Marina Dmitrievich, Chairwoman, joined by my Vice Chairman Alderman Peter Virgelis.

Alderman Scott Spiker is here.

Alderwoman Milele Cox is here as well, just they're coming on in.

And Alderwoman Charlin Moore.

That does provide us a quorum to continue our uh work here on the mayor's proposed 2027 budget.

That's item one, 26001.

Today we will hear from the mayor's office, department of administration, and then at 1 p.m.

we'll begin the Department of Compliance and Engagement and the Department of Community Wellness and Safety.

There will be a break if we need one because we cannot begin until 1 p.m.

So if DOA concludes at that time.

Also, just want to remind everybody we'll see you on Saturday at the Mitchell Street Library from 9 30 to 11 for the Finance and Personnel Committee's uh budget meeting in our community.

With that, we'll now welcome the mayor's office.

Please come on up.

First, we'll go uh to budget director Kovac.

We'll have a brief presentation and then we go to the department head.

So with that, good morning, Director Kovac.

Good morning, Madam Chair Committee members.

Nick Kovac, Director of the Budget Management Division.

Here to present the slides for the mayor's office is Brian Reinders.

Good morning, Madam Chair, Committee members.

Brian Reinders, budget management division.

Uh just some note on Monday I wore this tie.

Yeah.

The Brewers won, therefore I'm wearing the tie again, hoping for a similar result.

Please wear it.

Yeah, today and tomorrow, please.

Uh

the 2027 proposed budget for the mayor's office includes 2.3 million dollars.

That is an increase of 148,000 dollars or seven percent.

That increase is related to uh changes in the salary budget.

Uh the first third of this 102,000 dollars is just related to 2026 COLA's trans uh uh carrying forward at 2027.

The remaining two thirds of that increase is a a budget transfer from the Department of Employer Relations to the Mayor's Office, transferring one management trainee full-time position, currently budgeting DER, but working with the mayor's office, and we're putting that position in the mayor's office in 2027.

So while it is an increase in the mayor's office, it is not an increase in the city uh overall budget.

Okay.

The 27 proposed budget includes $57,000 for their operating expenditures.

That is no change from 2026.

They have no equipment, they have no special funds, they have no special purpose accounts.

Uh so like I said, the 27 proposed budget includes 2.3 million dollars uh and about funding for 15.47 FTEs for the mayor's office.

And with that, I'll turn it over to uh Chief of Staff Desiado.

Okay, good morning, Chief of Staff Dessiato.

How are you?

Doing well, thank you, Madam Chair.

Good morning, committee members.

Nick Dessiato, Mayor Kabler Johnson's chief of staff.

I would note I did not wear a tie on the other brewers' games, and I'm not wearing a tie again today.

Um with that being said, I will be very brief with our remarks, uh, but I also want to thank committee members.

This is an important task and responsibility of our common council.

These are long deliberations.

It's an important role, so thank you in advance for your work on our budget.

With that being said, as it relates to our state of priorities, uh it's fiscal responsibility, public safety, affordable and healthy neighborhoods, climate sustainability, resilience, as well as building and growing our city citywide are the main priorities of this office.

As it relates to our key performance indicators, they are mostly similar to what we've done in the past in terms of our overall uh providing constituent responses, uh serving youth is a theme and a priority for this office, whether it be through some of our signature uh programming like Camp Rise, uh Earn and Learn Adopt a School, et cetera, as well as outreach directly with different youth organizations.

Uh we certainly do a lot of community outreach and meetings throughout the community, as do each of you.

And then finally, as we had highlighted earlier, uh really made a concerted effort to do greater constituent outreach as it relates to budget, and we're very proud to have uh over 2200 responses to our survey, as well as direct outreach in people's neighborhoods, backyards, living rooms, and just being better informed of what our constituents want in preparation for this budget.

Uh in terms of major updates, as Mr.

Reinders has stated, we are converting a long-time management trainee position over to communications assistant since at least 2014, and we believe before then this position is always uh bid and DR assigned to the mayor's office.

It's just picking that position up and moving it over into our office.

But it's always been somebody who has been assigned to the mayor's office and is budget neutral.

Um and then finally, uh, that's our demographics, which we continue to be very proud of the diversity of our office and 100% residency.

Concludes my remarks, and I'm happy to take any and all questions.

Thank you very much.