Mayor Paul Soglin introduced his 2019 operating budget Tuesday, hoping to improve the economic mobility and safety of all residents in Madison.
Madison is ranked #1 in “Best Cities to Raise a Family” according to Zumper, a housing search website, due to its “large population of young adults, strong local economy, low unemployment rate, and low crime rate.” However, Soglin believes not all the communities in Madison reflect these statistics.
“While these rankings and measures reflect many virtues of our city, these great outcomes are not shared by all in our community,”Soglin said. “Some of our neighbors continue to face gun violence and the trauma of violence on families and loved ones.”
Soglin has increased the budget to the city’s peer support program, which was designed to address the rising violence in neighborhoods across Madison.
The new budget will now allow an expanded special victims unit and equip all police field staff with smartphones.
“My 2019 operating budget continues the focus on upward economic mobility for all residents,” Soglin said. “We accomplish upward mobility through a mix of strategies that are affordable, ensure safety for all, and help all our residents access the tools for success.”
The operating budget will also allow for the construction of “a new police station, new fire station, renovated municipal building, a new library branch,” and it will enable the city to take on “major street projects,” according to Soglin.
