By Vince Bobot
Vince Bobot
During my campaign the most asked question of me is: “Who is the City Attorney?”. I then tell the person the name and explain to them that the City Attorney is the legal representative for the mayor, Common Council, department heads and employees of Milwaukee. The City Attorney is also the legal counsel for the Milwaukee Public School System and the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee.
Most importantly the City Attorney represents and advocates for people in Milwaukee. The City Attorney is elected and should bring an independent perspective to the duties of that office which ensures the law is being followed by everyone in Milwaukee. After being informed of the who and what they ask me, “Where has our City Attorney been?”.
Rather than immersing in negative conversations, I prefer telling people what’s going to be done and my vision for the City Attorney’s office. Over the past month I wrote several articles explaining things that could be done to make Milwaukee a better place. Those articles discussed ways for restoring meaningful traffic enforcement on our streets, working to stop human trafficking in our city, finding ways to eliminate vacant, boarded-up houses, and a holistic approach to dealing with youthful offenders in Municipal Court.
Candidate for City Attorney Vince Bobot (right), meets with constituents at a local coffee shop to discuss community concerns.
I will bring a new attitude and approach to the City Attorney’s Office. Reacting to problems after they develop is not acceptable. Maintaining the status quo is not going to get the job done. As your next City Attorney, I will have a different approach in performing the duties of that elected office. My pledge to you as the next City Attorney is to be tireless in performing the functions of that office. I pledge to work hand-in-hand with elected officials, department heads, employees and you in developing policy initiatives, conducting training to ensure compliance with our laws and demanding adherence to the rules and regulations by employees. We must foresee developing problems and deal with them before they reach a crisis level.
One prime example of reacting to problems after they develop has been the numerous lawsuits against Milwaukee costing taxpayers millions of dollars and diverting money away from valuable services needed by us. The City Attorney must be involved in developing policy directives, training of employees, and have first-hand knowledge of what’s going on in our city. Sitting on the sidelines is not going to accomplish what needs to be done to make Milwaukee a better place.
I need your vote in the upcoming primary election on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Together we can make a difference and restore our city to a prominent place in the state and nation. Once again Milwaukee can become a safe place, full of life and vitality. A place where people want to live, attend school, work or start a business.