Election to decide new mayor, three city council seats

MADISON – The 2025 Municipal Election for the City of Madison on Aug. 26 will decide a new mayor and representatives for City Council in three contested seats. Four other seats had only one candidate to qualify.

Polls will open on 7 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 7 p.m. Election details, like polling locations, are available on the City Clerk’s webpage at www. madisonal.gov.

With Mayor Paul Finley not seeking re-election, the mayoral race has become a threeway contest. Candidates Ranae Bartlett, Margi Daly and Steve Smith, are each hoping to fill the empty position. Both Bartlett and Smith have served on the city council in years past. Bartlett currently represents Council District 5 and has also served on the Madison City School Board. Smith is currently the Madison City Administrator under Finley.

Finley was first elected mayor in 2008, but chose not to run in 2012. He returned to city politics in 2016 as mayor and was elected for a third term in 2020. Earlier this year he announced his decision to exit the mayor’s office again and not run for re-election.

Madison City Council President and Council District 7 representative John D. Seifert II is trying to stay on for a third term. He will face Kenneth Jackson.

Incumbent Karen Denzine has thrown her hat in the ring for a second term, but she has two challengers, Scott Harbour and Erica White.

With the departure of Gregg Shaw in Council District 4, two newcomers will face each other for the open seat. Rachel Homolak and Michael McKay are competing for that position.

Four candidates are running uncontested for city council district seats in this year’s municipal election. Alabama Code states that if a candidate remains uncontested after the deadline to register as a candidate has passed, he will “be deemed elected to such office” and will be certified by the Mayor and City Clerk. Madison City Clerk Lisa Thomas issued certificates of election to those four candidates in June. Among the four candidates, one is a returning city council representative. Maura Wroblewski was reelected by default to District 1.

The other three candidates were David Bier for District 2, Billie Goodson, who replaces Teddy Powell for District 3, and Alice Lessmann for District 5. She replaces Ranae Bartlett, who is running for mayor.

Last week, The Madison Record kicked off a two-part series examining a few of the issues affecting Madison and how candidates plan to address them if elected in the Aug. 26 election. It featured the candidates in city council districts 6 and 7. The following takes a look at the candidates for mayor and city council district 4.

By ERIN COGGINS

news@themadisonrecord.com

MADISON – With the Madison mayoral election just days away, the three candidates are actively championing their ideas on how they can make Madison an even better place to call home.

All three candidates share a commonality in their approach to the city’s growth and the challenges that growth presents. One of those challenges is traffic congestion and infrastructure.

“Madison is a growing and dynamic city, but with growth comes serious challenges that must be addressed with urgency and vision,” Steve Smith said. “Traffic is one of the most talked about frustrations in Madison, and rightly so. As our population grows, so does the strain on our roads.”

Smith, the current City Manager, plans to prioritize road expansions and improvements, as well as identify and eliminate major choke points throughout the city. These projects require funding, and Smith hopes to secure it from both the state and federal levels.

“I plan to fight for infrastructure funding at both the state and the federal levels,” Smith said. “I will also work with regional partners on smart, longterm transportation planning.”

Opponent and current city councilwoman Renae Bartlett also views the infrastructure as a challenge to the growing city. She looks to expand road networks to ease traffic congestion and improve the pedestrian connectivity in neighborhoods.

“On the City Council, I have supported infrastructure investments, and as mayor, I’ll champion a comprehensive plan to address these needs while safeguarding financial stability,” Bartlett said. “This includes maintaining our parks and recreational facilities to enhance the quality of life for all residents.”

Smith also sees parks and recreation as a priority, looking to invest in the maintenance and modernization of existing parks and expand walking trails, bike paths and green corridors that connect neighborhoods.

“Besides maintaining the parks we already have, I want to explore the development of a public pool that supports families, youth sports, and community health, “Smith said. “I will also prioritize upgrades to Palmer Park to meet the expectations of our growing community.”

Bartlett, a former member of the Madison City School Board where she served as president, says that education is the cornerstone of Madison. Currently serving as the Executive Director of the U.S. Chess Foundation, Bartlett understands the importance of extracurricular activities.

“I will collaborate with Madison City Schools to support innovative programs, like expanding STEM and arts initiatives, to prepare students for future careers,” Bartlett said. “My work with the Madison City Chess League shows my commitment to inclusive educational programs available to public, private and home school students. I will push for partnerships between the city and schools to fund extracurriculars and facilities, ensuring that every student has access to a well-rounded education.”

