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,
It’s hard to escape election season and it’s here in full swing! Please make a plan to vote on or before Tuesday, November 3. Early in-person voting is available NOW – find all details here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/elections-voting/voting/vote-absentee/in-person-absentee-voting-hours-and-locations. I’ll be volunteering as a poll worker on Tuesday at Hamilton Middle School and always love playing a part of the democratic process – kids with their folks finding the very best “future voter” sticker, new citizens voting for the first time, and friendly staff trying to make the experience smooth. My experience as a poll worker has always been really illuminating, I recommend giving it a try if you haven’t before. Come say hi on Tuesday!
More info on Tuesday’s election:
County Budget Deliberations
At this point, all Committees have completed their budget deliberations and the proposal is off to the full County Board next week. We will have a public hearing on Monday, Nov. 2, at 6PM about the proposed budget: https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1346889&GUID=5C359FB8-5D2F-4F82-A159-8CBEC5287DE7. I welcome your input there (in person or online) or via email.
Here's a summary of all the items that the Finance Committee is recommending as changes to the original budget as proposed by County Exec. Agard: https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=16099962&GUID=92A152EA-BC4C-461B-BB13-992B1132DCBD. Every budget has elements I am proud of, concerned about, or find imperfect but I think this is reasonable and is the “least worst” option given our $15 million operating deficit for 2027. This budget eliminates 30+ positions and reduces or changes many programs and services, unfortunately. That includes eliminating $55K in funding for the Madison Reading Project – an important program doing impactful work, but one that is relatively new, only identified as an earmark in 2024 without a competitive bidding process. Further, the original budget proposed cutting over $400K in housing navigation and case management services, which the Board proposes restoring as an essential service, keeping individuals in stable housing, off the streets, or out of jail. The proposal also prioritizes ensuring that Journey, which provides important crisis and mental health services, is on strong footing. Through ongoing conversations, Journey’s fiscal picture is clearer and we’ve been able to address their projected deficit of nearly $400K through moving around other funding sources. We’ll need to continue to monitor the situation, and I’m appreciative of both Journey and county staff for working collaboratively toward a solution.
While not ultimately recommended for the budget, I launched an amendment into the budget process that I think is important to draw attention to other structural changes that should be considered as we anticipate future deficits, too. See the amendment starting on page 2 (“P&F O-02 – Andrae”) at https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=16088919&GUID=17D76B5E-332F-4B2D-9A59-753716F9B75A. This amendment proposes requiring county employees to pay into health insurance premium cost-sharing, which most currently do not. We rely on a combination of county employees and agency partners to deliver programs and services to our community, and this amendment recognizes that a progressive, tiered approach could yield relief for the entire ecosystem. I welcome your feedback on this issue!
In service,
Richelle Andrae
Dane County Board Supervisor District 11
