City government changed hands Tuesday, with five new members on a little more left-leaning City Council and a new progressive mayor presiding over them.
The new council unanimously elected Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, as council president, with Ald. Cindy Thomas, District 20, next in line as president pro tempore.
The council is split in half between 10 liberal and 10 conservative members after the election of District 12 member Brian Benford, who won conservative alder Dorothy Borchardt’s spot when she did not run for re-election.
Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, said this council would not be much different from the last.
“We still need the 11 votes, but it will be close,” Konkel said, referring to the votes required to pass partisan-split council resolutions.
One key issue on new mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s agenda is the passage of mandatory inclusionary zoning, requiring all new developers to include affordable housing as part of all new developments. Cieslewicz replaced all of the last term’s members of the Planning Commission with new members. He appointed liberal members Konkel, Ald. Jean MacCubbin, District 11, and conservative Ald. Paul Van Rooy, District 18, to the commission. The Planning Commission will have a large role in contributing to the passage or failure of a mandatory inclusionary zoning ordinance. The commission had two conservative alders and one liberal last term.
Ald. Matt Sloan, District 13, said he was satisfied with Cieslewicz’s appointments and did not think the extra liberal vote would make much of a difference.
“They are all thoughtful people, and it’s up to the mayor,” Sloan said. “That’s why we elect him, and one vote is not that big of a shift.”
Van Rooy acknowledged that he is more conservative than Cieslewicz, but said he is willing to reach some kind of compromise.
“I am not one to stake out my position and formulate my positions ahead of time,” Van Rooy said. “I am willing to negotiate.” Van Rooy circulated the room before Tuesday night’s council meeting, meeting new alders and scheduling meetings with them.
New District 8 alder Austin King, a student, apologized for being a rookie when he made his first suggestion to the council, but Cieslewicz picked up the line, sympathizing with King as a rookie on the council himself.
Laundry 101 owner Ald. Zach Brandon, District 7, another new face at the council meeting, said he plans to focus on retaining and recruiting businesses in Madison.
New alder Benford said his top priority is integrating a more diverse group of people into the political process.
At the council meeting, the council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing April 25 as “Student Shadow Day” at the University of Wisconsin. Shadow Day involves a program geared toward high school minority and LGBT students. The students will attend college classes and meet faculty and other students one-on-one.
The resolution commended the Associated Students of Madison for working toward a more diverse campus.
