11 votes
11 votes! 11 votes is what a Mayor or alder/s need to pass an ordinance, resolution.. or new policy on the City of Madison's Common Council. That is unless there is a change or vote impacting the existing budget ----where you would need 15 votes. Seems easy enough! Did you know this?
Why am I telling you this? In my observations, I have witnessed mayors and alders that had “policy agendas” try to build a coalition of at least 11 alders that might align with the Mayor’s or another alders “policy goals” or initiatives. On the surface, that makes sense right? For example, if I was Mayor and I wanted to create a Truth and Reconciliation process for the city, I would need at least 11 votes to do so; and if this process required funding that was not budgeted for, I would need 15 alders to vote in favor to fund this process.
In my experience, mayors, regardless of who they were, actively seek to find at least 11 alders that will vote for what they may want them too. If I was the type of Mayor that wanted to walk into office with a host of pre-baked policies that I wanted the city to enact, you could be “take it to the bank” sure that I would be scheming or plotting to who those 11 alders might be. Sometimes there is behind the scenes (can’t break open records laws) discussions or cajoling of other alders to get 11 votes locked in. Just politics as usual-- right?
That is why I contend that virtually every alder knows how they are going to vote on a particular agenda item even before public testimony or Council discussions are ever had. 99% of the time, I knew how I was going to vote on issues even before the Council meeting would start. If other alders are being HONEST, they would agree. We will not talk about alders that never prepare for Council meetings and just vote in a block with their alder buds. Okay---maybe some other time.
Despite countless citizens pouring their hearts out on deeply personal issues in the measly three minutes allocated for individual testimony; there is seldom a “Perry Mason” moment where an alder/s might be moved to change their minds on an issue after a skillfully delivered poignant comment by someone from the public. I am not saying that on issues where an alder might be on the fence, comments from the public don’t have an impact. They do! What I am trying to convey is that for the most part, how an alder might vote is a forgone conclusion.
Once again, why am I telling you this? Because while our movement will lay out our platforms and goals on what can be possible for the City of Madison, I will come into office with the strongest resolve to bring the community together to craft community-driven policies and initiatives for Madison. While I certainly have the intention to HEAL our broken city and to intentionally bring diverse Madisonians together in unity, respect and love to create opportunities for TRUTH and Reconciliation, I also have many thoughts around creating more obtainable housing options, safe efficient equitable transportation and sustainable, responsible economic development. We will share these soon.
As Mayor, I will have a city to “run” and I would like to empower the 20 alders to take the lead role in developing and implementing public policies. Rather than me making campaign promises that are not community-driven or utterly unrealistic talking points to capture votes, I can promise you that our administration will be unlike any other in the history of Madison.
With the Common Council’s blessing, as Mayor, I would like to change city ordinances to allow the Common Council to appoint citizens to all commissions, boards and committees (CBCs). For those that don’t know, currently the Mayor appoints citizens to CBCs’ with the Common Council’s approval. Seldom is there any discussions or push back on these Mayoral appointments.
There is an advantage to having this power because as Mayor, you can appoint citizens to CBCs that align with your policy objectives…or you just like them. Maybe they donated a nice chunk of cash or time to your campaign, and you want to return the favor. Same goes for alder appointments to CBCs by a Mayor. Mayors try to hook up those 11+alders that might be in their “pocket” to top tier CBCs like the Planning Commission, Alcohol License Review Committee, and alders that might not be in the “pocket” to lesser desirable CBCs. I have personally served on almost 20 CBCs during my three terms as alder and a citizen appointment.
If the Common Council took over the appointing folks to CBCs, as your Mayor, you could rest assured that there would be no hidden agendas or back room fuckery when it came to valuing and respecting the hundreds of amazing volunteer citizens that serve on CBCs. As a former alder, I deeply respected and honored the work of all the folks on CBCs(around 80+/-). As Mayor, I will celebrate each and every member of the CBCs and seek to constantly recognize their service to Madison.
If the Common Council appointed members to the CBCs, this would begin to lay a foundation where more public policy would be introduced and implemented by alders (of course with city staff). Rather than a Mayor having 11 alders at their disposal, or beck and call, alders would have to work across district lines to build their own coalitions of 11/15 alders. As your next Mayor, I recognize that in each of the 20 districts, divided up with around 14 thousand beautiful Madisonians, the alders know what’s best for their neck of the woods. I want our alders to take a more proactive role in policy formation, and I will be there to support their efforts…while doing my job of leading city operational functions.
I know for some, all of this seems ever so RADICAL and weird. But if we are to truly forge a new Madison, where all have trust in the leaders, we need to make major systemic changes to how we governed in the past. I have said it a zillion times, I believe in POSSIBILITIES. I sincerely know with all of my heart what Madison could become if we came together in unity respect and love. With your support---we can forge a new socially just equitable and prosperous Madison where all can thrive.
