In October of 2020, at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, the City of Madison, like governments everywhere, braced for the worst. With the globe in lockdown, travel, tourism and parking revenues tanked,and new construction tailed off, depriving the city of the only sources of revenue over which it had any control. Fast forward to October of 2021, and the city’s financial picture seems rosier than expected, and the budget working its way through the Common Council less dire than it might have been. A large chunk of that good news, though is based on an enormous one-time infusion of federal pandemic relief funds. Is that cause for concern down the road? Jason Stein, Research Director of the Wisconsin Policy Forum joins us now with an analysis.
Budget Brief report: https://wispolicyforum.org/research/budget-brief-city-of-madison-2022-mayors-budget/