Candidates working for 3 open Milwaukee Frequent Council seats
Within the coming weeks, Milwaukee’s 15-member Frequent Council will return to full energy for the primary time in a 12 months.
Voters in Districts 1, 5 and 9 ― all on town’s northwest aspect ― will elect new council members after months with out illustration.
The six remaining candidates, two for every of the three seats, have been amongst 20 vying in February’s main for an opportunity to make it to the April 4 election.
The three new members will come into workplace at a deeply difficult time as metropolis leaders confront a shortly approaching fiscal disaster whereas additionally working to deal with reckless driving and gun violence.
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The winners may even have only a fraction of the everyday full four-year time period to show themselves earlier than they’re once more up for election. They may serve the rest of their predecessors’ phrases, which finish in April 2024.
The District 1 winner will substitute Ashanti Hamilton, who left the seat final 12 months to grow to be the director of town’s Workplace of Violence Prevention in Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s administration.
The District 5 winner will substitute Ald. Nikiya Dodd, who resigned in November.
And the District 9 winner will substitute Ald. Chantia Lewis, who was faraway from workplace in July following her conviction on two felonies associated to her conduct in workplace.
Soar to: District 1 | District 5 | District 9
Andrea Pratt
Pratt stated she had lengthy thought-about a council run. She grew up watching her father, Marvin Pratt, who served as District 1 alderman and later as performing mayor, the primary African American elected to that place. Her mom was a librarian at Milwaukee Public Libraries, she stated.
“It’s actually a ardour for me,” she stated. “I really like the First District. It is all the time been house to me.”
She additionally highlighted her personal expertise working in Milwaukee Public Faculties and on the Metropolis of Milwaukee, in Hamilton’s workplace when he was on the council and since final March as an equal rights specialist for the Division of Administration Workplace of Fairness and Inclusion. She is at present on go away to marketing campaign.
Pratt stated many individuals whose doorways she knocked on felt their voices weren’t being heard. She stated different high points embrace homeownership charges, particularly amongst Black residents, unlawful dumping, streetlights which can be out and public security.
She known as for taking steps comparable to educating younger folks, particularly Black Milwaukeeans, about monetary literacy and the significance of homeownership and supporting organizations which can be already working to take away limitations to purchasing properties.
As for unlawful dumping, Pratt known as for placing blighted and vacant areas to make use of and higher holding those that dump used tires accountable.
To handle reckless driving she stated town wants an strategy that includes schooling, enhancements to the roads comparable to pace humps and bump-outs, and enforcement.
David Bowen
Bowen is a former state consultant who was elected to the Meeting in 2014 after serving on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. He didn’t search reelection final 12 months following his mom’s dying.
He stated town’s immense challenges name for electing folks with expertise.
A resident of the Rufus King neighborhood, Bowen informed the Journal Sentinel he considers serving on the council “an opportunity to come back house” and tackle quality-of-life points.
If elected, his high precedence could be addressing deserted properties within the district to stop unlawful dumping, littering and households from changing into homeless.
“Some folks take a look at these as issues, however I take a look at it as a chance as we’ve the challenges round housing, and the challenges round small enterprise assist and enlargement,” he stated. “To have the ability to take these empty properties that aren’t on the property tax roll and to get them re-engaged and renovated once more and lively once more, to have households that may construct their legacies on this metropolis and in these neighborhoods once more.”
He additionally raised issues about out-of-state buyers shopping for properties however not sustaining them the best way resident-owners are likely to do.
On reckless driving, he stated he would first wish to take heed to residents’ issues and proposals, given the months that the district has been with out illustration.
Lamont Westmoreland
Westmoreland traced his choice to run to the encouragement of an in depth good friend who handed away final summer time and, he stated, his push for town to repair his road. He was contemplating working towards Dodd in 2024 when she as a substitute introduced final 12 months that she could be stepping down.
He stated he based, constructed and operated a residential and business coloration coating enterprise after working as a small-business lender.
“I actually consider that the heartbeat of any group is small enterprise and the success of small companies,” he stated, noting what number of corporations didn’t survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
He additionally addressed federal courtroom data that present 4 chapter circumstances filed between 2005 and 2021. Westmoreland stated the bankruptcies have been brought on by medical payments linked to the births of his and his spouse’s two kids.
“We have been drowning in medical debt and wanted to cease the bleeding,” he stated. “Fortunately we have been capable of hold our automobiles and residential.”
If elected, he stated his main focus could be on reckless driving. He stated he backs concrete bump-outs and pace humps to alter the habits of reckless drivers.
