Council committee adopts timeline and posting rules for filling alder vacancies

The Madison Common Council Executive Committee unanimously adopted a second substitute to amend Madison General Ordinances §2.03 on the process for filling alder vacancies.

Vice President Govindarajan, the motion’s sponsor, described the major changes: "Major changes here from last time are, we have or I have removed the requirement for the social media, to be included in the applications," and the substitute also removes a requirement that a community meeting be held in the vacant district and changes the posting requirement from Legistar to the common council web page to give staff scheduling flexibility.

The second substitute establishes a predictable timeline in the event of a vacancy: notice of the vacancy and instructions for applicants must be publicized within 10 business days; applications must remain open at least 10 business days; and application materials should be posted publicly (for example on the common council web page) no later than five business days before the CCEC meeting at which the committee will consider a candidate. City Attorney Haas advised that the ordinance’s deadlines are "directory" and do not create legal consequences that would void an appointment if missed. Chief of staff Karen told members she would not recommend shortening the 10-business-day minimum because holidays and outreach needs can make a quick turnaround impractical.

Members discussed the practical timeline: because CCEC meets on a scheduled cycle, filling a vacancy could take about a month from vacancy to appointment under the sample timeline, though staff said it could be faster if materials are ready. Alder Ugarwal described a recent case-by-case example: "I became aware of the vacancy on 12/15/2023. I filed my application on December 26, the day after Christmas, and I was sworn in on 01/23/2024." The committee recorded a unanimous vote in favor of the second substitute.