In a move rarely seen by Madison city officials, Mayor Paul Soglin’s veto of a community center liquor license prompted City Council to unanimously override his decision.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the mayor’s veto for Goodman Community Center was unanimously overridden under an ordinance requiring a two-thirds majority vote from council members. According to Verveer, mayoral vetoes are extremely rare in Madison.

“The vetoes are so rare because usually whoever happens to be the mayor is largely on the same page as the majority of the city council,” Verveer said. “It’s very seldom that there’s a wide disagreement on a policy issue as there was on the case of this policy issue.”

According to Verveer, the last time a veto occurred was at least 10 years ago under former Mayor Sue Bauman. He added when vetoes do happen, they are often accompanied by an override attempt from the council.

Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said Soglin’s veto involved liquor being served at the Goodman Community Center, where a variety of functions, including weddings and other celebrations, are held.

Resnick said the center had no regulations for individuals bringing their own liquor to the center other than asking them to behave responsibly.

“What the center was doing was applying for a liquor license that would treat them like any other establishment,” Resnick said. “This would allow them to sell liquor and also be able to regulate it.”

Soglin said in a statement a liquor license is not consistent with the mission of a community center.

The council overrode the veto because it believed children and adolescents are always going to be surrounded by liquor in some way and should be taught how to be responsible and safe in situations involving the substance, Resnick said.

Resnick added the motion to override Soglin’s veto was a straight forward process without any fighting or complications from City Council or the mayor.

He also cited his personal reasons for voting to override the veto.

“I voted for this because it’s talking about responsibility,” Resnick said. “For these community centers that are already having weddings and events, I would rather see the city take a position where we’re responsible with the liquor we’re serving, rather than voiding ourselves of any liability.”