His subsequent precedence could be infrastructure. Westmoreland stated he would push to maintain street enchancment initiatives on schedule and to chop down on the variety of uncontrolled intersections within the metropolis to assist residents really feel safer.
Annette Jackson
Jackson has labored as a customer support consultant at Milwaukee Water Works, an administrative assistant on the Frequent Council Metropolis Clerk’s Workplace and as a license specialist within the clerk’s Licenses Division, based on town Division of Worker Relations.
Her work on the metropolis has given her direct contact with residents and insights into small modifications that would resolve issues, she stated. She is at present on go away from her metropolis place to marketing campaign.
Having 12 grandchildren rising up within the metropolis is another excuse she needed to run for workplace.
She described group belief within the metropolis’s elected officers as “damaged” and stated if elected she stated she would wish to higher talk and contain residents in selections.
Jackson would wish to give attention to bettering town’s infrastructure, saying potholes and different road issues require extra everlasting fixes so the identical spots will not be being repeatedly repaired. Among the many points, she stated, is that residents’ automobiles get broken driving on the streets, leaving them with yet another invoice to pay.
She stated she’d additionally give attention to addressing reckless driving. She backed growing fines and making driver’s schooling extra accessible in colleges.
Jackson at present lives in Aldermanic District 15. She stated she plans to maneuver to District 5, the place she has family and friends, whatever the end result of the race.
Candidates should transfer into the district they’re elected to characterize earlier than they’ll assume the duties of the workplace.
Odell Ball
Ball has stated he labored in group improvement, know-how, schooling, and drug and alcohol abuse prevention. His educating expertise contains Milwaukee Public Faculties.
Having by no means run for elected workplace earlier than, he stated his solely expertise campaigning was when he helped his spouse, now-Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball, on her marketing campaign. That have gave him the chance to stroll the district the place they’ve lived for practically 30 years and see the “drastic modifications” which have taken place in that point, he stated.
He famous the companies the district has misplaced, lots of which the {couples}’ kids might stroll to and from for work.
Ball additionally stated he was involved about reckless and dashing drivers close to colleges, lead water pipes that hook up with tens of 1000’s of properties, companies and different services, and crime.
He stated he was pushing even earlier than the election for town to put in roundabouts and pace humps close to colleges and in different areas of the district. He additionally stated he would look to technological modifications to assist tackle reckless driving.
Ball stated he helps the youth jail that the state plans to construct in District 9 to switch Lincoln Hills Faculty for Boys and Copper Lake Faculty for Ladies in central Wisconsin. He cited his educating expertise, saying that he would volunteer on the jail as soon as it opens to ensure it’s run correctly and including, “These are our youngsters.”
He stated if he have been an alderman and the Sheriff’s Workplace have been to be a part of discussions or selections on the metropolis, it will be his accountability to take part as his district’s consultant regardless of his spouse’s place on the head of that division.
“This district has gone lengthy sufficient with out illustration,” he stated.
Larresa Taylor
Taylor described herself as a mom of three, army veteran, trainer and group advocate. She stated she has been a block watch captain and is a Milwaukee Public Faculties trainer.
Taylor stated she determined to run to supply the group with an elected official they’ll depend on to observe by way of on guarantees. She stated if elected she deliberate to be seen and current in the neighborhood to offer residents the chance to talk together with her instantly.
If elected, she stated she would wish to give attention to making certain there’s reasonably priced and acceptable housing. She stated she would wish to guarantee residents perceive their choices and encourage homeownership.
“I do consider that we’ve to give attention to assembly these primary wants earlier than we will give attention to different issues, and one of many primary wants is housing,” she stated.
Reckless driving could be her subsequent precedence. She stated she hears residents asking for pace humps, extra indicators and limitations. She stated she would additionally wish to work with different council members to strengthen legal guidelines that discourage reckless driving, together with probably elevating penalties.
On the youth jail, she stated she would undertake the stance of nearly all of the residents within the district. To this point, she stated, she was listening to extra opposition than assist ― however she stated a lot of the opposition comes from residents who nonetheless have questions.
Taylor at present lives in District 2, the place she stated she moved in October throughout a transition in her life. She stated she had beforehand lived in District 9 since 2017 and deliberate to maneuver to District 9 have been she to win the April election.
She additionally ran for the District 2 aldermanic seat in 2016 however didn’t make it by way of the first. At the moment she lived in District 2, the place she owns “a number of” properties, she stated.