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We make podcasts and newsletters that connect people with the cities they love.

City Cast Madison

A great first step to staying up to date is to get connected online. The City of Madison and its many departments maintain a number of email lists and social media accounts. From what side of the street to park on during a snow emergency to reminders to vote, the city’s social media accounts will keep you informed.

 during election season for helpful reminders and on point GIFs. The 

 Twitter account will keep you parking on the right side of the street during snow emergencies, and the 

 will let you know where all the construction street closures are.

The full collection of accounts can be found here.

To learn more about your neighborhood, subscribe to updates from your alder. Find out who represents you 

For a weekly overview of what happens in Madison’s local government, check out the 

. This system keeps track of agendas, meeting minutes, and legislation.

 while others meet in person. Virtual meetings can be viewed online or listened to over the phone. Details are posted on the meeting agenda as well as on the 

list of meetings that can be viewed live online.

Meetings that are broadcasted can also be livestreamed on the 

list of meetings that City Channel regularly covers

If you would like to voice your opinion on an issue raised during a city meeting, you can submit written comments or register to speak. Public comments for virtual meetings open when the meeting’s agenda is posted.

The top of meeting agendas will include directions for how to participate, whether that’s for a virtual or hybrid meeting. Written comments will be sent to a specified email address (it’s different for different groups). By registering, you can choose to speak, answer questions, or register in support or opposition to an agenda item without speaking. Meeting participants can 

During City Council meetings, for example, pay close attention at the very beginning when alders will vote on the consent agenda. This is when a number of items are acted on in one fell time-saving swoop rather than separate motions.

, will outline exceptions to the consent agenda, which include items that have registrants wishing to speak and items that alders have separated for discussion purposes, agenda items with recommendations different from the agenda, and items introduced from the floor.

There are plenty of ways to keep tabs on and get involved with local government. 

How to Find Out What’s Going On With Madison’s Local Government

Local Civics

Dane County has its own local government that is different from the City of Madison. Dane County is governed by a county executive and a 

 with 37 members representing an individual district in the county. Supervisors elect their peers to serve leadership roles, including chair, two vice-chairs and two sergeants-at-arms.

Supervisor districts are drawn every 10 years following the federal census. For the first time in 2021, Dane County used a 

Dane County-elected leaders oversee the jail, Henry Vilas Zoo, Dane County Regional Airport, Alliant Energy Center, and landfill and lake management, for example.

Similar to Madison’s local government, the full-time executive serves for a four-year term while part-time supervisors serve for two. The county executive currently earns $138,271 per year, which will increase to $142,420 on April 18. Board supervisors currently earn an annual salary of $11,227, which will increase to $11,423.47 on April 18.

Supervisors also earn $30 for attending certain meetings. Supervisors who serve as standing committee (with the exception of Executive Committee) chairs or on the Extension Committee and Land Conservation Committee may receive an additional $100 per month. The chair of the county board earns an annual salary of $53,045 in lieu of additional compensation, which will increase to $53,973.29 on April 18.

. Residents interested in getting involved by serving on a committee 

 includes calendars, agendas and meeting minutes. 

provides directions for how to use the system to access the platform’s functions while 

this one details how to attend hybrid meetings.

For more information on the legislative process, check out this 

Dane County has its own local government that is different from the City of Madison. 

Understanding Dane County Government

 that help guide legislation in the city. Boards and commissions have some independent power to make decisions on behalf of the city while committees are generally limited to making recommendations or reports to the mayor or City Council.

These groups also allow residents to get involved in local government without running for an elected position.

Madison’s collection of boards, committees, and commissions have varying levels of authority and oversee different subject areas. For example, the Urban Design Commission regulates the general appearance of buildings, structures, landscaping and open areas. The Finance Committee makes recommendations on changes to the city’s budget and other issues with fiscal implications, while the Transportation Commission makes decisions on issues affecting transit.

Serving on one of Madison’s many boards, committees, and commissions is a direct way residents can have a voice in city government. Interested residents can check out which groups have vacancies (

see furthest column to the right on this page

follow the application steps outlined here

All members of boards, committees, and commissions are appointed positions. Most members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council.

The appointments are voluntary, but some people are appointed due to another position they hold. For example, a position on the Joint Campus Area Committee is reserved for a representative from UW Housing, and the Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent (or designee) sits on the Plan Commission.

Members of boards, commissions, and committees are typically unpaid, though there are some exceptions. For example, the Civilian Oversight Board members receive $100 per month. Members of the Board of Public Works and Board of Review receive a small annual stipend, which is outlined in state law.

