Four more of the 20-member Madison City Council members have announced they will not seek re-election for another two-year term.
Ald. Brian Solomon, District 10; Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway, District 12; Ald. Larry Palm, District 15; and Ald. Jill Johnson, District 16, are calling it an end to their time in the city government.
The four will also join Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, and Ald. Lauren Cnare, District 3, who already announced the conclusion of their service on the council, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Solomon said in a statement working as the District 10 alder over the past six years was an incredible privilege.
He said the city’s redistricting process resulted in his home residence no longer being located in District 10, either forcing him to move, run for District 13 alder or not seek re-election. He said, however, he will remain active in the community.
Solomon said his preference for a new District 10 alder candidate would be someone who would continue District 10’s tradition of advocacy for multimodal transportation options, environmental stewardship and equality, according to the statement.
Rhodes-Conway, who also serves on the Board of Estimates and the city’s budget committee, said in a statement it has been a privilege for her to serve on the Common Council since 2007, but that it is time for her to focus on her job and family, as well as to give someone else a chance to serve District 12.
“I hope to continue to serve my neighborhood and the city in different ways,” Rhodes-Conway said.
Palm said his home has been moved out of District 15 after the city’s redistricting process, according to the statement. He said the move was “too difficult to overcome.”
“I’ve had a wonderful opportunity and treasure my time on the Common Council,” Palm said in the statement.
Johnson said she would not be seeking re-election because she and her husband are moving to a home they own outside of District 16. She also said she will cherish her time spent on the Common Council.
Johnson said one of her most memorable moments as an alder was when the council voted against city financing for the Edgewater Hotel project in 2011.
She said one of the lower points during her experience as an alder was the council’s approval of building a Copps Grocery Store in Grandview Commons, as her district is just south of the development across Cottage Grove Road.
She said she hopes the Common Council can work to control spending in Madison in the future.
According to the City of Madison statement, Palm, Cnare and Johnson will be hosting a Candidate Open House for anyone interested in running for alder in these districts for the next election.
The Open House will be this Sunday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m., located at the Pinney Branch Library at 204 Cottage Grove Rd.
