“At this moment, we still do a print version because of state statute,” he said. “So that is our legacy version of the budget, but we have new software where we’re able to do an online version which gives you a deeper look.”
Lee said that to find the budget, people could use the search engine on the city’s website.
“Just type in ‘budget’ and that will take you to the landing page,” he said.
Selecting the ‘2025 Proposed Operating Budget (Online Version)’, he said, “You’re welcomed with a screen with essentially a link to every single section of the book. It’s broken out into different sections. So we have a budget message section, an introduction section, overviews, and then it goes into different funds.”
For those overwhelmed with the vast amount of information provided, Lee recommended starting with the budget message from the city manager and looking at the summary of significant changes.
“Those are the broad changes from the past year,” he said.
He also pointed out that the final section of the budget offers a glossary if people have questions about what certain words mean in the context of the budget.
“It helps explain what a fund is, what an asset is, what a budget is,” he said. “It explains things at an introductory level.”
If people, after going over the budget, wish to express their thoughts or concerns on the budget, it is recommended that they email the Council Member assigned to their ward as amendments to the proposed budget are due Nov. 8. Individuals can figure out their ward by visiting myvote.wi.gov, clicking on ‘Find My Polling Place’, and entering in their address. The ward will be listed just above the map showing their polling place.
Contact information for different Council members is available on the city’s website and can be found using the search function.
“They would be able to look and see what ward they’re in to figure out who their specific council member is,” said Lee.
Lee said there will be a public hearing on the budget on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. The public hearing will take place in the Council Chamber of City Hall at 203 S. Farwell Street.
“During that hearing, we’ll have a presentation from the finance director on the budget and (people) can give comment on the budget,” he said.
For those who have never attended a public hearing before, he said they should be on the lookout for a place to sign up to speak.
“The sign-up is right outside the City Council Chambers,” he said. “They can sign up for a slot to speak on the budget. If they come a little late, at the end, if time allows, there will be a question from the council president asking if anyone remaining in the council chambers would like to speak on the topic, and they’re welcome to come up at that time.”
The final budget is set to be adopted on Nov. 12.
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