Most boards, commissions, and committees are created by ordinance without an expiration date. The City Council president can establish ad hoc committees, task forces, or work groups, which typically have an end date outlined in a resolution or directive. This usually occurs when one of these groups delivers a report to the City Council.

In practice: Police Civilian Oversight Board

Formed in 2020, the Police Civilian Oversight Board is independent from the Madison Police Department, hires and supervises the independent police monitor, works with the monitor’s office and the community to review and make recommendations related to local police. 

 currently holds the independent police monitor role.

The Police Civilian Oversight Board and independent monitor were 

 from the Madison Police Department Policy Procedure and Review Ad Hoc Committee that formed after the police killing of Madison teenager 

The oversight board is different from the Public Safety Review Committee (PSRC) and the Police and Fire Commission (PFC). The PSRC advises the mayor and City Council on issues related to law enforcement budgets and recommends long-range department goals. The PFC appoints the police and fire chiefs, oversees promotions and hirings and holds hearings on disciplinary matters.

Madison has 83 boards, committees, and commissions that help guide legislation in the city.

The Groups That Help Form City Policies

The City of Madison has a mayor-council form of government in which residents elect a mayor and legislative council. The mayor and alders, who are members of the City Council (officially known as the Common Council), are nonpartisan positions.

Madison’s mayor is elected to a four-year term. As the city’s chief executive officer, they do the full-time job with a salary of $157,548.30. The mayor sets the direction for the city budget and big initiatives as well as making sure city ordinances and state laws are followed and that all city officers and employees fulfill their duties.

The mayor supervises and appoints city officers and heads of departments and makes appointments to various boards, committees, and commissions. The position presides at City Council meetings and has veto power. It takes a 2/3 vote of the council to override a mayoral veto.

, who each represent a different district in Madison. Alders are elected to two-year terms by city residents. Alders elect two of their peers to serve as president and vice president. From transportation policies to alcohol licensing, public safety, and how taxpayer dollars are spent, the City Council is responsible for many aspects of city living.

Alders are considered part-time positions, and the position earns $14,903.72 annually. The two leadership positions earn more, with the president’s position at $18,135 and vice president at $16,077.62 annually.

Alders represent the residents of their districts and work with the mayor, other city officials and city employees to address issues in the city. They serve on city committees, communicate with their constituents and participate in creating the city’s budget.

The city approves voting boundaries every 10 years following the federal census in a process called redistricting. In Madison, a 

established the new boundaries.
Who represents you? Find out by 

The City of Madison has a mayor-council form of government in which residents elect a mayor and legislative council.

Who Calls the Shots in Madison?

by Erin Gretzinger / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch

When Ken Koeppler first heard the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wanted to visit his property, he didn’t think he had anything to worry about.

Koeppler, a Madison resident, bought the building in 1987 and lived there for 17 years before turning it into a rental property. In 2015, the DNR asked Koeppler if it could drill into the basement to check for contamination.

Prior to the DNR’s inquiry, Koeppler had no idea his property once housed a now-defunct dry cleaning business — or that it was contaminated.

“I said, ‘Of course, let’s find out if there’s something going on here,’ and I feel that they misled me at that time,” Koeppler said. “As soon as they had taken vapor samples underneath my building, they named me the responsible party for all aspects of anything having to do with the contamination that was down there.”

That determination has cost Koeppler $55,000 and counting. So far, he has covered the price of three monitoring wells and their permits, exhaust fans, extensive testing and legal services. While he estimated the total could eclipse $150,000 in the next few years, Koeppler has dug his heels in on pending costs — hopeful that proposed legislation may relieve him of financial liability once and for all.

Lawmakers from both parties in recent legislative sessions have pushed a bill that would help “innocent purchasers” pay to clean up contamination they did not cause. Previous attempts fell through, in large part due to lack of funding.

This session, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has again introduced the 

 — this time with new potential funding options. Separately, Gov. Tony Evers is proposing in his 2023-25 state budget to offer even broader eligibility for funding to individuals who can show they thoroughly investigated potential contamination before buying a property.

,” any individual who causes, possesses or controls a hazardous substance discharge is liable for cleaning it up — even if they aren’t responsible for the contamination.

“I was in grade school when these people were dumping chemicals there,” Koeppler said.

“I don’t blame the DNR, but … I feel I suffered for being a good citizen and responding (to them).”

Inspired largely by Koeppler’s story, legislation proposed previously in 

 would have helped people in similar situations by creating specific liability exemptions.

