Committee Assignment Clash Signals Division In Beaver Dam

(Beaver Dam) A scathing rebuke Tuesday night by Alderman Ken Anderson over committee assignments is signaling a sharp divide on the newly-seated Beaver Dam Common Council.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing this, this is absolutely ridiculous,” he announced after learning the assignments at the council’s inaugural meeting, which saw seven alderpersons sworn-in including two new members.

Anderson chastised Mayor Becky Glewen for her selection of chairpersons for the city’s two most powerful committee’s – Administration and Operations – as well as his colleagues’ selection of council president. Anderson criticized the new committee chairs lack of experience in city government and said the new council president too often shows up to meetings at the last second.

Calling the mayor’s selections “irresponsible,” he said Glewen is “trying to destroy city government.” After using borderline obscene language on the council floor, the city attorney warned Anderson about decorum. After finishing his diatribe, the mayor began to speak and Anderson interrupted and talked over her until he was again told to stop talking by the city attorney.

Three alderpersons voted with Anderson in rejecting the committee assignments: Mick Fischer, Jack Yuds and Mary Morgan who came up short in her bid for council president. All four have been vocal in their opposition to the mayor’s use of taxpayer dollars for downtown revitalization efforts. The committee assignments were ultimately approved with nine votes of support.

 

Listen to the exchange here (note audio quality is substandard):