As Tuesday's marathon city council meeting wore on, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz stood at the side of the room and watched as outgoing alders gave their goodbye speeches. When he got footsore from standing so long, Cieslewicz disregarded the condition of his blue suit and sat down on the steps at the side of the room. A photographer brought him a chair, but Cieslewicz declined it and offered it to the man next to him, and for another half an hour, the newly-elected mayor of Madison sat on the floor.
That same down-to-earth demeanor carried through to Cieslewicz's remarks following his oath of office. Joking as he took the mayor's chair for the first time, he asked the council to have patience with him and with each other.
\I hope you'll bear with me as I learn the ropes,"" he said. He added, ""I should expect that in a city as eclectic as ours there will be disagreement. What we need to do is disagree without being disagreeable.""
Prior to Cieslewicz's oath of office, the council gave a plaque to each outgoing alder and to former Mayor Sue Bauman. Bauman cried profusely throughout the meeting. She thanked those who had helped her during her term.
""All I ask is that you take care of my city,"" she said.
Although Bauman has butted heads with alders in the past, many of them had heartfelt words of goodbye for her. Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14, likened her term to that of former president Jimmy Carter. He said her legacy would be her work on the annexation agreement between the city of Madison, the village of Madison and Fitchburg.
""History will treat you much kinder as time goes forward,"" Bruer said.
After the ceremony the council elected Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, council president and Ald. Cindy Thomas, District 20, president pro temp.
