By Drea Tatum

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Milwaukee residents have been invited to actively participate in shaping the city’s financial future, kicking off with Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s presentation of the proposed 2026 budget to the Common Council on September 23. Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, head of the Common Council’s Finance and Personnel Committee, emphasized the significance of public engagement in the budget review, “One of the Common Council’s biggest and most important undertakings every year is reviewing and amending the Mayor’s proposed budget,” she stated, in a recent release by the City of Milwaukee. Committed to amplifying residents’ voices in this process, Dimitrijevic, alongside Vice-Chair Alderman Peter Burgelis, is spearheading efforts to maximize resident involvement.

The first opportunity for the community to weigh in will be during the Joint Public Hearing on the Mayor’s proposed 2026 budget, slated for October 6 at 6:30 p.m., held within the grandiose architecture of the Common Council Chamber at City Hall, an event that mandates physical presence, these endeavors to democratize fiscal planning echo the spirit of Milwaukee’s robust civic culture, the hearing will be an in-person only event where constituents can directly voice their perspectives, according to the City of Milwaukee.

Adding a new dimension to the budgetary dialogue, a Finance and Personnel Committee Public Input Meeting will be conducted on October 18 at 9:30 a.m., this time at the newly inaugurated MLK Library — a venue that teems with resources and activities suitable for families, hence the committee encourages whole families to join the conversation, as reported by the City of Milwaukee.

Dimitrijevic also noted the importance of the community’s participation stating, “As chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee, I have increased the opportunities for the most important voices to be heard – yours.” Informing residents about the upcoming meetings, officials have communicated that while the event at the MLK Library supports in-person attendance, arrangements have also been made for virtual participation upon registration, as per the City of Milwaukee.