Madison Common Council members submitted additional amendments to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's capital and operating budgets for 2011, which the council will consider Tuesday.
Two of the major proposed budget cuts include eliminating $5 million in land banking funds and over $4 million in funds for Central Park on Madison's east-side. Alders Jed Sanborn, Dist. 1, Judy Compton, Dist. 16, and Thuy Pham-Remmele, Dist. 20, sponsored the proposed cuts.
Sanborn, Compton and Pham-Remmele also sponsored several amendments, which would dissolve the Capital Revolving Fund, Inclusionary Zoning Special Revenue Fund and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The fund balances and loan repayments from these funds would then be distributed into the city general fund.
The biggest proposed amendment, at $5.6 million, to the capital budget would allow the Water Utility to install an automated water meter reading system.
The new system would allow for water usage measurements to be sent electronically instead of through meter readers. The system will allow customers to closely monitor and control water use and thereby conserve water, according to the amendment.
Several alders including Ald. Mike Verveer, Dist. 4, and Marsha Rummel, Dist. 6 are proposing a non-monetary amendment to add several conditions to an $8 million tax-increment financing loan. The loan, which is already included in the budget, was given for the Tax Incremental District 32 and essentially gave funding for the Edgewater Hotel redevelopment project. The proposed conditions include some wage specifications among others.
The Common Council will begin to look over the 33 proposed amendments to Cieslewicz's $247 million operating budget and $238.2 million capital budget Tuesday.
The Board of Estimates has already added amendments to the proposed operating budget, including adding eight Madison police officers and other items.
