On Feb. 22 the Task Force on Structure of City Government held its first meeting at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center. The Task Force was created to examine the structure and powers of the Madison Common Council and its committees and the structure and powers of the mayor’s office ahead of legislative redistricting based on the upcoming 2020 census, and the annexation of the Town of Madison in 2022.

Madison has not had a formal committee to examine the most appropriate structure of city government since the 1980s. Informal debates about the size of the Common Council and whether or not the position of alder should be a full-time job have ebbed and flowed amongst council members over the ensuing years. The resolution creating this task force recognizes that this discussion needs to be expanded to a community-wide level.

The city places a high value on democratic civic engagement with a long tradition of resident participation in city government through its committees, commissions and boards as well as planning councils, neighborhood and business associations. For this reason, the task force includes seven residents and four alders.

Northsider Eileen Harrington was appointed by Mayor Paul Soglin and Council President Marsha Rummel to chair the task force. Four Alders sit on the task force: Sheri Carter, Sara Eskrich, myself and Paul Skidmore. Resident members include Justice Castaneda, Margarita Northrup, Catherine Patton, John Rothschild, Eric Upchurch and Jerry Vang. John Rothschild was elected vice chair by the task force at the Feb. 22 meeting.

The city attorney’s office is staffing the task force and will provide it with all relevant legal material about the scope of authority of municipal governments in Wisconsin, as well as a review of the current structure of government and potential alternate structures. The city’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative core team will assist the task force in devising methods for public participation and engagement as the work progresses.