City of Madison

What City of Madison does

The City of Madison is a municipal government entity serving Madison, Wisconsin (Dane County), founded in 1836 and operating with 1,001-5,000 employees. It provides a comprehensive portfolio of public services to approximately 250,000-499,999 residents, businesses, and visitors within its jurisdictional boundaries. Core services include utilities (Madison Water Utility, stormwater management, trash and recycling collection), transportation (Metro Transit bus service, parking garages and permits, traffic engineering, biking and walking infrastructure, Madison B-Cycle bike share with ~100 stations), public safety (Police, Fire, 800MHz P25 Radio Communications serving 5,000+ inter-agency users), parks and recreation (parks, beaches, trails, golf courses, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Warner Park Community Recreation Center, Madison Senior Center), and civic services (elections and voting, property lookup, development services, building inspection, zoning, demolition and construction permitting).

The City's digital infrastructure is centered on a WCAG 2.2 AA and Section 508 accessibility-compliant website (cityofmadison.com) with multilingual support in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Chinese. The technology stack includes ArcGIS for geospatial visualization (flood risk maps, watershed studies, collection schedules), SurveyMonkey for resident engagement surveys, an SSL-encrypted online payment system for taxes/permits/tickets, and the Everyday Engineering Podcast distributed via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and RSS. The City operates from 12+ physical facilities, including the City-County Building headquarters (210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.), Madison Municipal Building, Traffic Engineering Division, Radio Communications Section, three Streets Division offices and drop-off sites, Urban Forestry office, and Madison Senior Center. The City has been recognized for digital government excellence with a 2023 Center for Digital Government Digital Cities Survey award and a Bloomberg What Works Cities Silver 2023 designation.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: recurring property taxes and monthly municipal utility bills (stormwater at $2.95/parcel base plus pervious/impervious area surcharges, typical homeowner $12.71/month), one-time permit and inspection fees (commercial building at $0.04/sq. ft. minimum $100; zoning map amendment $950-$1,500+; demolition $600; commercial driveway $100 new / $50 renewal), transaction-based fees (parking, TDM at $100 base + $15/point), and intergovernmental transfers. The City is governed by an elected Mayor (Satya Rhodes-Conway) and Common Council under Wisconsin state law, is not investor-owned, has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no equity instruments — making it structurally outside the conventional PE/VC/M&A universe, though it presents relevant benchmarks in digital government services, accessibility compliance, and public-private program partnerships.

Name

City of Madison

Legal name

City of Madison

Website

https://cityofmadison.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1836

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The City of Madison is a municipal government serving approximately 250,000-499,999 residents of Madison, Wisconsin with public services including water utility, Metro Transit, public safety, parks, permitting, and digital government services delivered through online and in-person channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Urban Transit Systems (4851), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Police Protection (922120), Fire Protection (922160), Special Needs Transportation (485991)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Local Transportation, Parking & Mobility Administration (BPAIACAM), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI), Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public transit operations
• Building permits inspection
• Stormwater management
• Urban infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Building Inspection and Permit Fees: Fees collected for building inspections, plan reviews, and permits for construction, demolition, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work. Fees are based on square footage, project type, and complexity.
2. Zoning and Land Use Fees: Fees for rezoning applications, conditional use permits, variance requests, sign permits, site plan reviews, and demolition permits. These are one-time fees associated with land development and construction projects.
3. Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Fees: Fees assessed during site plan review for development projects based on mitigation points determined by project size and parking proposed.
4. Driveway and Traffic Permits: Fees for commercial driveway approach permits and conduit installation deposits for new construction and modifications.
5. Property Taxes: Property tax revenues collected from Madison property owners supporting general city operations and services.
6. Municipal Services Billing: Monthly utility bills for municipal services including stormwater management, water utility, and other city services.
7. Parking Fees: Revenue from city parking garages, lots, and parking permits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The City of Madison is a municipal government providing essential public services to residents, businesses, and visitors within Madison, Wisconsin. Core offerings include public safety (police, fire, radio communications), utilities (water, trash/recycling, stormwater), transportation (Metro Transit, parking, traffic engineering, biking/walking), planning and development (building permits, zoning, demolition), parks and recreation, and civic functions (elections, property lookup, online payments). Services are delivered through in-person service centers, a digital self-service portal, phone, Metro Transit, and physical drop-off sites.

