Witkowski to step down as alderman on May 30
Legislative aide Spiker files to run for seat
Ald. Terry Witkowski will step down from his seat May 30, he announced Thursday.
On Tuesday, his legislative assistant, Scott Spiker, filed papers to enter the race for his boss’ seat, according to the city’s Election Commission.
At a news conference Thursday evening, Witkowski, 74, said this was something he had been planning since September.
“I’m not getting younger,” he said, adding that he is not quitting for health reasons and he feels like the city is in “great shape.”
Joining him in making the announcement was Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton.
Witkowski was elected to the Common Council in 2003 in a special election and has lived in his district since 1955, according to his biography on the city’s website.
He has been one of Mayor Tom Barrett’s most reliable supporters on the Common Council. He said in a statement that he was proud to have been part of supporting development and that he had provided “unifying leadership” in his district.
Witkowski said he had been working since he got a paper route when he was 12 years old. A dozen years later, he started working for the Milwaukee Safety Commission, where he rose through the ranks to become safety director, according to his statement.
Witkowski worked for the city for 31 years before becoming a safety consultant and taking on teaching responsibilities at the University of WisconsinWhitewater.
He also said in the statement that he was a part-time police officer for 22 years.
Witkowski said he did not get any
“You’ve got one man’s opinion from where my seat was in the house. It was not meant to be an indictment of anyone, it was me talking to my constituents in a newsletter.” Ald. Terry Witkowski
pushback from his colleagues over his recent newsletter in which he accused colleagues of making decisions based on the “color of our skin.”
“You’ve got one man’s opinion from where my seat was in the house,” he said. “It was not meant to be an indictment of anyone, it was me talking to my constituents in a newsletter.”
Hamilton said he met Witkowski about 15 years ago and found him to be knowledgeable about the workings of city government and public safety.
In Milwaukee, the Common Council president can call for a special election at almost any time, Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Neil Albrecht said.
“We also want to make sure that as we’re going into this last year of the term that the aldermanic district that he represents continues to have a representative on the council,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton said that if there are more than two candidates, a primary would be held mid-July with a general election in mid-August. Because Witkowski will leave office before June 1, if Hamilton did not call a special election, the election would have automatically taken place Nov. 5. State law does not allow for the appointment of a person to fill the seat in the interim.
A voicemail left for Spiker was not returned Thursday.
Witkowski said he has not endorsed anyone in the race and anticipated a large field would run to replace him.