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 near West High School. 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 chaired the Public Protection & Judiciary Committee from 2022 to 2026, 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. I now serve as Vice-Chair of the Personnel & Finance Committee which has primarily jurisdiction over important budget decisions.
A few of my "success stories" on the Board include navigating the complex jail consolidation project, improving constituent outreach by encouraging implementation of a successful blog system for Supervisors, and budget amendments to improve the pay structure for staff attorneys to support the timely service of justice, expunge Birth Recovery Costs (learn more about this policy issue here), and fund a local Food System Action Plan.
When I’m not at work or engaged in Board activities, you can find me on a walk enjoying the oaks in the Speedway cemetery with my rescue pup, Roux, or paddling my kayak on the Yahara. 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.　
Neighbors,
Budget season is upon us for the county. Find all of the details here: https://board.danecounty.gov/budget.
The County Executive issued directives to county department leaders this summer requesting $10 million in general purpose revenue reductions. There’s an additional $5 million savings that will be needed to balance our operating deficit for 2027. On that item, employees and management involved through an insurance advisory committee have been working to find additional savings.
The formal public kickoff of budget season is Sept. 9 with department budget presentations which will continue through September. Then, on Oct. 1, County Exec. Agard will release her budget proposal. From there, the Board takes over and deliberates on budget amendments before drafting a mega-amendment to the Executive’s proposal. Once the Personnel & Finance Committee acts on that amendment (I am vice chair of that committee), we send it along to the full board for its consideration. We will enact the budget the first week in November, so it’s really a sprint throughout October.
We do have a listening session next week which I’ll be at (come say hi and bring your questions!): Tuesday, Sept. 1, 5:30 p.m.
You also may have seen media coverage this summer that the Sheriff does not believe he’ll be able to close the outdated, unsafe old downtown county jail when the new jail opens. This is, without saying, a major issue and very frustrating. I was involved in finding compromises to fund the new jail tower, hoping to retire the outdated facility next door open. However, it’s always been a risk that need would outpace capacity, and we received multiple different projections and estimates for the jail population over many years. As I reflect back on those decisions right after the pandemic and recall the late nights trying to find a path forward, I’m reminded that there were not sufficient votes to do anything different, in reality, and we need to look forward to solutions. While we continue to work through this problem with the Sheriff’s office and other local leaders, I understand that the issue is a mix of staffing and resourcing, along with jail population, and our challenges addressing the root causes of crime in our local community. This is very much on my mind as we head into the budget season and consider safety net programs.
Options could include continuing to rely on alternative housing in other counties (as we do today for about 30 individuals who are in the Iowa County jail), or other options – mainly, finding new ways to reduce the jail population. This will be a continuing area of work for many years, but demands our attention now to evaluate all possible options to close the outdated jail and make sure jail residents and employees are safe, have access to services, and treated with respect.
New Elections Center Breaks Ground
This week, I was also proud to attend the ribbon cutting for the county’s new election center on the north side. This new site, housed where the Ale Asylum lived previously, will be a resource to ensure our elections and related documents, materials, etc. are all safe. Learn more: https://exec.danecounty.gov/PressDetail/11942. You may recall that federal administration officials sought access to Dane County ballots several years ago; while this is not the sole reason the facility was needed, it was definitely a concern that has elevated the need for a really sound space for elections administration, recounts, etc. This is also a really forward-designed building, including geothermal which I saw being installed when out at the site this week. Very exciting!
Did you Know? Dane County has a great ride sharing program!
Join RoundTrip Greater Madison’s fourth annual Smart Trips Challenge, September 1-30! Free and open to everyone ages 18+, the Smart Trips Challenge celebrates healthy, affordable, and sustainable ways to get around in Dane County. Replace as many drive-alone trips as you can throughout the month with walking, rolling, bicycling, riding the bus, and carpooling for chances to win exciting weekly and grand prizes. The first 50 to log a trip receive a $10 Ian’s Pizza gift card!
To participate, register with RoundTrip and log your eligible trips for chances to win 24 prize drawings throughout the month. As you log, you’ll also see your personal stats add up to dollars saved, CO2 emissions avoided, calories burned, and miles traveled. See the challenge page for full details, including a special Bike & Bus Bingo activity with prize drawings for completing a bingo and blackout. Don’t miss out – join the fun! The Smart Trips Challenge is hosted by RoundTrip, a public program of the Greater Madison MPO that supports alternatives to driving alone in Dane County.
Battery Disposal – For Free!
Throughout September, Dane County residents can bring household batteries and battery-containing devices to Clean Sweep at the Dane County Landfill for disposal at no charge during normal operating hours. The program is limited to one load per resident per week. Clean Sweep is a really fantastic local resource at the landfill where you can take hazardous products. I’ve visited and it’s always fascinating; they have collected all manner of odd and unsafe items – like a little vial of mercury that’s now safely enclosed. Check it out!
Batteries are increasingly common in everyday products, including cell phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, toys, smoke detectors, remote controls, and even some greeting cards. When batteries are placed in household trash or recycling, they can be crushed, punctured, or overheated during collection and processing. Damaged batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, can enter a process known as thermal runaway, causing extremely hot fires that can be difficult to extinguish.
Battery-related fires have become an increasing concern for waste and recycling facilities nationwide. Thousands of fires occur at these facilities each year, and lithium-ion batteries are increasingly associated with serious incidents. In 2023, a lithium-ion battery caused a fire that destroyed the Columbia County Recycling Center in neighboring Columbia County.
Dane County Clean Sweep provides residents with a reliable option for safely disposing of household hazardous materials, including paints, pesticides, cleaners, electronics, batteries, and battery-containing devices. Clean Sweep operates six days a week and helps keep potentially dangerous materials out of Dane County’s waste stream. Residents are encouraged to check their homes for old, damaged, or unwanted batteries and battery-powered devices and bring them to Clean Sweep during September. For additional information about Clean Sweep, accepted materials, and hours of operation, residents can visit the Dane County Waste & Renewables website - https://landfill.danecounty.gov/
In service,
Richelle Andrae
Dane County Board Supervisor District 11