Smith, a 31-year resident of Madison, says the backbone of his platform, prioritizing traffic, safety, education and parks, reflects what he hears from residents daily.

“My campaign is centered on steady, experienced leadership that focuses on practical solutions and long-term progress,” Smith said. “Madison’s future depends on getting these right. I bring a deep, personal commitment to Madison.”

Bartlett, too, has been in the community, not only in her role on the City Council, but as a candidate seeking to be elected mayor.

“Madison is more than a place to live– it’s a community where I’ve raised my family, built lasting relationships and served with dedication,” Bartlett said.” I am a listener who values community input. My commitment is transparency and collaboration to ensure Madison’s government remains accountable and responsive.”

Both Bartlett and Smith bring years of experience in the city’s government to the race, but candidate Margi Daly prides herself on being a grassroots candidate. She is a 21-year resident who held office in her previous home city. A frequent city council meeting attendee, Daly considers herself well-informed on most city issues.

“My campaign focuses on proactive infrastructure development. Currently, issues are addressed only when they become critical or unsafe, necessitating road closures for extended periods of time. We must prioritize the needs of citizens over developer donors,” Daly said. “I envision a Constituent-friendly City Hall where residents can come and access information on a public desktop. They can also seek help with any issues, complaints, tax appeal process, or any pending situations. After all, constituents are the very people paying our

bills.”

MADISON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR

Two candidates are vying for the City Council seat to represent District Four. Candidates Michael McKay and Rachel Homolak have opposing opinions on what is best for the City of Madison.

Michael McKay

Michael McKay says that from the start, his campaign platform has been to collaborate with his colleagues to ensure the successful implementation of the Madison on Track 2045 Strategic Plan.

“For the roads, I will work with the mayor and council to budget for and execute the roads and infrastructure priorities contained within the Madison on Track 2045 plan, which I helped create as a committee advisory member,” McKay said. “This is a good plan that doesn’t need to sit on a shelf collecting dust; we have a plan, let’s execute. The same applies to parks and recreation facilities: a master plan is in place. I will work with the mayor and council to budget for and execute plans.”

Other parts of McKay’s platform include further enhancing the city budget for quality-of-life projects, including improved parks and community facilities and serving as the watchdog for all taxpayer dollars spent.

“The part about serving as a watchdog is a cornerstone to make sure we address these issues while being fiscally responsible, transparent, and accountable for how we spend every taxpayer dollar,” McKay said. “For the schools, at an absolute minimum, the 1/2 cent sales tax that is set to expire must stay with the schools and that’s the way I will vote.”

McKay brings to the race experience as a certified fraud examiner, a PTA president and vice president, the sole district four representative of the Madison On Track 2045 Plan, and a graduate of the Madison City Civic Awareness Academy. He feels these experiences make him an ideal candidate to serve District Four.

“I have had my pulse on a lot of different things in Madison for a long time,” McKay said. “ I am proud to have run a positive campaign from start to finish, where my main goal was to be honest and forthcoming about the things that matter most to me and to not focus my time and effort on anyone else. I think the appeal for a wide variety of people that support me is that I am informed and I am connected to the community because I have lived here for nearly a decade with my family and we are as involved as we can be. Once elected, I will be methodical in my approach to try and pinpoint priorities and address those to make Madison the best it can be.”

Rachel Homolak

Rachel Homolak feels Madison is long overdue for a “We the People” leader. Her platform centers around the city’s budget and more responsible spending.

“We must cut unnecessary spending as well as update and revitalize the current budget to stay within our means,” Homolak said. “We need to shift our focus and finances so we can catch up to what other cities with smaller budgets, especially when it comes to our city’s parks and recreation. If we are enticing families to move here for our schools, the least we can do is match that expectation in parks and recreation.”

She, too, views infrastructure as a key issue for the growing city, citing overcrowded schools, horrendous traffic and infrastructure improvements that cannot keep up with demand.

“The best course of action is to pause further housing developments until these issues are solved,” Homolak said. “We have numerous intersections that would benefit from roundabouts, several roads that desperately need expansion and traffic lights that could be analyzed for better movement. We have to keep in mind that we have nowhere to expand. We need to be realistic and take care of those who reside here already.”