Madison’s City Council met in a special session Tuesday to vote to appoint a downtown alder to be the City Council’s pro tem, or vice president.

Ald. Scott Resnick, the District 8 who represents a large portion of the University of Wisconsin campus, was elected to be the council’s pro tem.

Resnick said the pro tem is responsible for working with City Council President, Ald. Chris Schmidt, District 11, a neighborhood to the south of Lake Mendota. Resnick said he will also be required to do more work, be on more committees and participate in weekly meetings with Madison Mayor Paul Soglin’s office and Schmidt.

Resnick said he will focus on increasing communication, especially between City Council and the Mayor’s office, citing certain promises the two offices have made, which he would like to see come to fruition.

“I’m really focusing on communications between the two offices and making sure we track the progress,” Resnick said.

Budgetary issues will be another focus of his term as pro tem, he said, noting the Overture Center for the Arts, and adding the city needs to begin talks about its budget now.

The city became embroiled in heated budget debates when the mayor’s budget proposed to cut nearly $1 million from the Overture’s budget in the 2013-14 budget. City Council fought to almost completely restore the budget.

Resnick encouraged different city bodies to work together to accomplish projects and move the city forward. He said if the City of Madison and Dane County work together they will be able to solve problems and split the savings.

Schmidt said he will focus on getting the City Council’s agenda started, and organizing the council so they can debate topics such as the budget in a structured fashion.

“I’m a big believer in using processes to make our institutions function smoothly and I hope to continue that,” he said.

Resnick, the vice president of Hardin Design and Development, a local technology development company, also said he wants to focus improving the ways the City Council uses technology.

“It really takes someone from a leadership position to point out that we can all be involved,” he said.

Resnick said he is excited and honored to serve in the leadership position and is confident he will work well with Schmidt.

City Council also welcomed one of their newest members, Ald. Ledell Zellers, District 2, to represent the Langdon Street area and part of downtown. She replaced Bridget Maniaci, one of the council’s most contentious pro-development alders.

Zellers said she found the special session inspiring, noting her interest in hearing what the alders had to say about their previous terms. Currently in the alder orientation process, Zellers said she is keeping busy learning about what becoming an alder entails.

She looks forward to working with all of the city’s alders, she said.

“There’s a lot to learn, which is invigorating,” Zellers said.