I return from France to the good news that Gene Hexom's reign as mayor of Madison will end this year. Mayor Hexom told the Madison Daily Leader yesterday that he will not seek a third full term as Madison's chief executive.
Gene Hexom is a skilled local politician and effective public speaker. However, Hexom has left Madison with an unhealthy conservative and defensive attitude. He happily backs the good-old-boy network, handing out unnecessary tax breaks and other favors to the usual roll of businessmen and developers. He responds to criticism with brittle counter-attacks. He portrays those who point out problems in Madison as disloyal complainers and malcontents instead of acknowledging the possibility that the town he's lived in all his life might actually have problems that need fixing. And he spends too much time taking his ruler around town to measure how long folks' grass is growing instead of focusing on much more pressing problems of economic and cultural development.
Madison is showing signs of getting past Mayor Hexom's defensive attitude. After ousting the always-bluffing Dwaine Chapel last year, the city's economic development corporation has signaled a willingness to change direction and tackle obvious problems that Hexom and the city tried for too long to ignore.
With Hexom stepping down, now is the perfect time for a new, enthusiastic, and realistic leader to take the reins and lead Madison in a more open direction. But who will that new leader be? Hexom has run unopposed the last two times. Recent city commission races haven't brought forward a large cadre of new faces promising new ideas and active leadership. One exception that jumps to mind is Monica Campbell, someone slightly outside the circle of usual suspects who missed her chance to serve on the city commission five years ago by dumb luck. I'd suggest Ashley Kenneth Allen as another good prospect for the mayor's seat, but he might be too busy jetting back and forth between Madison and his super-cool computer job in Pennsylvania to handle the awesome duty of measuring everyone's grass. (Actually, maybe having a mayor who is too busy to worry about how long Dick Wiedenman's grass is would be a plus.)
The old guard must pass. Madison leaders-in-waiting, now's your chance to give Madison a good hard pull away from the status quo. Petitions should be available soon at City Hall; those running for mayor should have until the end of February to file.
Economically speaking, I feel Madison is doing very well. Culturally, I'm not sure what you are getting at. Now, let's work on the housing shortage and worker shortage.
While I was reading this entry, I was substituting Madison with Spearfish - and Hexom with Kremback. The only thing that made me feel "good" is that this cronyism and good ole boy network just isn't in Spearfish. So I didn't feel so all alone.....
Cory, you are right. It is time for many places to move past this old guard and business as usual. Be it, statewide or in our local municipalities. I am also getting the "sense" that people have finally grown weary of the same old people getting the same old breaks, from the same old leadership. It's great, I guess, if your palm is the one getting greased all the time. But when you peel back the onion and start to see exactly who gets money and primo authorizations in various municipalities? yeah, it's a pattern that is unmistakenable. And disgusting.
Here's a toast, hoping that Madison gets some great leadership in the near future. Keep us posted!!
Welcome back, Cory!!
Cory, you just pointed out the problem: wiling progressive Democratic candidates seem to be in short supply. In a democracy, you still need two candidates to have a contested election.
Gene Hexom has been my friend for many years. Thank you for your years of service Gene.
Hi Cory,
I am actually announcing my candidacy for Mayor and I am happy to do it here on your blog.
I plan to run for Mayor in 2040 when I get to retire from my super cool computer job. (Depending on how the social security cuts go and how my 401K performs in the next 27 years.)
Thanks for the nod my way, I appreciate the thought.
-Ashley Kenneth Allen
Oh, Ashley! You'll be part of the old guard by then!
DB: the culture to which I refer is the one in which Madison ignores the arts and discourages open, vigorous debate. You, like Hexom, wouldn't get it at first, because it's the soup in which you happily swim.
Dana -- glad to be back! Is every town the same?
Michael: The new mayor doesn't have to be a Democrat. I use "progressive" here not as a synonym for Democrat or liberal, but as a term meaning someone who recognizes the need to change the status quo and tackle Madison's problems openly and honestly. Not approving unnecessary million-dollar tax kickbacks for Custom Touch Homes would be nice, too.
Again Cory, if only one candidate runs then you have no choice at the ballot box. I can use the Democratic Party as an example because they have had a difficult time finding candidates in legislative contests. You can complain about Madison's current mayor but no one stepped up as an alternative in the last two elections for you to support.
Indeed, I find the lack of alternatives frustrating. Every year that we don't have challengers on the ballot is a year that we miss out on a chance to have a real conversation about the direction of the community. Mayor Hexom would have benefited greatly from having a challenger who would pose him tough questions and pierce his bubble of "everything is wonderful, being here is heavenly, and if you think there's something wrong with Madison, there's something wrong with you."
" ignores the arts"
Get a better advocate willing to do the legwork.
Being a mayor is going to cost time. I see possible candidates like Ashley, full of passion and drive. The problem is that the time you give up to become mayor is going to take time away from your family and your job or business. It's not a matter of people not caring, but they have other priorities in life that are more important.
DB: ah, yes, blame the advocate, and not the culture as a whole. Very Hexom of you.