PACE board elects Jim Bartlett president for 2025; mayor highlights $14 million in local investment

The Madison City PACE board on the night of its first 2025 meeting elected Jim Bartlett as board president and heard the mayor describe how the program is funded and the scale of recent investment.

Jim Bartlett was nominated for president by a board participant identified as Kim and seconded by Laura Lawson. Bartlett called for the vote and said, “All in favor? Aye. K. That passes.” The board recorded the motion as passed and Bartlett assumed the chair role for the meeting.

The mayor addressed the board and applicants, thanking members for serving and highlighting the program’s community and economic impact. “You’re making investments in your property. When you do that, you’re making an investment in Madison,” the mayor said. He summarized funding sources for PACE as a combination of redevelopment commission dollars from the city’s tax increment financing (TIF) district, Madison’s general fund, and Jefferson County contributions.

According to the mayor’s remarks, the redevelopment commission has committed about $300,000 over recent years to the PACE program. He said the program generated roughly $4,500,000 of new investment in 2024 in targeted revitalization areas and that since the program began in 2014—and particularly after revisions around 2020—PACE has worked on about 289 properties resulting in more than $14,000,000 in investment. He described program priorities as blight elimination, historic preservation and restoring neighborhood vibrancy, and urged board members to consider the neighborhood enhancement impact of each project when scoring applications.

Board chair Bartlett also clarified the PACE board’s role for applicants: “Our board doesn’t actually approve the loans or the grants. Our board recommends the grants to the board of public works.” He explained that applications above the program’s minimum score are eligible for recommendation and that final approval rests with the Board of Public Works.

The mayor said the board’s work leverages local contractor activity and creates a multiplier effect in the local economy. He noted that PACE has concentrated work in the downtown historic district while new targeted revitalization areas are emerging, and he thanked property owners and funding partners for their investments.

The meeting then proceeded to applicant presentations and scoring under Bartlett’s leadership.

Looking ahead, Bartlett and the mayor reiterated that PACE recommendations will be forwarded to the Board of Public Works for final action, and the board will continue to weigh neighborhood enhancement alongside individual project scope.