richelle andrae
Thank you for the opportunity to serve District 11, which includes most of Hill Farms, Shorewood Village, and the neighborhoods immediately east of Midvale Blvd. I’ve lived in Madison since 2013, and reside just west of Hilldale. I’ve experienced our community through the eyes of a student, a young professional working in non-profit, an academic, and a volunteer. During the day, I am an advocate for safety net clinics in Wisconsin, working with state policymakers and partners to ensure that all residents have access to quality health care, regardless of income or insurance status. I’ve previously worked on local public health evaluation projects, rural workforce development, and Medicaid policy. After serving an AmeriCorps service term in California, I returned to Wisconsin and worked directly with underserved teens in Madison high schools, helping them find and keep their first jobs.
On the County Board, I Chair the Public Protection & Judiciary Committee, which has oversight for the Dane County Sheriff's Office, District Attorney's Office, Emergency Management, 911 Call Center, Courts, Pre-Trial Services, Medical Examiner, and more. A few of my "success stories" on the Board include navigating the complex jail consolidation project, improving constituent outreach by encouraging implementation of a blog system for Supervisors, and budget amendments to embed crisis expertise in emergency response and improve the pay structure for staff attorneys to support the timely service of justice. I also serve on the Dane County Food Policy Council and Greater Madison MPO, which administers transportation-related funding and programs across the region.
When I’m not at work or engaged in Board activities, you can find me at the Odana dog park with my rescue pup, Roux. I studied Spanish at UW-Madison during my undergrad, and earned a Masters in Public Affairs from the La Follette School, focusing on health policy and administration. Please reach out at any time and I look forward to working with you.　
Please join neighbors for a Meet & Greet August 5, 5-7PM
Neighbors - Please join us for conversation this week after work on Tuesday, August 5!
What: Meet & Greet with Dane County Board Supervisor Richelle Andrae (that's me!) and Casey Becker, Division Administrator, Housing Access & Affordability Division, Dane County. I asked Casey to join because housing is such a big issue, and one where there are so many tensions and opportunities.
When: Tuesday, August 5, 5PM - 7PM
Where: Home of Susan Schmitz & Gary Peterson at 210 Marinette Trail (located in district 11, southwest corner of Hill Farms)
More details: Your neighbors Susan and Gary are hosting an informal Meet & Greet to connect with our local County Board representative, Richelle Andrae, to learn about timely county issues including the annual budget and large projects, and engage in conversation. Casey Becker will also be joining from 5-6PM to share details about county housing initiatives. Please join us - all in the neighborhood are welcome!
Here's a podcast from 2023 where former County Exec. joins Casey Becker to talk housing and here's info on the County's Regional Housing Strategy (which has some really great data).
Note that this is an official business event; no campaign or political activity will be conducted whatsoever. Light snacks and beverages will be provided. Dress appropriately for mingling outside (weather permitting) and if possible BYO chair if you'd like to sit in the yard to chat.
RSVP appreciated but not required: https://forms.gle/wmVvzY2DZtgqmwYU9.
Hope you can join us!
In other news, we are just getting started in earnest on the 2026 county budget. See timelines and info:
Hearing / meeting calendar: Calendar
Dane Co Bd budget process: Budget Card
Dane County Bd budget process video and other info on the Co Bd website: budget which outlines the process and opportunities for public engagement.
Due to a projected $31 million structural deficit, all departments have been asked to provide budget propoals for a 4% General Purpose Revenue reduction. This will mean different impacts for different county work as some departments (like the Sheriff's office) rely much more on GPR (tax levy) than others, like Human Services, which are responsible for a lot of state-mandated services and programs, some of which are paid for by other revenue streams like billing the state, and are contracted out to partners (like various Medicaid programs). A 4% across-the-board GPR reduction will only close the budget shortfall by half, and therefore we'll need additional strategies such as eliminating vacant positions, looking at other revenue streams, drawing from our reserves, or revising the county employee share of health insurance. None of these options are optimal and all have tradeoffs. Working through those tradeoffs will be my job this fall, working in collaboration with county leaders, employee groups (AKA our unions), constituents (I need your input!), other Board members, and the County Exec. I appreciate the input received already about funding for the Dane County Humane Society, an important partner for state-mandated services for surrendered and stray animals. Thanks for your outreach and advocacy!
In service,
Richelle Andrae
