The Dane County Board of Supervisors made the unusual decision to override an executive veto this Thursday, pushing through a resolution to study redevelopment of the Alliant Energy Center.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi previously vetoed the resolution in February because he felt another study was unneeded. The board also approved resolutions formally urging Congress to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership and opposed a bill targeting sanctuary cities.
The county government is in agreement the Alliant Energy Center is in need of repair, but the board and Parisi have been at the odds over how this can best be achieved.
Following nearly an hour of debate, the board voted 30-6 to override the veto, meaning the city will move ahead with plans to create a master planning process.
County Supervisor Dave de Felice, District 16, said a veto override by the county board has only been attempted two to three times in the past.
Opponents of the override, including de Felice, argued the resolution suffered from a lack of direction and were concerned about the prospect of moving forward on a resolution that could potentially lead to large public investment without a unified leadership.
Dane County Board approves master plan for Alliant Energy Center redevelopment
Proponents said the framework set forth by the resolution would provide the best return on taxpayer investment compared with alternative proposals put forth by Parisi.
County Supervisor Jeff Pertl, District 17, said the veto should be overridden because the board had voted to go forward with the resolution in February, and they should stick by their decision.
In a near unanimous vote, the board decided to oppose a so-called “sanctuary city bill” currently in the state Legislature that would allow law enforcement officials to inquire about the citizenship of arrested individuals.
In the same vein, the council voted to urge congress to oppose the TPP, citing harm to worker protections and union power. Several members abstained, with one supervisor dissenting.
