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Committee keeps two-year terms for alder appointments to most boards after debate
Summary
The executive committee voted 5-1 to amend section 33.016 of the Madison General Ordinances to maintain two-year appointments for alder members of boards, commissions and committees in most cases after rejecting a proposed alternate that would have introduced one-year terms for single-alder committee seats.
The Madison Common Council Executive Committee on March 11 approved an amendment to section 33.016 of the Madison General Ordinances governing alder appointments to boards, commissions and committees, voting 5-1 to keep a structure that preserves two-year terms in most cases.
The committee considered a proposed "second alternate" that would have allowed one-year terms for committees that include only a single alder and two-year terms where two or more alders serve; that alternate was defeated on a 2-4 roll call. The committee then advanced the main proposal, which retains two-year concurrent terms for alder appointments in most cases, by a 5-1 vote.
Sponsor Alder Tishler said the alternate sought to balance continuity for returning alders and public appointees with administrative burden, describing the change as intended to prevent entire committees from turning over each year. "When we run for office, we make enormous sacrifices... we commit for a two-year appointment," Tishler said, arguing stability helps both alders and citizen members who serve on boards.
Staff from the mayor's office, reached during the discussion, said the appointments manager reviewed options and viewed the most recent alternate as the least administratively burdensome among the proposed versions but that trade-offs remain. Sam, a mayoral staffer, said: "The second proposed alternate would create the least additional administrative hassle... the appointments manager and staff prefer that version compared with earlier alternates."
Opponents said the alternate added complexity. Vice President Duncan and Alder Ugar said they preferred the original language, arguing that annual reappointments reduce complications when council membership changes. Alder Harrington McKinney and Alder Govinda Rajan supported the second alternate.
Voting on the second alternate produced two ayes (Alder Govinda Rajan and Alder Harrington McKinney) and four no votes (Vice President Duncan, Alder Conklin, Alder Martinez Rutherford and Alder Ugar); that alternate failed. The committee then approved the original motion to amend section 33.016 on a roll call of five ayes and one no (Harrington McKinney dissenting).
The ordinance change will be applied to the city's appointment process; staff said they will coordinate implementation details with the appointments manager in the mayor's office and return to the council with any administrative clarifications.
