I. The Dirt:
The facts about Janesville city mismanagement, misallocation of funds, citizen violations, TIF abuses, etc are embarrassing. Not liking those unfortunate facts does not make them untrue, and ridiculing the people that point out these disturbing facts does not correct the situation.
But we could very quickly and easily change the cause of these embarrassing problems and fix the situation by updating our city council system.
Currently, Janesville has four recognized neighborhoods; the West Side, the South Side, the East Side, and the Historic Hub. Everyone, including the current city council recognizes these four natural neighborhood districts in the city as is demonstrated by the regular "Listening Sessions" which are held in and for the West Side, the South Side, the East Side, and the Historic Hub. These four districts conveniently divide themselves equally into 6 to 7 wards each. Yet these four areas of Janesville do not have fair and equal representation on the city council.
Currently the city council has seven seats, the same number of seats for the last years, since Janesville's population was one-fourth the current size. Now each city council member is expected to represent all of the current 60,000 plus citizens. 60,000 citizens is the average number of citizens in a senate district, for which the senator has a salary, staff, and budget. These seven city council members has none of that.
Right now the South Side has two city council seats; Greg Addie and Tom Brien. The West Side has no seats. The Historic Hub has no seats, though one or two candidates from this neighborhood ran in the last four elections. The East Side has five out of seven seats. This is a grievous imbalance, which is the source of our festering city problems.
There is a very simple solution. We increase our city council seats from seven to nine. We have two seats for each of the four neighborhood districts, and one at-large seat.
With this configuration, in our most recent election Addie and Brien would have been shoe-ins for the South Side. Nan Chesmore could have run again and the Historic Hub would have chosen two out of their three candidates between Chesmore, Wixom, and Briarmoon. The West Side would have two seats to fill and at least two candidates would have stepped forward, now that they could win without having to be members of the Country Club living on the East Side. And the East Side would have had no seat openings to fill, since they already had their two seats filled, as well as the at-large seat with Degarmo, Williams, and Tim Wellnitz.
Today we can update our city council system for the next election on April 5, 2006. The South Side will have one more year of two-year terms for their two city council seats with Addie and Brien. The West Side will finally have their own two seats to fill. The Historic Hub will have their two seats to fill. And the East Side will already have their two seats with Tom Wellnitz and George Brunner. The at-large seat would go to the highest vote-getter of the additional candidates from each neighborhood. So Craig Degarmo and Paul Williams and Tim Wellnitz would be running against each other and against any other neighborhood district runners-up for the one remaining at-large seat.
That is, the East Side would never be able to have more than three out of the nine city council seats. The rest of the citizens would have a voice. We would get the other 90% of the input we, the citizens of Janesville, so desperately need in order to be able to give adequate and appropriate direction to our current city administration employees so that they are not running amuck. Then we will have eliminated the source of Janesville's most embarrassing problems.
II. City Council Call to Action;
We, the Citizen Association for Rights and Dignity, request that Greg Addie make this motion, that Tom Brien second this motion and that Tim or Tom Wellnitz and George Brunner vote in favor of this motion. For a majority of at least four out of seven votes to update our city council system, so that city council is capable of functioning appropriately for fair and equal representation of all the citizens of our wonderful city.
Please make the motion that the number of city council seats be increased from seven to nine. That there be four alderman neighborhood districts, with 6 to 7 wards each, called the Historic Hub (District 1), the South Side (District 2), West Side (District 3) , and the East Side (District 4). That each of the four districts has two seats each with the ninth seat being at-large going to the top vote-getter of the runner-ups from each neighborhood district. That ward divisions for each district to be as follows; The Historic Hub (District 1) to be Wards 3, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, and 24. The South Side (District 2) to be Wards 19, 20, 21, 17, 22, and 27. The West Side (District 3) to be Wards 1, 2, 4, 5, 18, 25, and 26. The East Side (District 4) to be Wards 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Please make and pass this motion tonight for fair and equal citizen representation. Please update our city council system tonight
III. Quote of the Day:
"Those who profess to favor freedom and yet renounce controversy, are people who want crops without plowing the ground." Fredrick Douglas
City council meetings are every second and fourth Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m., on the fourth floor of City Hall (currently called the "Municipal Building"), at 18 N. Jackson Street, Janesville, Wisconsin.
