The 2027 Manitowoc city budget has several key changes.
Mayor Justin Nickels presented the executive budget last night, focusing on public safety, technology infrastructure, and employees.
One of the biggest things Nickels wants to see done is hiring three new firefighter paramedics.
“As Manitowoc’s population continues to age, emergency medical service demands increase,” he explained. “Ensuring adequate EMS staffing is critical to maintain the high level of service our residents expect and deserve.”
For employees, Nickels asked for a 3.5% increase in wages for non-represented employees and a 13% health insurance increase for employees on the plan.
$50,000 would be dedicated to management training for development and succession planning.
Nickels added that there will be several upcoming retirements in Manitowoc’s engineering department and is looking for new hires there too.
Nickels noted, “This is an area of immense expertise and skill that I want to bring someone from the outside in to help us navigate what we should continue doing in-house with our engineering and everything associated with it. GIS surveying and everything that goes into the engineering department to really help us hone in on what a good organization of the department would look like.”
Something new Nickels wants to see is to start bringing two IT employees in-house. Previously, the city contracted Manitowoc Public Utilities for its IT needs, but with technology advancing, Manitowoc’s mayor says it would be a good idea to have some employees work directly for the city.
“Getting things started and off the ground here in 2027 will be the recommendation of hiring an IT supervisor and IT help desk support,” he remarked. “MPU, we would still have a contract with to provide services because obviously if that IT help desk person is out and something happens and we need backup, MPU would be that backup.”
In addition to new public safety positions, Nickels wants to use $80,000 to replace 66 Tasers for the police department.
No city funding will go toward anything Flock- or ALPR-camera-related.
The mayor then discussed why this will be the first budget in his tenure that could cause the city to incur more debt than it brings.
While he doesn’t want this to happen, they need to have a conversation.
“I point out the borrowing because I know that will be a conversation because that affects future councils,” he stated. “It affects future borrowing schedules, where we are going to have to be paying more off every year by taking on more. But I challenge you to challenge yourself like I challenged myself going through this budget.”
Nickels then talked about road projects he wants to borrow money for, including another portion of Franklin Street from 6th to 10th Street. Others include N. 10th Street from School to Reed Avenue, Marshall Street from S. Lake Street to 8th Street, Orchard Lane from the train tracks to S. 26th, and N. 18th Street from Michigan Avenue to New York Avenue.
Another item Nickels wants to borrow is a new salt shed for the city’s Department of Public Works.
The budget also includes purchasing smaller buses for Maritime Metro.
“So these new buses are much more cost-efficient, almost by a quarter of the price of what one of the large buses costs,” he added. “It will be a change, but in the end it will save a lot of dollars for our taxpayers by going to these new 13-passenger buses.”
Lastly, Nickels is asking the Common Council to approve using Room Tax dollars to purchase the Visit Manitowoc Office building, upgrading it with restrooms and storage, and possibly making it open 24/7, 365 days a year.
The mayor reminded everyone that next Monday is the city’s Touch the Budget event at City Hall from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The mayor will also have two listening sessions about the 2027 city budget at 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on November 12th.
