This August, voters in the city of Madison elected a new mayor for the first time in over a decade.

On November 7, Mayor Ranae Bartlett and six new city council members were officially sworn into office during a standing-room-only ceremony at Madison City Hall.

Immediately following the event, the Huntsville Business Journal spoke with Mayor Bartlett about her priorities for the city and the work ahead.

“I am full of thankfulness, gratefulness to this community to come out and cheer on a new administration. There was so much excitement, and I’m just pinching myself. I can’t believe what a wonderful night this was,” Bartlett said.

With excitement, Bartlett shared where she and the council plan to direct their efforts as they lead the city.

“All of us who campaigned focused on schools and infrastructure, and so those are going to be our top priorities. This council is very energetic. I think they’re ready to get some things done, and I’m ready as well,” she said.

When asked how she plans to balance Madison’s growth with infrastructure needs, Bartlett said the city must be intentional by planning ahead and taking a future-focused approach rather than responding only as needs arise.

“It takes a lot of planning to be able to meet those needs that the community has. You can’t just live day to day; you have to look forward. You have to make sure that you get the funding that you need,” she said.

Bartlett continued, “I think that Madison residents pay enough in taxes, but we’re not seeing all the taxes come back to North Alabama. I’m really going to be focused on that both at the state level and the federal level.”

Bartlett is no stranger to Madison’s city government. She was appointed to the Madison Board of Education in June 2011 and was reappointed in 2016. And most recently, Bartlett was elected to the Madison City Council in 2020.

In addition to Mayor Bartlett, the following city council members were officially sworn into office:

Maura Wroblewski, District 1 (returning)
David Bier, District 2
Billie Goodson, District 3
Michael McKay, District 4
Alice Lessmann, District 5
Erica White, District 6
Kenneth Jackson, District 7

Bartlett also hinted at some potential economic development projects that she has in mind for the city of Madison.

“I think you are going to see some new announcements in businesses and events coming up that are along the lines of economic development. Just stay tuned. It won’t take us long, but we are really getting excited about announcing a few projects soon,” Bartlett said.

In her official remarks to the crowd, Bartlett expressed optimism about the city and the community.

“The future of Madison is bright as long as all of you continue to care about this city, continue to vote and show up at events just like this,” Bartlett said.

To the city council, she shared an encouraging sentiment, “You have so much energy, integrity, and it is my honor to get to be mayor alongside of you.”

Immediately after the ceremony, the city council met briefly to elect its officers. Wroblewski was elected as Council President, Bier as Finance Chair, and Goodson as Pro Tem.

The new city council will meet for its first regular meeting on November 10.