The bill would waive buyers’ liability if they purchased their properties in the window between the enactment of the spills law in 1978 and mandatory disclosure laws in 1992, which 

 owners selling property to disclose such defects. Failure to report issues like contamination to potential buyers can leave sellers and real estate agents open to litigation.

 that while public funds exist to help municipalities and businesses clean up environmental contamination, people typically lack access to similar assistance.

For example, Koeppler, as a private landowner, could not obtain state or federal funds to cover costs of mitigation. The city of Madison and the DNR were able to apply for a federal brownfield grant, which provided $40,000 to build additional monitoring wells and conduct more testing at the properties of Koeppler’s neighbors.

Other legal avenues exist to vindicate private landowners, however they can be timely — and costly — to pursue.

The Department of Natural Resources has not quantified how many “innocent purchasers” exist in the state, but the department estimated in 2021 that the bill would impact 5-10% of 16,600 known sites reported under the spills law.

Sen. Andre Jacque, R-DePere, has supported the legislation since its first introduction in 2017.

“It just is something that resonates with folks in terms of people being held responsible for something that they had no role in causing,” Jacque said. “There’s a reason why we’ve been able to continue to have strong bipartisan support for this proposal.”

Jacque added the bill is not saying “we don’t care about contamination issues” but rather that the state should be involved in remedying them.

Another three-time sponsor, Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, said the proposal balances environmental protection while ensuring Wisconsinites are not held “unjustly responsible for someone else’s error.”

Yet, even with bipartisan support, the bill has twice failed, largely due to a lack of government funding to pay for cleanups, Jacque said.

“It is frustrating that in the past, whether the DNR has been operating under Republican or Democratic administration, there’s been acknowledgement that the situations that individuals are placed in are beyond their control, and yet there hasn’t been a willingness to kind of pursue the financial end of the conversation,” Jacque said.

Previous iterations of the bill have been opposed by the cities of Madison and Milwaukee, as well as environmental groups including the Wisconsin Conservation Voters and the River Alliance of Wisconsin.

In a statement to Wisconsin Watch last fall, the DNR said the agency did not believe the legislation would ensure protection from contamination and suggested it could generate hundreds of properties that cannot be used or developed due to environmental contamination — better known as “brownfields.”

In a memorandum for the 2021 legislation, the Wisconsin Brownfield Study Group, composed of scientists, legal experts and researchers, wrote: “Where a viable causer does not exist, absolution of environmental liability for the ‘innocent owner’ does not address the root contamination problem — who will pay to investigate and remediate the contamination in order to protect public health and restore the environment.”

Separate legislation, Evers’ budget offer funding options

Prospective funding options may be the key to the legislation’s third round.

 to create an environmental hazard mitigation fund under the 

, a federal revolving loan program managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. If passed, Jacque said he plans to explore if part of the fund could go toward helping “innocent purchasers” pay for remediation.

Unveiled in February, Evers’ 2023-25 budget also proposes spending over $5.3 million in fiscal year 2024 and another $2.85 million in fiscal year 2025 to establish the Revitalize Wisconsin program.

Revitalize Wisconsin would provide direct services or funds to local governments, dry cleaners and other private parties to help address environmental contamination. In the budget bill, the “private parties” definition includes innocent landowners.

Unlike the “innocent purchaser” legislation, which would apply during a defined 14-year period, Revitalize Wisconsin would expand eligibility to individuals who purchased properties prior to 2006 and who could prove they “did not know and had no reason to know of the discharge or pollution” at the time of purchase.

After 2006, the program would further expand eligibility to landowners who could demonstrate they followed the federal requirement to pursue “

” to determine if a property they plan to purchase is contaminated.

In a statement to Wisconsin Watch, the DNR said Revitalize Wisconsin would function as a new grant program, sunsetting the long-backlogged dry cleaner environmental response fund program, called 

. That program reimburses former and operating dry cleaner owners to pay for cleanups — including those responsible for contamination who follow requirements to minimize future spills.

In the first fiscal year, all backlogged dry cleaner claims — 

 — would be paid. Then, the DNR would consider other eligible applicants on a “project-by-project basis.”

If an applicant is accepted, the DNR would pay for the needed mitigation work upfront. The only applicants guaranteed eligibility are those already eligible for DERF. Sites previously eligible for DERF will continue to receive priority until all those sites are closed.

Since its inception in 1997, the state has paid $21.8 million in reimbursements to dry cleaners. The program stopped accepting new applications in 2008.

