Lisa is endorsed by the Dane County Democrats. To be endorsed by the Dane County Democrats, a candidate had to complete a questionnaire. Below is Lisa’s submission. To read the submissions of all other candidates including the incumbent mayor, click here to go the Dane Dems’ document.
Also, click to visit Lisa’s “Endorsements” page and click to visit Lisa’s “Letters to the Editor” page to see who else is supporting Lisa’s candidacy and why.
Why do you consider yourself a democrat?
I’m a Democrat for many reasons, and I demonstrate Democratic ideals in the way I live my life. I’m very concerned about climate change, so I go to great lengths to reduce my carbon footprint. I also use my position as a member of Middleton’s Common Council to advocate for climate action at the local level.
I’m a Democrat because I’m committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a member of the League of Women Voters of Dane County, I chaired the League’s DEI Committee, actively working to transform the League’s efforts to be inclusive and organizing member participation in activities like the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development’s course “Black History for a New Day.” As an alder, I have advocated for our public information materials to be in both English and Spanish like the ones produced by our school district. All four of my grandparents were immigrants, so I also advocate for using the term “resident” instead of “citizen” when speaking or writing about the people our local government serves.
I’m a Democrat because I was raised in a pro-union, working class household. My dad was a union carpenter who not only voted for Democrats, but also worked with his union to help get Democrats elected. I have followed his example by volunteering my time and donating my money to Democratic candidates for the past 25 years. I’m a supporter of unions and all my campaign signs and flyers are produced in union shops.
I’m a Democrat because I believe government exists to serve and protect the people; our nation will be stronger if we make it easier for people to vote, not harder; and people should have the right to make choices about their own destinies and their own bodies.
Why are you running for this seat?
I’m running for mayor because I want to work with the people of Middleton to figure out the best way to meet the needs of our growing city. I want to strengthen our sense of community by bringing people together to engage in their city government and to collaborate on solving problems and starting new initiatives. I’m running for mayor because I recognize the need for people to have good information about what our city government is doing and how it affects all of us, and I have the skills and experience to help them get this information. The vision I have for “Moving Forward Together” is shared by the Middleton community leaders — including highly engaged members of the Democratic Party — who recruited me to run for mayor. Our vision also is shared by the dozens of Middleton residents who are volunteering their time and donating their hard-earned money to help me turn this vision into reality.
Do you have an opponent? If so, what do you think differentiates you from them?
I’m challenging the incumbent mayor, who is seeking a second term. As an alder for the past four years and as a candidate for mayor, I have demonstrated my commitment to serving people and my ability to bring them together to work towards a common goal.
Transparency and accountability: I want constituents to hold me accountable. To help them do this, every month for the past four years I have distributed a monthly newsletter to residents of my district. I’m the only elected official in Middleton who writes a newsletter — the incumbent mayor does not. In the newsletter, I explain what’s happening in city government, how I’m voting, and why. Some constituents don’t always agree with how I voted, but they tell me they appreciate that I take the time to explain my reasoning. This type of regular communication between elected officials and their constituents builds trust and is fundamental to a healthy democracy. If the people don’t know what their elected officials are doing and why, how can they hold us accountable? I am the candidate who has demonstrated this high level of commitment to transparency and accountability.
Commitment: As alder, I put in the time and effort as a representative of the people in my district. I attend every meeting having taken the time to research issues and to be prepared with thoughtful, probing questions. I respond to constituents’ calls and emails in a timely fashion, and I do my best to help them get answers to their questions or to find ways to address their city-related concerns. As mayor, I’ll advocate for what is best for the entire city. I’ll take on two major roles for Middleton’s mayor — chairing the Plan Commission and the Community Development Authority. These are the two bodies that guide the growth and development of our city. Chairing them is arguably the most difficult and the most important responsibility of Middleton’s mayor. The incumbent quit her job as chair of both these committees during her first term as mayor. I look forward to chairing these two bodies because this work literally shapes our city, and it creates opportunities to reinforce principles of sustainability, affordability, accountability, and equity.
