Mayor gets welcome, warnings
0:30 AM 4/26/03
Dean Mosiman City government reporter

New Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz got a warm reception and some grim financial warnings at the state Capitol on Friday.

Making his first official visit to the Capitol since taking office last week, Cieslewicz told a group of lawmakers that he will fight to minimize a looming cut in state shared revenue and that deep cuts would harm city services from public safety to libraries.

Cieslewicz, saying a hiring freeze he has begun is already forcing tough decisions on everyday services like staffing libraries, said he won't raise property taxes to cover cuts and believes Gov. Jim Doyle will resist deep reductions because they would mean "draconian" cuts in local services.

"There are no easy cuts," Cieslewicz said.

Sen. Fred Risser and Reps. Spencer Black, Terese Berceau, Mark Miller and Mark Pocan, all Democrats from the Madison area, warned that the Legislature's Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee is likely to seek cuts in shared revenue far deeper than Doyle's proposed budget.

Cuts are needed to help the state cover a projected $3.2 billion deficit.

Local leaders must fight larger cuts and being made to "fight over scraps that fall off the table," Black said.

Cieslewicz should team with other mayors, especially Republican mayors, to fight further reductions, Risser and the others advised.

Cieslewicz said he had spoken earlier Friday to a new group of municipal and labor leaders, called "Partners for Strong Communities," who had a morning rally at Monona Terrace and spent the day lobbying at the Capitol.

But the lawmakers said a more focused name and effort may be needed. Half-jokingly, Pocan suggested the "Coalition against North Mississippi."

Ultimately, Risser sees a budget fight between Doyle and the GOP-controlled Legislature.

"I think we'll see a lot of vetoes to the budget," he said. "It may be so bad he has to veto the whole thing and send it back to us."

Cieslewicz, who called for regular meetings of the group, was clearly among friends. His wife, Dianne, works for Risser. Pocan was his campaign chairman. And he once worked for Black in the Legislature.