In what’s becoming an annual tradition, Madison’s city council passed a $453 million operating budget Tuesday evening alongside heated debate on whether to continue funding for the city’s embattled police oversight mechanism.

A last-minute floor amendment sponsored by Alds. Barbara Harrington-McKinney, Isadore Knox Jr. and Joann Pritchett would have removed the Office of the Independent Police Monitor’s $405,299 annual budget and transferred that funding to the Madison Police Department “to fund staffing capacity needs related to implementing body worn cameras.” The amendment would authorize up to five full-time positions in the police department to work on the implementation of body-worn cameras.

“There has been an issue with a history of ineffectiveness in this office, the OIM, and its supporting commission. I know this because I served on the [Police Civilian Oversight Board] for two years and I served alongside its current chair, Maia Pearson,” Knox told his colleagues. “There has been very little, if any, management oversight, which resulted in very few complaints being investigated.”

Added Knox: “We do have taxpayers we have to answer to, too.”

Knox and his cosponsors pitched the funding redirection as a way to outfit the police force with body-worn cameras, something that has been debated in Madison for years. Knox said he’d like to see this implemented by 2027; in October, the city’s finance committee placed body cameras on a “horizon list,” a list of projects for potential consideration in future budgets.

“We cannot continue saying we don't have enough money to fund body-worn cameras,” said Harrington-McKinney.

The amendment failed 17-3, with only the sponsors voting in favor. Some alders criticized the sponsors for the timing of their amendment, which was first publicly posted Tuesday afternoon. Pearson and Gregory Gelembiuk, the OIM’s data analyst, told alders they were not informed of the amendment prior to its submission.

“We are putting forth a suggested amendment that was not announced publicly, and nobody had a chance to register and express their opinion in a collaborative democratic process,” said Ald. Tag Evers, his voice raised. “I’m frustrated, I’m angry. This was always going to fail. It never should have been offered.”

Madison’s city council created the office and its board in 2020 to be a check on the police department and to issue policy recommendations for officers. Both the board and office were slow to start operations and have come under criticism for delays, unfulfilled records requests and undelivered reports.

There has been recent turnover. Independent Police Monitor Robin Copley resigned on Oct. 6, citing mental health concerns. The Police Civilian Oversight Board plans to hear presentations from interim police monitor candidates Nov. 12; city Human Resources Director Erin Hillson, who is filling in as police monitor until an interim is hired, said 37 people applied for the interim monitor position and a hire is expected within three weeks. Hillson said 14 investigations are pending.

During questioning, Pritchett asked Pearson to identify strengths and weaknesses of the office.

“I have not heard from you as an alder about the work of the Police Civilian Oversight Board, and so it's… to ask for the analytical data in just a just a question on the floor, I think, is somewhat out of bounds,” replied Pearson. “Definitely send me an email, and I will try my best to get the information for you.”

Public comment, all of which occurred virtually, was overwhelmingly opposed to the amendment; many said it would infringe upon the office’s independence and remove a community resource invaluable to people of color. Some also said that issues with the office’s performance were limited to Copley, not its other two employees.

“This police oversight agency provides functions that are essential to achieving racial and social equity in the city,” said Devon Snyder, chair of the oversight board’s community engagement committee.

Copley also voiced opposition to the amendment. She said she’s been spending her time since resignation protesting against federal immigration operations in Illinois. She also criticized the council for continually “threatening to defund [the office] completely.”

“What the people need is for their law enforcement to come out and promise to protect them from ICE,” said Copley. “It’s what Madison expects, but I fear it isn’t what the city will do. The mayor will announce ‘This isn’t who we are,’ the police will show this is who we are, and the council will kneecap an oversight agency rather than stand by a moral commitment longer than a fiscal year.”

Other budget amendments proved less controversial. The city’s finance committee approved four amendments to Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s capital budget, which covers long-term projects and infrastructure, in October. Those include $120,000 to replace a city-maintained fence near Edgewood University and $844,000 for more street lighting and a new traffic signal on the Southwest Commuter Path. The $286 million capital budget was unanimously passed Tuesday night without discussion.

Finance committee members also approved seven amendments to the mayor’s operating budget, totalling $218,037.

Amendments included $57,000 for an additional surveyor in the city’s Engineering Division, $62,717 for a position in the parks department that would “lead programming with a focus on violence prevention” in south Madison, and an additional $12,500 to a city-county funded program that matches Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program purchases up to $20 daily, after the county reduced its contribution to the program from $62,500 to $10,000.

Notable additions in Rhodes-Conway’s executive budget proposal include $1.2 million in staff funding for a new northeast library, $1 million for nine new paramedics, and an additional $1 million in funding for the new men’s homeless shelter on Bartillon Drive. The mayor also added $1.1 million for operations at the city clerk’s office due to an increase in elections in 2026.

Both budgets will take effect on Jan. 1.