Madison Alders Pass 2025 Budget, Cut Some Funding for Independent Police Monitor

MADISON, Wis. – The city of Madison adopted its 2025 budget late Tuesday night. 

The $432 million plan was passed late Tuesday night. It comes after voters passed the $22 million referendum last week. 

Originally, the Common Council had two budget plans prepared. One of them was under the condition that the referendum passed. The other was in preparation for its rejection, and would’ve included 5% cuts across city services. 

The office of the independent police monitor will still face some cuts, even after the referendum passed. 

The position and the office were created after protests in 2020. The goal is to examine policing and policies in Madison. 

That work had fits and starts. Finding the Independent Police Monitor took a while, and the first person who took the job ultimately left. Then the next person hired, Robin Copley, had to go out on medical leave. 

The department is only meant to have three people. It works with the Civilian Oversight Board. 

In the original proposal, the office of the Independent Police Monitor would lose half its funding. Copley said that would be devastating for such a tiny team. 

“One metaphor I keep using is that I was given three sticks and asked to make a circle. I’ve managed to do so,” she said. “I feel confident in the team that we’ve assembled … really feel that a lot of the decisions and choices that are going to be made by the board and the office are going to be quick, they’re going to be responsive to the Madison community and the concerns thereof … I struggled with those three sticks, and I found a circle.” 

In a late-added amendment, a few alders found a solution. They were able to add money back into the Monitor’s budget, but not all of it. The office will have about a 19% cut instead of almost a 50% cut. 

That includes making the department’s data analyst part-time instead of full-time. That person just started in September. 

Copley just announced Monday the first three investigations her office would conduct. They’d focus on:

• a department-wide policy 
• a regular police procedure 
• reviewing a past case

They’ll also be starting a collaboration with UCLA… where they’ll be analyzing cell phone data to determine whether Madison police spend more time patrolling neighborhoods with more people of color. 

Copley said the goal is to create pathways of healing between the city of Madison and its police department.