Campaign: My “Moving Forward Together” campaign has brought together well over 100 Middleton residents from all walks of life who are volunteers and active supporters. Many of these supporters are local leaders in the Middleton Democrats. I have support from seniors and youth; homeowners and renters; life-long residents and recent arrivals; retirees who are empty nesters and working parents with young children; long-time community leaders and people who are just learning to use their voice for the greater good. Many of my supporters have worked with me on city committees so they know I’m an effective policy maker and a capable leader. I’m also getting a great deal of support from people whom I have yet to meet. All these people are Middleton residents who are coming together with energy and enthusiasm to help elect me to be their mayor. This is in stark contrast to the incumbent’s campaign, which relies on paid staff from outside Middleton and is largely self-funded. I am both proud and humbled to be part of a grassroots, people-powered campaign that is making so many Middleton residents excited about their government.
What are the three most important issues in your race and how would you advocate for them?
Right now, the three most pressing issues in Middleton at the local level are affordability, housing, and our aging downtown city facilities.
Affordability: It’s hard for people to make ends meet, and it’s hard for the city to meet our growing needs. Residents understandably don’t want property taxes to go up — many are on a fixed income and can’t afford any increase.
While affordability is a national issue, there are things we can do locally. As an alder, I already advocate for better affordability by collaborating with our peer cities — for example, exploring a partnership with Waunakee on shared Emergency Medical Services. I also advocate for changes in state legislation to 1) use more of the state’s surplus from sales taxes to increase state aid to municipalities and 2) limit property tax increases for seniors, veterans, and other people that meet income thresholds.
Housing: We need more housing. We’re doing a good job with market-rate housing, but we need more housing that’s “affordable” — meaning, a household spends less than 30% of their gross income on expenses for rent/mortgage and utilities. According to the Dane County Regional Housing Strategy, we need to build about 83 units of legally restricted affordable rental units in Middleton each year to meet the demand. We’ve produced only about half the units needed, and since 2023, we haven’t permitted any new legally restricted affordable units. This is a failure of the market and it needs to be corrected.
We also need more opportunities for home ownership. Finding an affordable starter house in Middleton is very difficult. With the median sale price for a house currently at $553,000, even households with incomes at the area median ($90,900) are priced out of the market. For older residents who want to downsize, there are too few condos, smaller houses, or accessible townhouses available.
Among Middleton’s elected leaders, I have been the most active advocate for affordable housing. Over the past two years, as a member of the Workforce Housing Committee, I have been an integral part of the team that researched and drafted the city’s first Affordable Housing Action Plan. Possible actions include investing in new affordable housing units, making grants available for energy efficiency and accessibility improvements to existing older housing, and enacting new ordinances to protect renters. I have advocated for using money from our new Affordable Housing Fund to provide downpayment assistance to first-generation home buyers, recognizing that systemic racism has led to intergenerational wealth being much more concentrated in white families than in Black families. I also have advocated for targeting the majority of our funding on assistance for people who make less than 80% of the area median income. I am the only elected official in Middleton who worked on the development of the action plan, and I look forward to being part of the team that will implement it if I’m elected mayor.
City Facilities: We have three aging downtown facilities that no longer meet the community’s needs. City Hall, the Senior Center, and the Library all need to be remodeled, expanded, or replaced. Our “Community Campus Project” will be a major multiyear construction project. The challenge is to find a way to pay for the necessary improvements without worsening affordability for our residents. Middleton’s highly skilled finance staff have already identified three strategies to make the Community Campus Project more affordable for our residents. I have every confidence that, with their help and by engaging residents in decision-making, we’ll find a way to get the facilities our residents and staff need at a price we can afford.
I am already advocating for this project. For several months, I have written about it in my newsletter to constituents. I emphasize the potential benefits to residents of right-sized, energy-efficient, modern spaces that are ADA-compliant, powered by clean energy, create a welcoming environment for our residents and staff, and provide opportunities for more programming and improved access to services. I’m also transparent about the costs and advocate for explaining those costs in a way that avoids jargon and math and instead focuses on the bottom line: how much we’re asking taxpayers to pay over the 20-year life of the debt we’ll be taking on. If this project goes forward and I’m elected mayor, I’ll also actively work to raise private funds to defray some of the costs of construction and renovation so our taxpayers won’t have to shoulder the entire burden.
What is your campaign website, and social media
Website: https://lisajformayor.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/lisaj4mayor IG: https://www.instagram.com/lisaj4mayor/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lisaj4mayor