77 Square Miles

03/10/2026

I posted yesterday about the city's proposed $6.2 million acquisition of 17 parcels at Royster Corners and wrote about the appraisal, assessed value, and purchase price. Today's post covers what the Finance Committee didn't ask before voting unanimously to recommend approval: 11 of the 17 parcels are not developable, the $6.2 million is just the down payment on a project with no cost estimate or written plan, and the city isn't applying the same financial standards to itself that it requires of private developers seeking TIF assistance. The Council votes tonight.

Key Points • Eleven parcels included in the acquisition have no economic value and are liabilities, not assets. • The city is paying top dollar to take over a project the developer is abandoning after 15 years, in a disposition sale in which all remaining parcels are being sold in a single trans...

03/10/2026

Tuesday night the Madison Common Council votes on a $5.2 million land purchase at Royster Corners. The City's own Assessor values the same land at $1,481,000. The appraisal backing the price is the wrong type for this kind of transaction, covers only 6 of the 17 parcels being bought, and has significant deficiencies that inflate the value. The other 11 parcels have no appraisal. This is part of a broader pattern of large expenditures coming to the Council without the documentation needed to evaluate them. Read the full story at 77SquareMiles.com. If you have thoughts on this legislation, please write your alder or all 20 alders at [email protected]. The Council votes Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The council needs to refer this for 60 days until an appraisal of disposition value is completed for all parcels, and any deficiencies in the first report are addressed.

https://www.77squaremiles.com/post/the-city-is-about-to-pay-5-2-million-for-land-its-own-assessor-values-at-1-5-million-what-the-cou

02/24/2026

Tonight the Madison Common Council votes on $6.2 million to build 29 homes. That's $213,000 per family — more than five times what the City's existing program spends to help a family buy a home. The City's own research says Owl Creek is the wrong location. The developers have almost no skin in the game. And after all that subsidy, the homes are still too expensive for the families they're supposed to help. My new post breaks down what's in this resolution, what's missing, and what would actually work better. Read it, and if it makes sense to you, contact your alder before tonight's vote.

https://www.77squaremiles.com/post/6-2-million-29-homes-and-the-question-nobody-asked

12/13/2025

On Tuesday, December 9, the Common Council unanimously approved an ordinance to enable cottage courts. The ordinance creates a new housing type I support in concept, but it contains significant deficiencies: it permits parking ramps and 16-car surface lots by right in residential neighborhoods with no screening requirements, and it bans attached garages (unique among cold-climate cities). It sets a fixed 400-square-foot courtyard regardless of whether a development has three units or eight. No one from the building or real estate industry was consulted when it was drafted. Veridian Homes, Wisconsin's largest homebuilder, submitted comments identifying problems with the ordinance and stated that they will not build cottage courts as it's currently written. Here's a link to my detailed analysis of the ordinance.

What can you do? Any alder who voted for the ordinance can ask that it be reconsidered at the next regular Council meeting. If you share these concerns, contact your alder and ask them to request reconsideration. Find your alder's email at this link. And you can write all alders at [email protected].

The Common Council should refer this legislation back for meaningful stakeholder engagement before creating unintended consequences for residential neighborhoods.Key Points • Ordinance creates low-density housing and is unlikely to accomplish the city's stated goals. • Key provisions contradict ...

12/06/2025

Madison hired someone who lost her job for demanding the kind of independent oversight of the police we claim to want. Now we'll find out if we mean it.

Madison's Police Civilian Oversight Board has hired Aeiramique "Meeka" Glass as Interim Independent Police Monitor. Glass brings extensive experience from Baltimore's troubled police department—and is currently suing her previous employer after being fired for demanding real oversight independence...

11/12/2025

Three Alders Tried to Defund the OIM Tonight. It Failed 17-3.

At tonight's Common Council meeting, Alders Isadore Knox Jr. (District 14), Barbara Harrington-McKinney (District 20), and Joann Pritchett (District 9) introduced an 11th-hour floor amendment to defund the Office of the Independent Monitor. The proposal—which would have eliminated $405,299 in fund...

06/15/2025

When you've found yourself in a hole, the first thing you do is stop digging.

Key Points • The contradiction revealed: Court bans “new evidence,” city provides substantive legal advocacy disguised as “education". • The legal violation: City attorney memo appears to directly violate Wisconsin precedent prohibiting “new grounds” on remand. • The double standard:...

02/25/2025

City Hall’s Lobbying Plan: More of the Same, Just a New Name.

Madison’s approach to lobbying has been weak for years, and now the mayor wants to continue that trend—just with new faces. Instead of following Milwaukee’s proven model of sustained, in-house lobbying, the city is hiring a contract lobbyist with no transparency on who will do the work or how much time they’ll spend. This is on the City Council agenda tonight at 6:30 PM. Read more about why this matters.

https://wix.to/L9bwaiq
https://wix.to/1iefK5H

01/29/2025

No Data, No Problem? Madison Council’s Latest Misstep

The Madison Common Council is about to expand no-bid contracting—without providing any data to justify the change. Despite the city’s claims of transparency and data-driven decision-making, this resolution lacks the basic analysis needed for an informed vote. Read more about why this matters and what you can do.

https://wix.to/vAEvL3a

01/14/2025

Madison’s Ice Arena Bailout: Equity on Thin Ice

The mayor’s $1.6 million bailout proposal for Madison Ice, Inc. ignores the city’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative. Who benefits most from this plan—and who’s left out? Read our blog to uncover why this deal misses the mark on racial justice.

New Blog Post https://wix.to/KkgdPSy
https://wix.to/vYX974l

01/13/2025

$1.6 Million Debt Forgiveness and $1 Land Deals: Too Many Unanswered Questions About Mayor’s Bailout of Madison Ice, Inc.

What happens when the public and city council is left in the dark about multi-million-dollar deals? Find out how Madison Ice, Inc.'s bailout proposal could impact our city’s racial equity and fiscal future. Uncover the full story and take action today—read the blog now.

https://wix.to/DTeCXGd

01/08/2025

Madison Ice Arenas: Why Aren’t Users Paying Their Fair Share?

Madison Ice, Inc. has failed to make a single payment on the land contracts for the city’s ice arenas in over four years, despite consistent large surpluses. As an alternative to the mayor's multi-million dollar bailout, a $0.30 facility fee per visit could generate $120,000 to $135,000 annually, which is enough to cover their payments while ensuring taxpayers aren’t stuck footing the bill. This bailout sets a troubling precedent by diverting funds that could address urgent community needs like affordable housing or public safety. Read more about this issue and potential solutions in my newest blog post.

https://wix.to/E4KX9aI
https://wix.to/8UDqupt