Critics of Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz have begun exploring their prospects for running to unseat him in the 2011 mayoral election, causing Cieslewicz to respond to several attacks against his administration.

Several prominent Madison politicians, including former Dane County supervisor Stu Levitan and former alders Noel Radomski, Ken Golden and Brenda Konkel have all announced they are either considering or intending to challenge Cieslewicz in 2011.

Radomski, a former one-term City Council member who now works for the University of Wisconsin School of Education, told The Badger Herald he has met with various business and minority groups throughout Madison to gauge his prospects for running.

Radomski said Cieslewicz’s economic and development processes have hurt Madison, which he says will cause a slow turnaround out of the current recession. He added job creation will be the central issue of his campaign.

“It’s going to be jobs, jobs, jobs,” Radomski said. “That’s definitely number one, number two and number three.”

Golden, another former council member, said he is “95 percent sure” he will challenge Cieslewicz as well. He said he plans to focus on the redevelopment of the Central Library and the financial woes of Overture Center as a centerpiece issue.

“I don’t think Dave [Cieslewicz] has governed very well,” Golden said. “I think he’s made a lot of mistakes, and a lot of things he’s tried to do have gone very badly.”

Less certain to run is Landmarks Commission member and active Madisonian Stu Levitan, who told The Badger Herald he is “toying” with the idea of running for mayor. Levitan emphasized his decision will hinge on the outcome of this November’s statewide elections.

Levitan said his candidacy is less likely if Republicans take the Assembly or the governor’s office. He added while he and Cieslewicz share progressive views, he was displeased with the way the mayor has handled the controversies surrounding the Central Library and Edgewater redevelopment projects.

Levitan, who said he has been considering running for mayor since the early 1980s, also said he might not run for mayor because of his older, and possibly wiser, status.

“Maybe I’m too darn emotionally stable to run for mayor,” Levitan said.

Former alder Brenda Konkel, who represented the Near East Side’s District 2 until being unseated by Ald. Bridget Maniaci in 2009, also said she is considering running for both mayor and alder, but has yet to make a decision.

Konkel criticized the mayor and the council repeatedly throughout the year-long city process to approve the redevelopment of the Edgewater hotel.

Radomski, Golden and Levitan also criticized Cieslewicz’s handling of the Edgewater process, with some saying it demonstrated major flaws within the Cieslewicz administration and others calling the city’s use of Tax Increment Free zones to fund the project unnecessary. Radomski called the Edgewater TIF a “bastardization” of the Wisconsin TIF law.

Cieslewicz has said all along that the Edgewater redevelopment is an important step in setting a tone Madison is interested in investing. He has also said his administration’s decision to rewrite the city’s zoning code and create a new Economic Development Director position show his commitment to business.

Despite the controversy surrounding many of his policies, Cieslewicz said he expected criticism of his policies as part of his job, and pointed to Madison’s low unemployment rate and property values as proof of his administration’s success.

“I think the evidence is pretty strong that Madison’s economy is weathering the downturn better than most,” Cieslewicz said. “It certainly does indicate that our policies are working to some extent. We try to create a more business friendly environment.”

While he has not yet made a final decision about running, Cieslewicz said he intends to run but likely will not officially announce his decision until late fall. He added he does not foresee anything changing in the political climate that would convince him not to pursue reelection.