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The Wisconsin Policy Forum is a nonpartisan, independent statewide policy research organization with offices in Milwaukee and Madison. Our mission is to provide informed, nonpartisan analysis of critical policy issues affecting local governments, school districts, and the state of Wisconsin. Our research and facilitation activities encourage elected officials and community leaders to find effective, data-driven solutions to pressing policy challenges, and promote productive discussion among the public and private sectors.

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Featured Research

Budget Brief

City of Madison 2027 Mayor’s Budget

October 2026

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Two years after Madison voters approved a $22 million tax increase for the city in a referendum, the city’s finances remain relatively solid. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s 2027 budget proposal reflects that stability, keeping the increase in the city’s property tax levy to roughly the recent rate of inflation while limiting most service cuts and adding in some new elements to the city’s budget and programs.

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In The News

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