johnson, Marquesa Tucker Harris, Viana Lingrady, Shirley Funches Tucker, Shanika Moore, Tracy Watford, Taylor Corslin, Maya Rimmer, and Shiracha Berry, urged the council to fully fund the $1 million Healthy Food Establishment Fund (also called Feed the Change MKE). Speakers described the loss of grocery stores on the Northwest Side, food apartheid, the health and dignity benefits of community gardens and local food systems, and the need for community-led solutions rather than corporate chains.
Opposition to Flock & Mass Surveillance – Over 20 speakers, including Emilio De Torre, Michelle Bolou, Peg Schrader, Amanda Avalos, Nikolás Dorty, Chrissy Fung, Alex Larson, Vaughn Mays, Brittany Vullich, Angela Lang, Tiffany Stark (on the issue), Kevin Wendelberger, Patrick Holston, Patrick Rahim, and Minister Khalif, strongly opposed continued funding of Flock automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and other mass surveillance technologies. Speakers cited Fourth Amendment violations, misuse by officers for stalking, data sharing with ICE, national investigations, and the lack of transparency and oversight. Many noted that Milwaukee County and other communities have already ended their Flock contracts. Several speakers also urged removal of all ALPRs and a moratorium on new surveillance tech.
Support for City Worker Pay Raise – Many union members and supporters from AFSCME Local 33, Local 47, and others (Josh King, Venetia Youngblood Campbell, Patra Athens, Ian Gunther, Megan Keys, Lucy Schmidt, Johnstone Buhr, Alice Oliver, TJ Hamilink, and several others) demanded a $2 per hour flat raise for all general city employees rather than the proposed 2% increase (approximately $0.50/hr for low-wage workers). They argued that inflation, rising health care premiums (6% increase), and years of inadequate raises have made it impossible for workers to afford to live in Milwaukee. They also asked for no changes to health insurance coverage and a reduction of mandatory probation from 12 months to 6 months.
Election Commission Funding – Peg Schrader (League of Women Voters), Chrissy Fung, Brittany Vullich, and others urged the council to increase funding for the Milwaukee Election Commission, noting the proposed $3.5 million budget is $1.8 million below the 2026 adopted level and $400,000 below the commission’s request. They highlighted that similar-sized cities like Detroit and Baltimore have far larger election staff (115 and 50 employees respectively, compared to Milwaukee’s 10-11). Adequate funding is essential for year-round operations, poll worker training, cybersecurity, and public trust, especially with increased federal scrutiny.
Public Utility Feasibility Study (Chapter 197) – Several speakers (Amanda Avalos, Amanda Merkway, Matt Marhefley, Bryce Sekarias, Andy Barbour, Ian Gunther, and others) supported Alderman Brouwer’s amendment to fund a feasibility study for replacing We Energies with a publicly owned utility. They argued that We Energies’ rates are among the highest in the nation (30-40% higher than public power utilities), that the company prioritizes fossil fuel profits over clean energy, and that residents are being priced out. The study would explore the use of Wisconsin Statute Chapter 197 to create a municipal utility.
Housing & Neighborhood Development – Joanna Jimenez (Community Development Alliance) and others thanked the Mayor and Council for the Year of Housing and programs like down payment assistance and Strong Homes, and urged continued support. Speakers also supported the Good Neighbor Grant (block club funding) and interim plaza programs, as well as investments in libraries and the fire department.
Prevention over Policing – Several speakers, including Lily Celestine (nursing student), Vaughn Mays, and Casey Serrano, argued that the budget should prioritize mental health, substance abuse treatment, youth programs, and violence prevention over punitive measures. Lily Celestine cited that 31 per 100 youth avoid reoffending through the credible messengers program, saving $14.35 million long-term compared to incarceration costs of $463,000 per youth.
Police Budget & Accountability – Multiple speakers criticized the 10% increase in the police budget (to over 15% of total city funds) while violent crime is declining. Emilio De Torre noted $7 million in lawsuit settlements involving MPD. Tiffany Stark and others detailed a failure to update police pursuit policies after a family member’s death, criticizing lack of transparency and disrespect from council members. Several called for community control of the police and a redirection of funds to social services.
Other Topics – Speakers also addressed: support for the LGBT Community Center’s request for $100,000 (Richie Martin), opposition to property tax increases (Ben Burr), youth food access (Janaya Johnson), food sovereignty and urban agriculture (Shirley Tucker), a proposed shelter for the homeless (Charles Sanchez), redevelopment of Interstate 794 as community wealth (Taylor Forslin), and general calls for self-determination and justice (Tiffany Stark and Minister Khalif).
Good evening, everyone. This joint public hearing on the proposed 2027 budget will come to order. Will the city clerk please call the roll? Excuse. Excused. Present. Thirteen members present to excuse. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance to be followed by a moment of silent meditation. I pledge allegiance by the United States of America. And to the Republic, which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible. Liberty and justice. Let the record reflect that his Honor Mayor Keverlo Johnson is in attendance. The following elected officials are also present at the front. Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee Alderwoman Marina Dmitrievich. The Common Council will now hold a public hearing on the proposed budget for 2027 in accordance with state statutes of the state of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee City Charter. All persons will be given the opportunity to express their views on various appropriations as established in the proposed budget. Please be aware that this is an opportunity for the Common Council of the Mayor to listen to the public, and no comments or responses shall be expected from either the members of the council or the mayor. Let the record reflect that the required notice of this meeting was published on September 24th, 2026. All remarks should be directed to me as chairman. Name calling, profanity, and personal tax are out of order in this forum and will not be tolerated. In the interest of fairness, speakers should confine the remarks to no more than three minutes. Large groups of individuals who wish to make the same point should consider naming a spokesperson or two. If any person who wishes to speak has not yet registered, please do so in the chamber in the lobby of this chamber for my own benefit. I will call the number of names at the time at a time, one number a number of names at a time, and those next in line to gather at the lectern. I'd like to begin by Sue Blosline. Next on deck is Lily Celestine. Sue, please make your way up to the podium. I provided caregiving for my partner on the 2700 block of North 17th Street in the Amani neighborhood from 2020 till December 2025. During that time, the pick and save on 35th Street closed and the family dollar on Center Street closed, leaving the corner store on 16th and locust and the gas stations as the closest places to buy food for those without cars. That created a situation similar to that on the northwest side. During that time, I also planted a garden, a cherry tree, because we had an extra lot. We purchased for a dollar in the early 1990s. I grew pumpkins, winter squash, zucchini, various greens, tomatoes. Could have grown much more. Really being a revelation to me how much food you could grow on a city lot. Now the vacant land and empty lots, particularly in the area of concern, present opportunities to build food production into any plan for housing and neighborhood development. When I started go gardening, it was during the COVID lockdown when we got our first taste of how supply chains could be disrupted with volatile fuel prices and tariffs. Worse things are coming, and we have a chance to get ahead of these things because there's lots of land available. So growing food is one part, distributing processing, preserving are important too. So the budget should provide for facilities to handle things that don't go directly to market, but are otherwise processed. There are already plenty of individuals and organizations with the will and expertise to design and launch these, and it's almost a cliche to point out the public health and mental health benefits of fresh food and community gardening. So I stand in support of fully funding this. Thanks. Thank you. Lily Celestine and Emilio Del Torres on deck. Hello. My name is Lily Celeston.