Alder Carter has voted for over a quarter of a million dollars, that I could verify, for the non-profit where she is the president of the board. Alder Carter clearly has a conflict of interest she should have disclosed.And that’s a conservative estimate! I’m certain she has voted for budgets with funding for Porchlight without disclosing or recusing herself as well.
I didn’t know Alder Carter was still the chair of Porchlight’s Board of Directors. I accidentally stumbled across this issue again when I was looking at the “Informal” City-County homeless shelter committee. I knew she was at one point. Silly me, I just assumed she would have given that up when she became alder to avoid conflicts of interest and because she was just too busy. I was wrong.
Seems like I haven’t heard her disclose this fact in years, and yet she still votes on the council for Porchlight’s funding. I double checked and she was present for all these meetings. Here’s a few examples:
- July 16, 2019.
- Amending the 2019 Adopted Operating Budget for the Community Development Division – Affordable Housing to accept, on behalf of the Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC), an aggregate EHH grant award of up to $639,750 from the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with specific Dane County CoC agencies to provide services using the EHH funds
- Minutes don’t have a disclosure or recusal.
- A motion was made by Harrington-McKinney, seconded by Verveer, to Adopt – 15 Votes Required. The motion passed by voice vote/other.
- Funding Alder Carter voted for
- Porchlight, Inc. – Up to an additional $7,835 (ESG) for Men’s Drop-In Shelter Operations.
- Porchlight, Inc. – Up to $25,000 (ESG) to provide case management services to guests at the Men’s Drop-In Shelter.
- July 24, 2018
- Authorizing the City of Madison, on behalf of the Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC), to accept an EHH grant award of up to $598,480 from the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration; authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with specific Dane County CoC agencies to provide services using the EHH funds; and amending the Community Development Division’s 2018 Adopted Operating Budget as appropriate
- She even seconded this motion:
- A motion was made by Baldeh, seconded by Carter, to Adopt – 15 Votes Required. The motion passed by voice vote/other.
- Funding Alder Carter voted for
- Porchlight, Inc. -up to $25,000 (ESG) to provide case management services to guests at the Men’s Drop-In Shelter. In the event the State awards up to an additional $20,000 in bonus ESG funding to the City, those funds will go to Porchlightfor case management services for guests at the Safe Haven day shelter
- January 16, 2018
- Authorizing the allocation of up to $90,000 among 3 non-profit agencies to help finance the provision of an array of homeless services beginning in 2018, as the result of a competitive RFP process conducted by Community Development Division; and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into agreements with those agencies to implement the designated programs and services.
- Minutes don’t have a disclosure or recusal
- A motion was made by Rummel, seconded by Baldeh, to Adopt. The motion passed by voice vote/other.
- Funding Alder Carter voted for
- Porchlight, Inc- up to $28,000 to support a Shelter Case Manager, who will provide case management to homeless single men.
- September 5, 2017
- SECOND SUBSTITUTE-Authorizing the City of Madison, on behalf of the Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC), to accept an ETH grant award not to exceed $585,423 $622,923 $637,098 from the Wisconsin Department of Administration, and the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with specific Homeless Services Consortium agencies to provide services using these ETH funds; and amending the Community Development Division’s 2017 Adopted Operating Budget as appropriate.
- Minutes don’t have a disclosure or recusal
- A motion was made by Rummel, seconded by Baldeh, to Adopt 2nd Substitute (15 Votes Required). The motion passed by voice vote/other.
- Funding Alder Carter voted for
- Porchlight, Inc. – up to $35,800 (THP) for STABLE Program to pay for supportive services and operation to serve homeless single women with substance abuse issues; and up to $25,000 (ESG) for Men’s Drop-In Shelter to provide case management for single men identified through the Men’s Drop-In Shelter.
- May 16, 2017
- Authorizing the City of Madison to accept $12,500 in additional Transitional Housing Program grant funds from the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Division of Housing; amending the Community Development Division’s 2017 Operating Budget as required; and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into agreements necessary to accept the additional funds.
- Minutes do not reflect a disclosure or recusal
- A motion was made by Rummel, seconded by Baldeh, to Adopt – 15 Votes Required. The motion passed by voice vote/other.
- Funding Alder Carter voted for
- Porchlight STABLE Program
- [JD004] 62112101-42210-83216 HSG AST EN WITHP 16 STATE REV ($6,250)
- [JD004] 62112101-54820-83216 HSG AST EN WITHP 16 COM AG CONT $6,250
- Porchlight STABLE Program
- August 2, 2016
- Authorizing the City to accept an ETH grant award from the Wisconsin Department of Administration, and the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with specific agencies using these state ETH funds to serve local individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; and amending the Community Development Division’s 2016 Adopted Operating Budget to appropriate $47,117 in federal funds within the CDD Operating Budget.
- Minutes do not reflect a disclosure or recusal
- A motion was made by Verveer, seconded by Rummel, to Adopt – 15 Votes Required. The motion passed by the following vote:
- Funding Alder Carter voted for
- Porchlight, Inc. $23,300 – STABLE Program, staff and operations to serve 12 homeless single women with substance abuse issues
- $25,000 – Outreach to single men who are homeless as identified through the men’s Drop-In Shelter
- June 16, 2015
- Authorizing the City of Madison, on behalf of the Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC), to accept a State ETH (Emergency Solutions Grant, Transitional Housing Program and Homeless Prevention Program) grant in the amount of $468,153; and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute ETH-funded agreements with specific nonprofit agencies to provide various services to homeless and at-risk individuals and families
- Minutes do not reflect a disclosure or recusal
- A motion was made by Cheeks, seconded by Bidar-Sielaff, to Adopt. The motion passed by voice vote/other. One registrant in support.
-
Porchlight, Inc. – Up to $23,300 for the STABLE Program to pay for staff and operations to serve 12 homeless single women with substance abuse issues; and up to $25,000 for Outreach Services to 60 homeless single men identified through the men’s Drop-In Shelter.
- 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 budgets all have funding for Porchlight and I could find no recusals or disclosures for Alder Carter.
WHEN DID SHERI CARTER RECUSE HERSELF DUE TO PORCHLIGHT AFFILIATION?
When voting on homelessness as a protected class.
You can’t make this stuff up!
-
Madison City Council overrides Paul Soglin’s veto, adds homelessness as a protected class
- The council ultimately voted to override the veto 17-1. Ald. Sheri Carter recused herself as president of the Porchlight Board, Ald. Matt Phair was absent and Ald. Paul Skidmore voted against the override citing administrative concern and a desire for amendments.
ADDED NOTE: WHAT TO THE MADISON ORDINANCES SAY?
This section did not appear in the original post. Apparently, people think I might be wrong about the law. I forget in this new world where ethics have gone out the window, that it is no longer obvious what ethics laws apply. Here’s what the MGO says:
MGO 3.35(5)(a)1. says
“No incumbent may use or attempt to use her or his position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of value or any advantage, privilege or treatment for the private benefit of herself or himself or her or his immediate family, or for an organization with which she or he is associated. “
MGO 3.35(5)(a)3. says
“Limitations on Actions . Except as otherwise provided in paragraph 4, no incumbent may:
a. Take any official action affecting, directly or indirectly, a matter in which she or he, a member of her or his immediate family, or an organization with which she or he is associated has a financial or personal interest;”
paragraph 4 does not apply to this situation:
4. Paragraph 3. does not prohibit an incumbent from taking any action concerning the lawful payment of salaries or employee benefits or reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses, or prohibit an incumbent from taking official action with respect to any proposal to create, modify, or repeal a City ordinance, resolution or matter benefiting the public.
