Dane County offices will be closed on Nov, 28th & 29th 2024
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.
Thanks to an excellent effort from County staff, County Board Supervisors are now able to write blogs and notify constituents when new posts are available. Residents can sign up for updates from any Supervisor and stay informed on local issues.
In this update:
Did you know that a local broadband task force was started last year? Take this internet speed test to help us gather info! Try it right now... it'll take less than a minute. http://madisonregion.org/industry-and-innovation/broadband/ Learn more here! Kudos to my colleagues Sups. McGinnity and Ratcliff for their leadership in bringing the issue of internet access and affordability to the forefront.
April's election will include all County Board seats, along with Judges and several School Board elections. Filing paperwork was due from candidates on Jan. 4, and the field is set. See the full slate of candidates here and read more with recent Cap Times coverage.
With the new year upon us, you can now request ballots online for all 2022 elections. Visit www.myvote.wi.gov to make your request today for the upcoming elections:
"When it comes to efforts to combat climate change, Dane County is among the top local governments in the world, according to one recent assessment. The CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) this year included the county on its “A list“ of 95 local governments leading in environmental transparency and action.
To receive the nonprofit organization’s “A” rating, local governments must have “ambitious but realistic” emissions reduction and renewable energy goals as well as climate risk assessments and plans for tackling climate hazards.
The county was among the top 10% of the 965 local governments scored by CDP in 2021. Dane County last year adopted a plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half over the coming decade, putting it “on a path” to decarbonization but falling short of the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, which scientists say is necessary to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
In order to make the A list, governments must also publish an inventory of emissions data, which “is a substantial lift,” said Kathy Kuntz, director of the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change. The county estimates its residents produced about 7.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in 2017, which works out to roughly 14 tons per person, or three times the global average."
Read the full article from the Wisconsin State Journal here.
As always, please reach out if you'd like to connect on county issues - I'd love to hear from you!
- Richelle
andrae.richelle@countyofdane.com