Even with the potential funding mechanism, the political viability of either option remains unknown.

Jacque expressed general support for the Revitalize Wisconsin program’s main goals.

“I appreciate that the administration has finally acknowledged the unjust hardship it has placed upon innocent landowners by its prior position, to the extent that they even create a definition of ‘innocent landowner’ within the Revitalize Wisconsin proposal,” Jacque said.

However, Jacque raised concerns that the budget item does not explicitly address lingering legal liability questions for innocent landowners. He also would like to see if other federal funding could be tapped to help mitigate the problem.

“With so few guidelines, will this proposal just become a boon to the department’s chosen few … and leave the vast majority of innocent landowners out to dry?” Jacque asked.

Taylor doubts the legislation will get financial support from the state Legislature — or that Evers’ Revitalize Wisconsin proposal will survive the Republican-controlled finance committee, whose leaders have vowed to toss out Evers’ budget and start from scratch.

A Madison resident is is being held liable for contamination beneath a building he owns, despite the fact he was never involved in the dry cleaning business that operated there in the 1950s and 1960s. 

He hopes new legislation will relieve him of financial liability once and for all.

Bill Could Help ‘Innocent Purchasers’ Clean Up Contaminated Wisconsin Land

Do you ever wonder who’s in charge of filling the pothole on your street? Or determining your property taxes? When it’s local election season, do you know who alders or supervisors are?

These roles are filled by local residents who might just be your neighbors.

“Local government impacts every member of the community in a variety of ways every single day,” Dane County Board Chair Patrick Miles said. “The great thing about local government is that your elected officials live in your neighborhood, shop at the same grocery stores, and also share concerns similar to yours.”

 breaks down what local government looks like and does in Madison and Dane County.

Do you ever wonder who’s in charge of filling the pothole on your street? Or determining your property taxes?

The Ins and Outs of Madison's Local Government

Elections are a crucial way to participate civically in Madison. There’s one coming up on Tuesday, April 4, and 

 is here to make sure you’re an informed voter.

. To register to vote, you’ll need a current and valid Wisconsin driver’s license or proof of residence documentation.

show both your name and your current address

. This can include bank statements, utility bills and residential leases, to name a few. For more information on proof of residence documentation, 

check out this fact sheet from My Vote Wisconsin

 During open registration, City of Madison residents can register to vote in the City Clerk’s Office during normal business hours, or at the front desk of any City of Madison agency.

For the April 4 election, voters can register in-person during business hours until March 31.

 Wisconsin allows for same-day voter registration. You can either bring your completed registration forms to your polling place or fill out the forms there. Either way, you’ll still need proof of residence documents to register and proper photo ID to vote.

 to find your polling place. IIf you’ve moved less than 28 days before an election, you have to vote in your former ward or municipality.

A photo ID is required for voting in Wisconsin. This rule has been in effect since April 2015. You’ll have to show an original copy of an acceptable photo ID to vote at your polling place. 

All Wisconsin voters can request an absentee ballot be mailed to them for any reason. Absentee ballots should be sent in using the pre-addressed, postage paid envelope included with your ballot packet.

 to the clerk's office or brought to your polling place on Election Day.

Now you know what you need to vote, take a look at who you’ll be voting for. 

Elections are a crucial way to participate civically in Madison.

Your Fast Guide to Voting in Madison

 people in the U.S. were barred from voting due to a felony conviction in 2022. That includes more than 65,000 people in Wisconsin, according to The Sentencing Project, an advocacy and research group.

Neighboring Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois 

 that automatically restore the voting rights of people convicted of a felony upon their release from prison.

That’s not the case in Wisconsin, where those convicted of treason, bribery or a felony must first serve their full sentences or be pardoned.

Wisconsin automatically restores voting rights once a person is “off paper,” meaning they’ve finished probation, parole or extended supervision — a process that can last years. That person must re-register before voting.

It is a felony to vote while under correctional supervision for a felony. After each election, the Wisconsin Elections Commission checks a list of people who voted and a list of those who are prohibited from voting while under supervision.

 found that in the last decade, more than half of election-related crimes involved people who voted or registered to vote while still “on paper.”

Some of those cases stemmed from confusion, which is common even among probation officers, Wisconsin Watch found.

Although state law requires the Department of Corrections to inform formerly incarcerated people in writing when their voting rights are restored, activists say some people remain unaware.

“We most often find somebody who has completed their sentence, but they'll say, ‘Well, I committed a felony, so I can't vote.’ And they don't realize that they can now vote because their sentence is completed,” said Marianne Oleson, executive assistant of Ex-incarcerated People Organizing of Wisconsin, which advocates to end mass incarceration.

