Ledell Zellers recent election as the alder representing a large part of downtown and the Langdon Street area could have consequences on downtown alcohol policy in the future.
Zellers, who will join Madison’s City Council April 17, said she supports making Madison a safe place to live and will have to do more research on data surrounding alcohol policy before she takes a strong stance on many issues.
“I want people to be responsible,” she said.
Zellers has supported the Alcohol License Density Ordinance, a city law that limits where bars and similar establishments can be located to areas that have previously held an alcohol license and come into focus in Alcohol License Review Committee discussions.
Zellers said she is unsure if she will support ALDO in the future because she needs to look at the data to see if the claims of benefits – lower crime and violence – made by proponents of ALDO are true.
However, some have called Zellers an advocate of stricter alcohol policies, pointing to her actions as the president of Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. in 2008. That year, CNI advocated for a policy that would have increased prices and taxes on alcoholic beverages as well as proposed a crackdown on underage drinking citations under Zellers’ leadership.
During the race for the District 2 seat, Zellers’ opponent Bryan Post was vocal about this issue, calling these policies “draconian” and saying Zellers will only advocate for her own interests.
Despite these claims, Zellers said she needs to further research ALDO and data related to alcohol in Madison before coming to any conclusions about how she will address the issue in City Council.
Zellers said she questions statements made by proponents of ALDO, especially the arguments made regarding the ordinance’s benefit to the presence of retail stores on State Street. She said trends have shown a decrease in retail stores throughout the country, not just in Madison, so she is unsure if the ordinance helps in that area.
As far as student-oriented policy, she said she strongly supports an ordinance that allows underage drinkers to call for emergency assistance when criminal and other harmful activity is happening. She praised the Madison Police Department for not charging underage drinkers when they call the MPD for help. She said this helps the police respond to crimes and allows students who may be drinking to report crime without being afraid of receiving a drinking ticket.
A student representative on the ALRC, Rachel Lepak, said providing students with additional options for safe drinking is something she will continue to advocate for on behalf of the Associated Students of Madison.
She described the importance of providing entertainment venues that serve alcohol, which present a drinking culture that does not encourage overconsumption.
Lepak said District 2 plays a significant role in discussions of alcohol policy, because many of the city’s bars and taverns are located there.
“It will be a challenge because District 2 does fall in a part of State Street that does affect us a lot, as well as other parts of the town that are in that [area],” Lepak said. “That will be a challenge we will have see to. I’m excited to see what [Zellers] has to offer.”
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said alcohol policy is an important issue for many University of Wisconsin students.
He said student issues will be central to adequate representation of District 2 and City Hall, given the large number of students that are residents of that district.
“Alcohol will be part and parcel with that representation of student interests,” Verveer said. “I think Ledell will do an excellent job balancing the sometimes competing interests of her constituents, be they students and nonstudents alike.”
Sarah Eucalano contributed to this report.
