Dane

The resolution to double the price of the $76M jail to $150M will be introduced tonight and voted on in three weeks - while 37,200 - 45,000 Dane County residents have no representation on the County Board.

If the resolution passes the County Board on Thursday, candidates for three open seats will have less than a month to circulate nomination papers. Circulation starts Friday and papers are due April 9th - only 18 days!

Nearly a year after I was forced out of my 27 year career with the Tenant Resource Center (23 years as Executive Director), they have hired a new Executive Director! And, I got an apology.

So, if you look at the 2008-2017 before the jail was in the the county capital budget, the capital budget averaged $35,851,962 per year.  Now, they want one project to cost 4-5 times the amount of all capital costs. What will that do to our taxes? I haven't seen the answer to that question.

A menagerie of local government and city of Madison things going on around town . . . this one was collected over the past week . . .

"We feel that at the very least, the Dane County Board of Supervisors should postpone making a final decision on funding to the Jail until this study is complete."

Also, did you know there are two county board supervisors running for election this spring? I know they plan to hold a special election to fill the three empty seats (Mary Kolar - District 1, Jeff Pertl District 17, Jenni Dye District 33), but when?

A few things going on around town you should know about . . . extra city meeting, mayoral forum, cops in schools, Venezuela, lake levels, free tax help, overture call for artists and help needs to pass state expungement laws!

New Zoo budget and concessions operator, Lake Levels Task Force final Recommendations at EANR Committee, 2 county board supervisors appointed last summer up for elections (no one running against them - 3 recently vacated seats would be elected June 4), Buckeye Road and more.

On the West side of Madison the city has started several studies to address the flooding issues. Here's the info and some meetings you can attend to learn more.

Common Council Executive Committee Appointments, new Deputy Mayor, Weaponizing Truax, Crazy Legs Traffic Impacts and more.

A smattering of things from all kinds of email lists and alerts that I have that may be of interest to you. Tends to be local government, neighborhood or gardening related.