If you’re formerly or currently incarcerated and thinking about voting, here’s what you need to know.

Ask before you register. You can contact your parole or probation officer, Department of Corrections or the Wisconsin Elections Commission to see if you’re eligible to vote.

Can I vote if I was convicted of a misdemeanor?

Yes. You can exercise your right while you’re in jail or “on paper” for a misdemeanor, the ACLU of Wisconsin advises, as long as the misdemeanor is not related to treason or bribery. If you’re in jail and eligible to vote, you can request an absentee ballot.

Can I vote if I was charged, but not yet convicted of a felony?

Yes. You lose your right to vote only once you are convicted of a felony and then only until your felony sentence is completely served.

If I can’t vote, what else can I do to make a difference?

Educate your friends and family about policies and issues that affect you, said Oleson, who cannot vote until 2040.

“We call it voting with conviction,” Oleson said. “Make sure you're helping them understand what they need to do to get registered and vote.”

) collaborates with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

 and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

What people with criminal convictions should know about voting rights in Wisconsin.

Can formerly incarcerated people legally vote in Wisconsin? It depends.

by Bennet Goldstein / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch March 15, 2023

A new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposal issued Tuesday would tighten limits on toxic “forever chemicals” in Wisconsin’s drinking water.

If finalized, the rule would establish the first national standard for PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in public water supplies, bringing uniformity to a jumble of state regulations.

States like Wisconsin, where PFAS limits are less stringent than the proposed standards, would have to revise them to match or surpass the federal standard. States without any limits must enact their first PFAS drinking water rules.

Though long sought by environmental and health advocates, the regulations may increase water rates in PFAS-contaminated communities as utilities upgrade filtration technology or drill for cleaner water sources.

“We anticipate that when fully implemented, this rule will prevent thousands of deaths and prevent tens of thousands of serious PFAS-related illnesses,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters at a press conference Tuesday.

PFAS are a class of more than 12,000 human-made compounds. They accumulate in the environment and human bodies over time and do not easily degrade, which is why some people call them “forever chemicals.” Increased testing is revealing PFAS in public drinking systems, groundwater and surface waters nationwide.

Scientists haven’t studied most PFAS deeply, but they link two of the most widely researched, PFOA and PFOS, to a 

 of health problems. Those include altered hormone levels, decreased birth weight, digestive inflammation and ulcers, high cholesterol, hypertension in pregnancy, kidney and testicular cancers and reduced vaccine effectiveness in children.

In June 2022, the EPA released health advisories for four types of PFAS, including updated draft advisories for PFOA and PFOS. The agency warned against consuming more than 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) and 0.02 ppt of the two compounds, respectively. That equates to about 4 drops and 20 drops of water in 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, suggesting that virtually no amount of PFAS is safe for consumption.

PFAS are ubiquitous in consumer and industrial products, such as fabric stain protectors, firefighting foam, food packaging, lubricants, non-stick cookware, paints and waterproof clothing. Most Americans encounter them through the foods they eat, dust, and hand-to-mouth contact with PFAS-treated products. Tap water is typically the main source of exposure for people living near contaminated sites.

After they started using the chemicals in the 1940s, PFAS manufacturers learned, and 

, the hazards for decades. Wisconsin is among a host of states 

suing the 3M Company, DuPont and other manufacturers

 of PFAS-containing materials, alleging that they failed to alert the public of the risks.

What does this proposed regulation require?

Public water suppliers must begin testing for the chemicals. The draft rule proposes maximum contaminant levels, or MCLs, of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS — the lowest reliable threshold of detection. Those who find more would be required to notify the public and upgrade 

 or take other action. The proposal also regulates any mixture of one or more of four other PFAS — PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX Chemicals.

No. Neither the EPA nor the state regulates private water wells. The 1.7 million Wisconsinites who use them, roughly one-third of residents, bear responsibility for testing and treating their own water for PFAS or other contaminants. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources offers general recommendations for well testing 

Why is the federal government doing this?

The Safe Drinking Water Act empowers the EPA to set limits on contaminants in public water systems — utilities that serve at least 15 connections or 25 people or more. Those include 148,000-plus public water systems in the United States that provide drinking water to 90% of residents.

This would be the first time EPA has regulated a new chemical in drinking water since the 1990s.

New federal limits on hazardous “forever chemicals” could mean cleaner, safer drinking water. But some residents may see higher utility bills.