Appropriations and Ordinances; Procedure.
Milwaukee City Charter § 4-21
in effect4-21. Appropriations and Ordinances; Procedure.
1. All resolutions appropriating money, or creating any charge against any city funds, and all accounts and ordinances, shall be referred to appropriate committees and shall only be acted on by the common council at a subsequent council meeting not held on the same day.
2. If a report is made by a committee upon an ordinance or a resolution appropriating money out of, or creating any charge against any city fund, the report shall be countersigned by the city comptroller, and the comptroller shall not countersign any such report, unless there is a sufficient portion of the proper city fund unappropriated to meet the appropriation or charge.
3. When a committee shall report by resolution upon a matter referred to it by the common council, action upon such resolution may, in the discretion of the council, be taken without further committee recommendation.
4. No portion of any city fund shall be transferred to, or borrowed from, or by any other of said funds at any time, or for any purpose whatsoever, so as to increase any fund to an amount in excess of the estimate for such fund as fixed by the common council.
5. Action upon any report of a committee made to the common council may be deferred to the next regular meeting of the common council by request of 1/5 of the members present.
6.a. The common council may take any matter described in sub. 1 from committee by a majority vote of the members of the common council in office at the time of the vote, provided the following conditions are met:
a-1. At least 30 days have passed since the matter was introduced at a common council meeting and referred to a committee.
a-2. A notice of intent to take the matter from committee has been filed with the city clerk at least 24 hours prior to the time of the common council meeting.
a-3. With respect to an ordinance, the city attorney has approved the legality and enforceability of the ordinance, providing that the following ordinances shall not be subject to this subdivision:
a-3-a. General salary, prevailing wage and positions ordinances.
a-3-b. Bus franchise ordinances.
a-3-c. Ordinances establishing width and grade of streets, alleys and sidewalks, and medial island change ordinances.
a-3-d. Official map changes and zoning district ordinances.
a-3-e. Taxi stand location ordinances.
a-3-f. Specific locations of stopping ordinances and parking ordinances.
a-3-g. Ordinances designating specific locations of certain traffic regulations.
a-4. With respect to any matter appropriating money out of, or creating any charge against any city fund, the city comptroller has indicated in writing that there is a sufficient portion of the proper city fund unappropriated to meet the appropriation or charge.
b. If a matter is taken from committee pursuant to par. a, the common council may proceed to consider and take action on the matter, providing the committee had previously held a public hearing on the matter. If a public hearing has not been held previously by the committee, the common council may hold a public hearing on the file, and then proceed to take action, or may refer the file to the committee from which it was taken, or to another committee, with a directive that a public hearing be held on the file at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the committee.
(HISTORY: Section 4-21 am. Ch. 310, File #64-4089, Apr. 6, 1965. 4-21 rc. File #970963, June 16, 1998; eff. Sept. 1, 1998.)
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/CH4.pdf#page=5Fetched: 10/26/2026