Finance Committee Review of 2027 Executive Operating Budget – October 15, 2026

The Waukesha Finance Committee met on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers to continue its review of the proposed 2027 Executive Operating Budget. The meeting featured detailed presentations from the Public Works and Parks, Recreation & Forestry departments, including discussion of staffing, revenue, expenditures, and operational challenges. No public comments were received. The committee approved the minutes of the October 13, 2026 meeting by unanimous consent and scheduled a follow-up meeting for Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to finalize budget recommendations.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the Finance Committee meeting on October 13, 2026 (ID#26-04473) were approved by unanimous consent with no changes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• None.

Discussion Items

Public Works (presented by Director Alex Damien and team)

• Engineering: Highlighted successful grant awards including a $400,000 LRIP grant for the North Street/St. Paul/Moreland Boulevard intersection and multiple stormwater flood mitigation grants. The department is operating with two vacancies (traffic engineer and survey technician). The major budget increase is in contracted services for software ($55,000 increase in salaries/wages in parking utility was noted but not immediately explained).
• Street Maintenance: Budget of $7 million, with 37% in operating expenses (95% of that in four buckets: We Energies utility costs $760,000, salt $620,000 at $87.36/ton [2.8% increase], fuel/vehicle maintenance ~$600,000, and materials for maintenance 18% of the $2.7M). Proposed increases: $10,000 for storm sewer maintenance, $10,000 for street maintenance (asphalt/concrete), $5,000 for signal maintenance, and $20,000 additional for pavement marking. The department has six vacancies for equipment operators out of 21 positions (two unfunded); snow plowing will rely on staff from Parks, Water Utility, and seasonal hires.
• Solid Waste: Decreases due to elimination of newsletter printing; increase of 14% in contracted services due to higher tonnage at the drop-off center (estimated 1,800 tons in 2026, up from 1,500 pre-2024). The center is approaching revenue neutrality (projected $40,000-$50,000 shortfall, down from $100,000+ in 2020). Discussion on bulky item curbside pickup: estimated cost of $250,000 annually for once-a-month or quarterly service; director noted current pay-per-use model is preferred by many residents.
• Parking Utility: Increased revenue from new Passport system at parking ramps (forecast $500,000 in 2026, up from $450,000). Two surface lots (Clock Tower and behind Taco John’s) will be added to the system. Security guards are present nightly at the South Street ramp (15 hours/week). Staffing includes a parking supervisor (police dept.) and a parking clerk; Alderman Anderson questioned the need for two supervisory roles.
• Clean Water Plant (presented by Manager Zach Eisner): Received an A rating on the DNR Compliance Maintenance Annual Report for the 10th consecutive year. Working towards chloride limit effective November 1, 2026, currently at 315 mg/L (goal 250 mg/L). Rebate program for water softeners ($150 each) seeing 5-10 applications per week. Phase 3 upgrades (electrical and sludge dryer) to produce Class A biosolids by September 2027, to be given away free to residents. Budget essentially flat; 2.9 billion gallons treated in 2025.
• Transit (presented by Manager Brian Kapp): Ridership efficiency up 15%, customer complaints down 55% in first half of 2026. MetroLift paratransit service grew 16.5% (projected 14,500 trips in 2026, highest since 2012). Total budget $8.5 million, but city’s actual cost after federal/state/contract revenue is $1.265 million (zero increase from 2025, and 10% less than 2024). Fare increase approved by Transit Commission (expected to generate additional $39,000/year). Service hours reduced 32% in recent years; no new service cuts proposed.

Parks, Recreation & Forestry (presented by Director Ron Groth and managers Mark Thompson, Melissa Lipska, Mark Schramm, and Joe Shiro)

• Overall: Recreation programming was restructured to combine general fund and special revenue fund accounting under one umbrella. Despite showing large variances, the net general fund request for recreation decreased from $267,000 in 2026 to $166,000 in 2027. The department projects moving to tax-levy neutral recreation operations within 2-4 years.
• Recreation Programs: Enrollment over 35,000 individual enrollments; facility rentals projected at 6,300+. Tax subsidy in 2026 is $110,000 below budget.
• Pools: Total expenditures $686,945 with revenue $586,504 in 2025 (85% cost recovery). Pool capacity: Horeb Springs ~550 people, Buckner ~987 people. Both pools regularly reach capacity on hot days (by 1:30-2:00 PM). Proposed 2027 budget shows 3.6% decrease in expenses and 17.1% reduction in tax levy support, with no new capital improvements.
• Special Events: Only the Fourth of July event relies on tax levy ($62,852 total; fireworks cost $28,000; Curry Insurance provides $23,000 sponsorship). All other events (Oktoberfest, concert series, etc.) are self-supporting through sponsorships.
• Parks & Forestry: Major challenge is street tree pruning cycle; currently missing the 6-8 year target due to staffing shortages. The city is pursuing a three-pronged approach: competitive staffing for arborists, increased use of contractors, and intra-city cooperation (e.g., DPW for stump grinding). Discussion on pausing new tree planting to focus on pruning existing trees. The department has open arborist and grounds positions. Consideration of satellite mowing stations at fire stations to reduce equipment travel was raised as a future CIP discussion.

Key Outcomes

• No votes or amendments taken: The committee continued its review and will finalize on October 27, 2026.
• Next Steps: The next Finance Committee meeting is Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 5:30 PM (originally announced as 6:00 PM). The committee will finish any remaining department reviews, consider amendments, and make a recommendation on the 2027 operating budget to the Common Council for its November 5, 2026 meeting.
• Staff Direction: Committee members were asked to route any budget amendments through Finance Director Joe Shiro and City Administrator Tony Brown for analysis.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:22 PM.