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.
Neighbors –
This week, voters across Wisconsin turned out for Congressional, state, and local candidates. Thank you to everyone who participated in elections on Tuesday, as a pollworker, voter, and/or observer. I am also deeply appreciative for our elections staff who run free, fair, transparent elections for all residents of the County. I usually volunteer at the polling location at Mount Olive on Whitney Way, where I had the pleasure of voting last week. I was assigned as a pollworker in the Raymond Road area, and met many first-time voters, and was honored to participate in our democracy. Explore Dane County election results here: https://elections.countyofdane.com/Election-Result/145 and take a deep dive here: https://isthmus.com/news/madison-voter-turnout-takeaways/. It’s encouraging to see turnout of registered voters surpassing 80% in several wards across the city. That’s exciting for a midterm! And although the ballot referenda were advisory only, I appreciate seeing the overwhelming support of legal cannabis and abortion rights (over 80% in support for all 3 questions on the ballot).
Are you exhausted from election season and our ad frenzy in Wisconsin? Well, I certainly am. But don’t forget, we will have a major battle on the April ballot with the balance of power in the Wisconsin Supreme Court at play. So, buckle up for round 2 and mark your calendars for the Spring Primary on Feb. 21 and Spring General Election on April 4.
Last week definitely was a busy one… the County Board also deliberated on our 2023 operating and capital budgets. We passed both, which will head to the County Executive, who has the power to line-item veto elements of the budget if desired. There was considerable debate over a jail-related provision, and I continue to seek a path forward to address the most egregious safety and quality issues at the current facility. The items I championed in the budget included food system planning, converting LTE positions for staff attorneys into full time staff, providing funding to release individuals eligible for electronic monitoring who experience housing insecurity, and staff capacity to develop a plan, working in collaboration with other jurisdictions across the county, for non-law enforcement response to mental health crises. The budget also funds reproductive health navigator positions, affordable housing investments, development of a public market, additional support for the Behavioral Health Resource Center, efforts to fight the opioid epidemic, sediment removal and phosphors mitigation, construction on the Lower Yahara River Trail, and a biodigester, just to name a few exciting initiatives. Thanks to all that have provided input in our budget process. This is a budget that I'm proud of, and one that supports meeting both basic needs for individuals struggling in the community, and investments in long-term quality of life for all residents.
Thank you, and as always, please reach out if I can help!
Richelle Andrae
Dane County Board Supervisor District 11