Product overview

City of Madison operates as a municipal government providing a comprehensive portfolio of public services through its website and in-person operations. The city's digital offerings encompass over 20 distinct service categories including core utilities (trash/recycling collection, stormwater management, water utility), transportation (Metro Transit bus service, parking, traffic engineering, biking/walking infrastructure), public safety (fire, police, radio communications), community services (parks/recreation, library, senior center), and civic functions (elections/voting, property lookup, development services/permits). Key programs include the Flood Management Services with watershed studies, Safe Streets Madison traffic safety initiative, Winter Salt Certification Program, and Everyday Engineering Podcast for public education. The city also provides Madison B-Cycle bike sharing, Madison City Channel government television, and an online payments portal for taxes, tickets, and permits. These services function as integrated municipal operations rather than a unified software product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elections & Voting Voter registration, absentee voting, and polling place lookup services for municipal elections in Madison.
• Metro Transit Bus transit service serving the City of Madison and surrounding areas, including paratransit services for residents and visitors.
• Parking Services City garage and lot locations, real-time availability, and parking permits for residents and visitors.
• Parks & Recreation Parks, beaches, trails, golf courses, botanical gardens, and community recreation centers including Warner Park Community Recreation Center for Madison residents and visitors.
• Trash & Recycling Collection Weekly trash collection and bi-weekly recycling pickup with collection schedule lookup, large item pickup scheduling, and drop-off sites for Madison residents.
• Stormwater Management Stormwater utility managing storm sewers, greenways, stormwater basins, rain gardens, and stormwater billing based on impervious and pervious surface areas for Madison property owners.
• Radio Communications 800MHz P25 radio system providing critical voice communications for first responders and public works agencies across Madison and Dane County, serving over 5,000 users.
• Development Services Center One-stop service for building permits, zoning, demolition approvals, erosion control, and land development including rezoning and conditional use applications for developers and contractors.
• Demolition & Construction Permits Demolition permit processing including historic value review, reuse and recycling plans requiring 70% diversion of demolition debris, and Landmarks Commission review for developers and contractors.
• Flood Management Services Comprehensive flooding resources including flood risk maps, watershed studies, preparation guides, sandbag locations, and reporting tools for flash flooding and lake level flooding in Madison.
• Property Lookup Property information and property tax lookup service for Madison residents and property owners.
• Online Payments Online payment portal for property taxes, parking tickets, municipal services bills, licenses, and permits for Madison residents and businesses.
• Report a Problem Non-emergency issue reporting for traffic concerns, potholes, parking violations, tree damage, and other municipal issues for Madison residents.
• Madison City Channel Government-access television channel broadcasting city meetings, public information, and community content for Madison residents.
• Traffic Safety Services Traffic signals, street lighting, signing and pavement marking, federal safety grants, and neighborhood safety programs for Madison residents and visitors.
• Biking & Walking Infrastructure Pedestrian and bicycle facilities, bike path construction, Safe Routes to School programming, and coordination with Madison B-Cycle bike share program for Madison residents.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WI Salt WisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the Winter Salt Certification Program which trains municipal and private salt applicators on decreasing salt use while keeping roads and walkways safe. Since 2017, more than 300 applicators have been trained in Dane County.
• Dane County Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for demolition material reuse - contractors work with Habitat for Humanity to remove and reuse materials like doors, cabinets, and other salvageable items from demolition sites before demolition occurs.
• Dane County Waste and Renewables CampusminorOthersConstruction and demolition recycling facility operated on the Dane County campus that accepts materials including shingles, concrete, and other recyclable construction debris per city ordinance requirements.
• Deconstruction, INCminorOthersLocal for-profit company that works with architectural salvage and similar materials for demolition reuse activities.
• Darkhorse DeconstructionminorOthersLocal deconstruction company that performs reclaiming/deconstruction work during demolitions and may assist with fulfilling reuse and recycling plan requirements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• City of Milwaukee: Sister Wisconsin city and the state's largest municipality, operating similar municipal service portfolios (water utility, DPW, transit, police/fire) under the same state levy-limit regime. Closest direct comparable for Madison in terms of regulatory environment and service breadth.
• City of Minneapolis: Midwest progressive city of comparable size (~430K population) with similar digital government, transit, parks, and public safety portfolios. Comparable in scale, climate exposure, and progressive policy orientation.
• City of Saint Paul: Twin Cities partner with overlapping service mix (Metro Transit-style operations, public works, permitting, parks). Comparable size (~300K) and Midwest climate profile.
• City of Cambridge: University city (~120K) with mature digital government, accessibility programs, and transit-oriented services. Comparable in dense urban service delivery and academic-demographic profile.
• City of Ann Arbor: University-anchored city (~125K) with similar progressive governance, sustainability programs, and high digital-services adoption. Comparable in academic-town demographics and innovation focus.
• City of Boulder: Mid-sized university city (~105K) with leading sustainability, climate resilience, and digital government programs. Strong analog for Madison's environmental and accessibility leadership profile.
• City of Portland, Oregon: Larger progressive city (~650K) with comparable transit, parks, sustainability, and digital governance priorities. Relevant for scaling and urban policy comparison.
• City of Berkeley: Progressive California city (~125K) with comparable sustainability, climate action, and digital accessibility initiatives. Useful peer for benchmarking digital cities recognition.

Regional players

• Dane County Government: County-level government serving Madison and surrounding areas, sharing the 800MHz radio system, public health (Public Health Madison & Dane County), and other services. Adjacent public-sector peer with overlapping service territory.

Broad incumbents

• City of Denver: Larger Mountain West city (~700K) with broader municipal operations and more developed smart-city initiatives. Useful for benchmarking what scaled municipal digital services look like.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cityofmadison
• YouTubeyoutube.com/CityofMadison
• Facebookfacebook.com/CityofMadison
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityofmadisonwi

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Madison