Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Honoring and Commemorating the Life of City of Madison Mayor Joel Skornicka.
Body
WHEREAS, former two-term Madison Mayor Joel Skornicka died unexpectedly on November 16, 2019 at the age of 82, and,
WHEREAS, Joel was born and attended public schools in Green Bay, WI, but his heart and soul revolved around UW-Madison and the City of Madison. From the UW he received his bachelor’s degree (1959) and a masters’ in political science (1965) and, from 1960, Joel commenced a career of increasingly responsible administrative positions with UW-Madison including that of Assistant Chancellor, and,
WHEREAS, during his tenure at the UW, Joel developed a reputation for effective management; an ability to bring competing factions together; to find the compromise to move issues forward and achieve substantive results. Upon becoming Mayor of Madison from 1979-1983, Joel further honed these skills while operating from his philosophy of “working together works.”; and,
WHEREAS, Joel's many accomplishments as two term Mayor of Madison include:
· Changing the term for mayor from 2 years to 4 years, encouraging continuity of programming
· Building Capitol Centre senior and market rate housing where a surface parking lot had been (the first major residential public/private partnership undertaking in Madison)
· Building the first Madison Metro transit service center, assuring the viability of Madison Metro
· Passed 4 budgets that grew at less than half the rate of inflation and enhanced public services as well
· Worked with Dane County to lower our voices, lower our costs, and improve services for residents by cooperating on the Henry Vilas Zoo, Health and welfare departments, and the south beltline highway and University Avenue completion after years of delay.
· Worked with UW-Madison and other civic leaders to establish the first UW-Madison research park, which has thrived over the past 30 years
· Collaborated with MATC to develop the n...
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