Madison, WI Header
File #: 87875    Version: 1 Name: Honoring the Public Service of Juliana Bennett.
Type: Resolution Status: Passed
File created: 4/9/2025 In control: Council Office
On agenda: 4/15/2025 Final action: 4/15/2025
Enactment date: Enactment #: RES-25-00225
Title: Honoring the Public Service of Alder Juliana Bennett.
Sponsors: Satya V. Rhodes-Conway, Nikki Conklin, Jael Currie, John W. Duncan, Tag Evers, Derek Field, Yannette Figueroa Cole, MGR Govindarajan, John P. Guequierre, Barbara Harrington-McKinney, Isadore Knox Jr., Amani Latimer Burris, Sabrina V. Madison, Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, Charles Myadze, Marsha A. Rummel, Bill Tishler, Michael E. Verveer, Regina M. Vidaver, Nasra Wehelie
Attachments: 1. D10_letterhead-Honoring a Remarkable Leader and a Sisterhood of Service.pdf

Fiscal Note

No fiscal impact.

Title

Honoring the Public Service of Alder Juliana Bennett.

Body

WHEREAS, Alder Juliana Rose Bennett is a boss, queen, baddie, goddess, living legend, social justice warrior, YIMBY, tree-hugger, young master of the municipal arts, sergeant of vibes, commissioner of the eye-roll, ambassador of respect, the fire starter and the extinguisher; and,

 

WHEREAS, Alder Bennett is a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a niece, a peer, a friend, a mentee, a mentor, a colleague, a Badger alum, a full-time employee, a part-time employee, and a human; and,

 

WHEREAS, Alder Bennett began her life-long commitment to public service as a student activist during the Black Lives Matter movement; and,

 

WHEREAS, Alder Bennett led with the confidence and integrity of a youthful spirit, believing deeply that together we can make real change and impact people's lives; and,

 

WHEREAS, Alder Bennett’s work - alongside her community and her colleagues - made a meaningful impact on the City of Madison in the areas of housing, transportation, public safety, support for survivors, and fair representation; and,

 

WHEREAS, Alder Bennett could spend this entire resolution detailing how amazing she is, yet she remains grounded by her humanness (and encourages anyone interested in learning about her accomplishments to look at her record); and,

 

WHEREAS, Alder Bennett is eternally grateful to all those that supported her through this journey - her friends, her family, her dad, her colleagues, her constituents, her neighbors, her community, and her city - through the flaws, the missteps, the powerful steps forward, the tears, the laughs, and all the ways this job humbles any inflated sense of ego; and,

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Alder Bennett reminds us that, despite the constant truth that she is beautiful, smart, and important, she is also human. And you are human too. May we all offer each other a little more grace and humility for being simply human.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Alder Bennett’s term began April 2021 in the thick of Covid and a global racial uprising and concludes in April 2025 in the midst of a housing and budget crisis.

 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that while the City of Madison will always be facing some sort of crisis - some more pressing than others - we are encouraged to continue being bold and audacious, while never losing sight of who we are.