“Welcome Alderperson,” Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said after District 8 Ald. Sally Rohrer’s took her oath. “Let the record show that Alderperson Rohrer is present as well.”
The Madison Common Council voted to appoint Rohrer as alder for District 8, which represents much of the UW-Madison campus Tuesday, where she will serve until the Spring 2020 election.
The seat has been empty since former Ald. Avra Reddy resigned at the end of September due to family illness. Reddy, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student, was elected in the Spring 2019 election.
The city council selected Rohrer over other applicants, including three UW-Madison students and former Ald. Zach Wood.
The vote to appoint Rohrer to the position was unopposed and the swearing-in was brief — taking exactly a minute and thirty-three seconds.
Rohrer had several sponsors for her appointment to the position, including Alds. Bidar, Harrington-McKinney and Baldeh.
“I was really honored and humbled that [the council] decided to choose me, and I am really excited to get started and meet everyone,” Rohrer said in an interview.
Rohrer attends UW-Madison and currently works with the Associated Students of Madison. She has also interned for Wisconsin State Rep. Chris Taylor and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore.
Her platform focuses on issues relevant to both UW-Madison students and Madison residents, including affordable housing, implementing a bus rapid transit system, environmental sustainability and working with marginalized communities.
The Tuesday Common Council meeting also honored resolutions by congratulating Safe Communities of Madison and Dane County for 20 years as an award-winning non-profit and affirmed the city of Madison’s support of the County Climate Coalition.
Addison Lathers is the Editor in Chief of The Daily Cardinal. She has covered city and campus news and held two editor positions. Follow her on Twitter at @addisonlathers.
