The Wisconsin Policy Forum’s annual review called the Mayor’s proposed 2019 budget for the City of Milwaukee “one of the least contentious in years” in light of an unexpected $9 million reduction in its pension fund contribution. The report also warns that the benefit will be short-lived, however, and that the city’s long-term budget challenges “remain as intense as ever.” “It is certainly good news that the budget is able to convert an overestimated 2018 pension payment into stable departmental budgets and a re-stocked pension reserve,” says the report. Earlier this year, however, the pension fund actuary discovered that the city vastly overpaid in 2018. While this good fortune provides for a relatively calm budget in 2019, the report highlights some areas of ongoing concern: