Milwaukee department leaders outlined proposed 2027 spending for police and fire on Oct. 12. The two departments carry the largest budgets in city government, and both are proposed to add positions next year.
For the fire department, the plan includes reopening the station at Brady Street and North Franklin Place. Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said the location was picked from four candidates because of nearby high-rise buildings and congested streets that can slow travel in the area.
That station was shut about a decade ago, when the city closed it and five other firehouses during a tight budget period under then-Mayor Tom Barrett. A south side station that had also been closed was reopened last year after eight years.
The proposal would raise authorized police positions from 2,526 to 2,585, including civilian staff, and fire positions from 966 to 984. State law tied to the 2023 Act 12 sales tax requires Milwaukee to grow toward 1,725 sworn police officers and maintain daily fire staffing of 218, and city documents show both departments are still working toward those targets.
Police pay and benefits account for most of an 11 percent rise in that department's proposed budget, following a union contract settled in October 2025. Fire capital needs were also debated, after the department requested far more for equipment and facilities than the mayor's proposal provides.
The Finance and Personnel Committee will hold another public hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 17 at the Mitchell Street Library. Amendment votes are scheduled for Oct. 29, with the full council set to consider adoption on Nov. 6.
