issues

“I want residents of district 11 to know where I stand on key concerns. We may not always be aligned, but I commit to telling you how I approach an issue, hearing you out, and truly listening to understand your perspective. I am quite proud of my approach to constituent engagement - it’s truly what energizes me in this work. I have responded individually to every known call and email from a resident of district 11, and appreciate the opportunity to support shared problem-solving, provide a link to a county resource, or a perspective on a controversial topic. As my time on the County Board evolves, I look forward to advancing sustainable housing solutions, protections for watershed preservation, and learning more about the issues that neighbors are most interested in seeing the County prioritize. On this page I share my thoughts on several topics that are important to me and our community. ” - Richelle

Key Accomplishments

In her 4 years of services on the Board, Richelle has:

• Spear-headed development of a blog feature and list serve functionality so that Supervisors can communicate directly with interested constituents

• Developed a compromise solution for the Jail Consolidation Project

• Added county funding to eliminate racially biased Birth Cost Recovery orders for non-custodial parents

• Advanced development of a regional food system plan to address systemic food insecurity

• Cemented public transparency and accountability provisions for a body-worn camera pilot

• Created new staffing in the 911 Public Safety Communications Center to add on-site tele-crisis response

• Added funding to keep individuals out of the jail through hotel alternatives for individuals who are housing-insecure

  … And more! Richelle prides herself on her ability to work with anyone, regardless of political affiliation or philosophy. We all have a shared interest in making our community better.

PUBLIC HEALTH & FOOD SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT

I am a proud supporter of 2021 Res-125 which requires public reporting and development of a central clearinghouse for PFAS-related testing and related processes. I see protecting at-risk communities, especially communities of color living near the airport, as a key responsibility.

I believe that housing affordability will be the defining issue for Madison in the next 10+ years. This applies across all populations and income levels as there is a shortage of housing for no, low, and even middle-income earners. This issue impacts everyone from students to seniors on a fixed income. Further, we can and must address the needs of individuals that are experiencing homelessness. I am an unapologetic proponent of investing in the solutions that make not only fiscal sense (upfront investment saves $ in emergency services and more) but most importantly it’s the right thing to do. Explore data from the Housing Consortium’s Point in Time annual count here.

Since beginning service on the Dane County Food Council, I have learned about the tremendous local assets we have from diverse growers and producers. Yet many individuals in our community go hungry, and rates of food insecurity are climbing. Having a local Food System Action Plan will help us prioritize systems reforms that are needed to match supply and demand.

justice

My first tangible “win” on the County Board, in collaboration with staff from the Sheriff’s Office, resulted in daily jail population reports, which increases transparency for decision-making.

In my role Chairing the Public Protection & Judiciary Committee, we have oversight of a wide range of departments including the Sheriff’s Office, 911 Call Center, District Attorney’s Office, aspects of the Courts, and more. We do not have full authority over these areas, as several are run by co-equal elected officials such as the DA, Sheriff, and Judges, with whom we collaborate.

I have been deeply involved in the jail consolidation project since my election in April 2020. I have spent over 10 hours in the jail consulting with both Sheriffs Mahoney and Barrett, deputies, and medical staff, including during the pandemic. I am thoroughly convinced that the sixth and seventh floors of the high security facility need to be closed with haste for both the benefit of residents (inmates) and county staff that work in the facility. We need to drastically reduce the use of solitary confinement, add medical beds, address PREA concerns, improve visitation, and add flexible programming space.

We saw exciting innovation throughout the pandemic, including promising practices from local law enforcement (such as issuing more citations and fewer arrests) that can be continued on a permanent basis. It is up to Supervisors like me and all stakeholders in the justice system to push for permanent reforms that balance public safety while ultimately reducing our reliance on incarceration through addressing root causes. We must implement county-wide non-law enforcement response to behavioral health incidents, create the long-awaited Crisis Triage Center, implement Community Court, and provide the necessary resource for evidence-based diversion programs that repair harm.

Transparency & Public Engagement

Hearing from the public and being accountable through proactively providing information to engaged residents are critical responsibilities of local officials. To that end, I cosponsored 2021 Res-013 which ensured that millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief are tracked reported to the public.

Throughout the last two years, I have also been consistently engaged with staff to improve public engagement during meetings (updating registration processes for virtual testimony, for example) and urging the County to prioritize implementing email communication methods and alerts with residents.