BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, FUND STRUCTURE AND BUDGETS
City Budget Process
City of Middleton Ordinance Chapter 3.01 defines how City budgets will be developed. Basically, the Common Council's Finance Committee, consisting of three Alders, meets to discuss and develop budget recommendations for all funds for the City for the upcoming fiscal year. These recommendations are then forwarded to the Common Council for discussion and determination of budgets for all City operations. Budgets include the General Fund, where most of the City's operating departments are located.
(1) Departmental Estimates. On or before the first day of October in each year, each officer or department shall file with the City Clerk an itemized statement of disbursements made to carry out the powers and duties of such officer or department during the preceding fiscal year, and a detailed statement of the receipts and disbursements on account of any special fund under the supervision of such officer or department during such year, and of the condition and management of such funds; also detailed estimates of the same matters for the current fiscal year and for the ensuing year. Such statements shall be presented in the form prescribed by the City Clerk and shall be designated as the "departmental estimates" and shall be as nearly uniform as possible for the main divisions of all departments.
(2) Consultation With Department Head. The Mayor and Finance Committee shall consider such departmental estimates in consultation with the department head, and shall then determine the total amount to be recommended in the budget for such department or activity.
(3) Mayor and Finance Committee to Prepare Budget. On or before the twentieth day of October in each year, the Mayor and Finance Committee shall prepare and submit to the Common Council a proposed budget presenting a financial plan for conducting the affairs of the City for the ensuing calendar year. The budget shall include the following information:
(a) The expense of conducting each department and activity of the city for the ensuing fiscal year and corresponding items for the current and last preceding fiscal years, with reasons for any proposed increase or decrease as compared with actual and estimated expenditures for the current year.
(b) An itemization of all anticipated income of the City from sources other than general property taxes and bond issues, with a comparative statement of the amounts received by the City from each of the same or similar sources for the current and last preceding fiscal years.
(c) An estimate of the amount of money to be raised from general property taxes which, with income from other sources, will be necessary to meet the proposed expenditures.
(d) All existing indebtedness of the City, including the amount of interest payable and principal to be redeemed on any outstanding general obligation bonds of the City and any estimated deficiency in the sinking fund of any such bonds due during the ensuing fiscal year.
(e) All anticipated, unexpended or unappropriated balances and surpluses, if any.
(f) Such other information as may be required by the Common Council.
(4) Notice of Public Hearing. A summary of such budget and notice of the place where such budget in detail is available for public inspection and the time and place for holding a public hearing thereon shall be published as a Class 1 notice, under Wis. Stat. Chapter 985, in a newspaper of general circulation in the City at least fifteen (15) days prior to the time of such public hearing.
(5) Hearing on Budget; Appropriation. Not less than fifteen (15) days after the publication of the proposed budget and the notice on the hearing thereon a public hearing shall be held at the time and place stipulated at which time any resident or taxpayer of the City shall have an opportunity to be heard on the proposed budget. The budget hearing may be adjourned from time to time. The amount of the tax to be levied or certified, the amounts of the appropriations and the purposes for such appropriations stated in the budget, after any alterations made pursuant to the hearing, shall be adopted by a majority vote of the members of the Common Council and such vote shall constitute an appropriation of the items therein stated and the final budget for the ensuing year.
(6) Changes in Final Budget. Upon recommendation of the Finance Committee the Common Council may by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the entire membership change or alter an appropriation in the final budget or transfer any portion of an unencumbered balance of an appropriation to any other purpose or object. Notice of such transfer shall be published as a Class 1 notice under Wis. Stat. Chapter 985, in the City within eight (8) days thereafter.
(7) Expenditures Limited to Annual Appropriation. No money shall be drawn from the treasury of the City nor shall any obligation for the expenditure of money be incurred, except in pursuance of the appropriations in the final budget or in such budget as changed or altered as authorized by subsection (6) hereof. At the close of each fiscal year any unencumbered balance of an appropriation shall revert to the general fund and shall be subject to reappropriation.
Revenues and expenditures are accounted for in specific funds. Each fund is categorized within a specific fund group. The City's funds and fund groups are established following guidelines governed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board or GASB. FUND STRUCTURE EXPLANATION
2025 Budget Public Hearing Notice
2025 Capital Budget Briefing Book
Resolution 2025-02 Amending the Budget for the Police Battery Storage Project
Resolution 2025-09 Approving 2024 Capital Project Carryovers
Resolution 2025-13 Amending Water Utility Budget for Franklin Avenue Reconstruction Project
Resolution 2025-16 Amending 2025 Budget for Lakeview Tennis/Pickleball Court Project
Resolution 2025-22 Amending the 2025 Budget for 2024 General Fund Carryovers
Resolution 2025-25 Budget Amendment 6300 University Water Main
Resolution-2025-33 Approving a Budget Amendment for the Lakeview Tennis Courts Project
Resolution 2025-36 Amending the 2025 Water Utility Budget for Well #8 Repairs
Resolution 2025-37 Amending the 2025 Park Fund Budget for the Parisi Shelter Project
Resolution-2025-39-Amending the 2025 Budget for the N High Point Traffic Calming Project
Resolution 2025-42 Budget Amendment Spring Hill Middleton Hills SE Ponds
Resolution 2025-51 Budget Amendment Concrete Repairs MOC 11-18-2025
Resolution 2025-52 Budget Amendment University - Cayuga Intersection 11-18-2025
Resolution 2025-58 Amending the 2025 Budget for the Lakeview Tennis/Pickleball Court Project