Accessible to Constituents

I am committed to serving every one of our neighbors. Though the pandemic has prevented safe gatherings like traditional listening sessions, I have always worked to be present in our community and available through email, Facebook, or phone.

In early 2020, I argued for expanded opportunities for virtual engagement with County Board and committee meetings. The pandemic forced those opportunities on us rapidly and have now created greater access for caregivers, people with disabilities, people with transportation barriers, and more. Virtual meeting access is critical not only for members of the public but for current and future Supervisors as well. I will continue to support appropriate use of virtual and hybrid meeting structures to ensure that our Board reflects every identity and stage of life present in our Dane County neighbors.

To ensure that virtual and hybrid meetings are accessible for everyone, we must expand access to broadband. I have supported the efforts of Supervisors Doolan, McGinnity, and Ratcliffe who have worked to identify opportunities to do just that.

• 2021 RES-382: COMMITTING MATCHING FUNDS FOR A PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION BROADBAND EXPANSION GRANT

Our County Board needs to be transparent and accountable to taxpayers, too. I will work to provide that transparency so that each of you know where your tax dollars are going. I have cosponsored a number of Resolutions to shine a light on County spending including:

• 2021 RES-013: INFORMATION AND REPORTING ON ALLOCATION OF FEDERAL FUNDING IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

• 2020 RES-162: REQUESTING THE INCLUSION OF INFORMATION ON MINORITY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES ON THE LIST OF BILLS OVER $10,000 REFERRED TO THE COUNTY BOARD

Our accountability as elected officials begins and ends at the ballot box. It’s important that our redistricting process is removed from the influence of County Board Supervisors to protect fair elections. In 2016, the County Board passed a Resolution creating a nonpartisan, independent redistricting process that we used for the first time in 2021. I was glad to support the commission’s outreach efforts by cosponsoring RES-124 to providing funding for their project.

• 2020 RES-124: AMENDING THE 2020 CAPITAL BUDGET TO FUND OUTREACH AND PUBLIC MAPPING SOFTWARE FOR NONPARTISAN REDISTRICTING PROJECT

• 2021 RES-381: DANE COUNTY ELECTION SECURITY REVIEW COMMITTEE