A Methodist, a Congregationalist, and a Baptist Walk into a City Council Meeting…
It’s not the beginning of joke; it’s the beginning of a story about local clergy engaging in an act of public theology and community advocacy. It’s a story about justice, courage, and holy imagination.
This story began with an announcement earlier this year that the City of Madison will face a $27 million structural deficit in its 2025 budget. Recognizing the urgency of the problem, our city alders held a special session in March to articulate their priorities and goals that will guide them as they seek to balance the city’s operating budget.
Almost immediately following this meeting, there was a public outcry via opinion pieces and social media threads. Residents were pleading with their representatives not to increase their taxes, but instead to slash those portions of the city’s budget that fund the social safety net, community development, and diversity and equity programs—the same programs that do not benefit them personally.
“As faith leaders, we are in relationship with people from a multitude of backgrounds and are often able to offer a diverse snapshot of those who live in our community.” – Rev. Breanna Illéné, Madison Common Council Testimony
Troubled by the one-sidedness of the public engagement around the budget, several of us wondered who would emerge to speak up for those in our communities who would be most harmed by deep budget cuts. As clergy, we questioned what our role should be in this conversation. We recognized that our relationships grant us unique insights into the diverse needs of our neighbors. Inspired by the example of Jesus’ ministry and driven by our deep commitment to justice and equity, we set out to publicly advocate for the wellbeing of our neighbors.
“In the Gospel of John, Jesus talked about not just having life, but having it abundantly, and that is my hope for everyone … If we want everyone to have abundant life, our budget has to reflect this. So we’re asking for bold investments to be made in the City of Madison so that our communities and our people can thrive, not just survive.” – Rev. Cathy Weigand, Madison Common Council Testimony
With support from the Wisconsin Council of Churches, a small group of clergy and leadership from ecumenical partners met to discuss a way forward. We began by asking what it would take to effectively advocate for a budget that would allow everyone in our city the opportunity to thrive. We understood that we could not do this work alone—it would require collaboration, the likes of which our city had not seen in more than a decade.
“Religious institutions provide substantial support to our city’s non-profits because we believe in protecting the most vulnerable among us. We do our best to care for our neighbors, but we cannot bear the full burden of investing in human services and community development. We need our city to contribute to the flourishing of our communities through continued investment in these areas.” – Rev. Gayle Tucker, Madison Common Council Testimony
Slowly, we assembled a coalition—recruiting clergy from across the city, collaborating with non-profit leaders to understand their needs, and seeking information from city staff about the budget process. To be effective advocates, we first had to educate ourselves. Each of us had some experience with organizational budgets, but we had no idea how much more complicated a nearly $400 million municipal operating budget could be. The more we dug into it, the further we developed our talking points to reflect the nuances of municipal budgeting and the limitations placed on our cities’ leaders by the state legislature.
“We support a referendum [to raise property taxes] that would help balance the budget over the next few years. This would lead to more equity and allow our city to not simply get by, but to flourish.” – Rev. Mallory Yanchus, Madison Common Council Testimony
Three hours into the Common Council meeting, it was our turn to speak. A voter-approved referendum to raise property taxes was the most equitable way to balance the city’s budget, we explained to our local elected officials. Deep cuts to our budget would likely reduce funding for our parks, libraries, infrastructure, community development, and social safety net. New fees and increases to existing fees are akin to a flat tax, which is regressive. Those most burdened by these two options would be lower-income households and BIPOC communities—and their voices were missing from the conversation. We felt a sense of duty to speak up for the needs of our congregants and neighbors who would be harmed.
Faith leaders have an obligation to practice what they preach. It is simply not enough to offer thoughts and prayers when the safety and wellbeing of our neighbors are threatened. Jesus understood this deeply. In addition to preaching and teaching, he put his values into action by speaking truth to power, by turning over tables when he witnessed injustice. It is our turn to exercise that same holy imagination—to encourage each other to make the courageous choices required for social and economic justice for our most vulnerable residents and for the wellbeing of our neighbors. As we learned through this experience, the work of public advocacy is difficult, long, and tedious. It isn’t always fun, but it is necessary for the flourishing of our city.
The organizing in Madison around the Common Council budget continues, and we are looking for more people to join.
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Photos: Top—Rev. Tim Schaefer closes out comments to the Madison Common Council after testimony from Rev. Breanna Illéné, Linda Ketcham, Rev. Gayle Tucker, Rev. Cathy Weigand, and Rev. Mallory Yanchus (pictured along the wall). Middle—Linda Ketcham, Executive Director of Just Dane, speaks as part of organized testimony from local faith leaders at the Madison Common Council on April 16. To see the entire testimony click here.
