[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]Madison Common Council approved amendments to the 2006 budget to ensure Madison Metro operates at current standards, but rejected an amendment to fund a third party to enforce Madison's anti-sweatshop ordinance Wednesday night.

Over the course of two separate amendments, the council approved a $558,000 addition to the Madison Metro budget. Ald. Zach Brandon, District 7, acknowledged the importance of the Metro budget issue.

"This is the watershed issue of the night," Brandon said. "I think we all knew it would come down to this."

The council approved $337,000 of federally mandated funding for Metro's para-transit system and $221,000 of normal transit service.

Arguments on both sides of the issue were passionate. Brandon compared Metro's financial struggles to a business.

"This system is broken," Brandon said in opposing the amendment. "If it were a business, it would be bankrupt. The answer tonight is to say, 'You get your house in order, and then we'll give you the money.' The carrot comes at the end."

Ald. Jed Sanborn, District 1, who also opposed the amendment, said having the city continue to fund Metro is not the answer to the transit service's problems.

"We have a great bus system and I want it to succeed, but we have serious problems with Metro," Sanborn said. "The problems are a result of exploding costs and a reduction of the amount of those costs covered by Metro revenue. I think we need to force this issue to ensure Metro improves itself. Increasing the city's subsidy will only make the problems worse."

Ald. Ken Golden, District 10, who proposed the budget amendments relating to Metro, admitted that the system has problems, but said the public transportation system is necessary for the city.

"I don't think we have a crisis with Metro, but we definitely have some things to deal with," Golden said. "However, I don't think a comparison between public service and private business is fair. I think public services have a different way of approaching business. They are around for the good of our citizens."

Ald. Austin King, District 8, reminded the council about the public testimony from the night before.

"There are a lot of folks concerned about the whole system," King said. "Metro is absolutely critical to the city's economy. Metro will also continue to spur the growth of our boom town, our downtown."

King also recalled the Metro fare increase in July, saying Common Council made a commitment to Metro riders when the increase was approved.

"We told our citizens when we raised the fares, 'You guys eat the fares, and we won't abandon you,'" King said. "I don't know how we could look our citizens in the eye if we reject this amendment."

King's amendment to the budget to use $5,000 to fund a third party to enforce the city's sweatshop-free ordinance did not see the same success as the Metro amendments. King said not properly enforcing the ordinance makes it ineffective.

"This is a small step we could take to improve people's lives," King said. "The ordinance we have on the books means nothing if we don't have this to ensure the enforcement of the ordinance."

After approving the amendments to Madison Metro, council recessed. The remainder of the amendments to the budget will be heard Thursday.