💰 Madison’s budget surplus is bigger than expected

⚖️ Ald. Charles Myadze Arrested

• Content warning: This story mentions descriptions of domestic violence.
• District 18 Ald. Charles Myadze was arrested Thursday afternoon on multiple counts including strangulation, false imprisonment, battery, and burglary. Madison police have reportedly been investigating claims of domestic abuse by Myadze against former deputy mayor Gloria Reyes.
• Multiple women have come forward in recent months with allegations against Myadze that range from sexual harassment in the workplace to domestic violence in his personal life.
• Dig deeper: One of the women who recently came forward with claims of harassment, District 2 Ald. Julianna Bennett, was on the City Cast Madison podcast to talk about her experiences. [Madison365, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🧑‍⚖️ Trump Lawyers in Court For Fake Electors Scheme

• President-elect Donald Trump’s attorneys were in Dane County Court Thursday for their alleged role in the “fake electors” scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
• Attorney General Josh Kaul filed initial charges in June against former Trump aide Michael Roman and attorneys Jim Troupis and Ken Chesebro. While President Joe Biden won Wisconsin in 2020, the three Trump surrogates allegedly convinced 10 unappointed electors to sign documents swearing that Trump had won the state.
• Last week, Kaul added 10 forgery felony charges to the complaint. [WMTV]

💰 Madison’s Rainy Day Fund is The Biggest in Decades

• Weeks after voters approved a $22 million referendum for the city, Madison’s end-of-the-year budget surplus looks to be even higher than officials expected.
• The city is forecasting a $20 million surplus, which will grow the rainy day fund to $104 million. That’s the largest budget reserve in at least three decades as a percentage of spending.
• Half of the surplus comes from income from city investments, while the other half comes from the city not using $9.2 million in reserves to pay for day-to-day expenses like workers compensation, officials said.
• Dig deeper: If the city knew it was going to have a surplus, why did it pursue a referendum? City Finance Director Dave Schmiedicke explained on the City Cast Madison podcast why the numbers aren’t always so cut and dried. [Cap Times, 🎧City Cast Madison]

🎧 It’s the Friday News Roundup on City Cast Madison!

• It’s been a busy week in Madison news, and we talk about some of the biggest stories on the City Cast Madison podcast.
• Special guest Nicholas Garton of Madison365 talks to host Bianca Martin over the fallout from the resignation of a Sun Prairie East High School principal.
• Then, we talk about the arrest and censure of District 18 Ald. Charles Myadze, the plan to lower residential speed limits to 20 mph., and Madison’s growing Santa population, both human and inflatable. [ 🎧City Cast Madison, Madison365]

Meet Loki! She may be named after the trickster god of Norse mythology, but this Tibetan terrier mix is as well-behaved as she is adorable. She loves people and loves playing ball. And her owner Angelika swears Loki can read her mind. Maybe Loki IS a god.