The 20-member Madison City Council is bracing itself for the April elections as nine members have announced they are not seeking another term. In addition, five incumbents will face contested races.
Nine open seats are a record for one election, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. Those nine, along with the five other members who have contested elections, assure that only six current members will return for sure after the April 3 election.
Verveer said of the six returning, ""only three have six years or more of experience.""
Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, is one of the few members who is running uncontested and is assured to be on the council later in the year. She said there are many challenges the City Council faces after the votes are tallied.
""There is a tremendous amount of years of experience lost,"" Konkel said.
Concerns have not only arisen about experience lost, but also about training the new members. Konkel said on average it takes about two years for an alder to settle in and become familiar with the position.
Verveer agreed the job takes a while to get acquainted with and said there are going to be ""steep learning curves.""
Still, Verveer and Konkel said they remain optimistic and look forward to the new faces sure to fill the council.
""It does present an opportunity, the opportunity is that we don't have to do things the same old way we have always done,"" Konkel said.
Current City Council president Austin King, District 8, is one of the nine not seeking re-election in the spring. He said the learning curve may depend on who is elected. He also said new faces are not necessarily going to slow things down.
""The old timers weren't always a factor in speeding things up,"" King said.
