Kristen Slack for District 19 Alder

Contribute

Residents of District 19, I am running to represent you on the Madison Common Council. Here is a list of my priorities and the skills I would bring to the job if I am elected on April 4th:

I will work to significantly improve government transparency and community engagement practices at the City. Residents deserve full (rather than cherry-picked) information and proactive outreach by their representatives about major policies and initiatives that affect their daily lives. Residents should also be able to easily find the positions of their representatives and how they vote on each decision before them. Similarly, residents should be able to easily find the names and affiliations of members of City Boards, Commissions and Committees (BCCs). There are many other strategies for building transparency into the DNA of Madison’s city government which should have been implemented long ago.

As a social scientist, I know how to find and consume relevant research and identify research expertise on a wide range of topics. With the big decisions before the City of Madison today, decisions that will have an impact for generations, it is critical to understand the relevant scientific research and seek expert input. This means questioning oversimplified and biased information. It means discerning between rigorous and weak research. It means considering research that supports City leadership views in addition to research that tells a different story. I will also insist that City initiatives put into place are carefully evaluated and share findings with constituents, both positive and negative. These types of strategies help ensure that City government leaders remain accountable for their fiscal and policy choices.

I will center environmental protection and addressing climate change alongside equity and social justice in every decision before me. The infrastructure and development decisions we make today will have multi-generational consequences. Attempts to limit carbon emissions may help reduce contributions to the legacy load of carbon in the atmosphere, but it won’t help reverse that legacy load in the shorter term. We need to place much more emphasis on carbon draw down if we are to be successful in reversing climate change. Protecting the lakes and waterways and their ecosystems, protecting tree canopies, extensively planting more native trees and plants, creating and preserving more green space, improving drinking water quality, and managing stormwater differently all have a critical role to play, and I will work hard to pursue the strategies that work best for Madison.

I believe in supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs and attracting new ones. As a business owner, I know how many barriers and hurdles are encountered and how much support is needed in the process of developing and sustaining a viable business. I want to hear from local business owners and entrepreneurs about their needs. I also want to strategically identify companies that would bring significant value and opportunities to Madison residents and would consider relocating or establishing additional locations in Madison.

I will pursue affordable housing and accessible transportation throughout Madison. The message from the Imagine Madison initiative (implemented under Mayor Soglin) which resulted in the Madison Comprehensive Plan was clear—residents want affordable housing of all types and easy to access transportation in all neighborhoods, as well as services and resources that are neighborhood-centered. I will work to further these goals by focusing on Madison as a whole, in addition to District 19.

As a trained social worker, I bring an equity and social justice lens to everything I do. This requires calling out policy choices that create or exacerbate inequities, like wheel taxes and recycling fees.  It requires critical thinking about potential unintended consequences of policy and resource allocation decisions. It requires ensuring city services are accessible to all. It requires learning from your constituents and their lived experiences, rather than presuming what they need and want. And it requires a heavy emphasis on process. Inclusion cannot happen when government leadership is top-down or community engagement is performative.

You can reach me at KristenSlackD19@gmail.com if you have specific questions or thoughts. Please provide your full name, home address, and email address in addition to your questions or comments. You can join my mailing list and consider providing your feedback on City policies and initiatives by taking an optional survey.