The Dane County Board’s Personnel and Finance Committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend that the full County Board reject the appointment of State Representative Shelia Stubbs as director of the county’s Department of Human Services.
The vote comes days after the Health and Human Needs Committee came to the same result.
“I want you to know that I will continue to work on behalf of everyone. I love and respect all. I always have,” Stubbs said before the vote, touting her experience and advocacy as both a member of the County Board and State Representative.
Several people spoke on Stubbs’ behalf, including Rev. Marcus Allen of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, NAACP President Greg Jones and Center for Civil Rights in Education Director Percy Brown, among others.
It was a markedly different atmosphere than that of the HHN meetng, where Stubbs supporters filled the room bearing banners and signs.
Board Chair Patrick Miles made the motion to recommend denial.
“I appreciate the strengths that Representative Stubbs brings, and agree with many of the remarks that we heard about her strengths,” Miles said, noting specifically her work to establish the county’s Restorative Court and Office of Equity and Inclusion. “Representative Stubb’s strengths work well for a person in a political position like that of a State Representative.
“I don’t think this is the spot for you,” Supervisor Matt Veldran said, addressing Stubbs directly, and acknowledging that he and Stubbs started their tenure on the County Board together in 2006. “I think your strenghts are elsewhere. I think we have been used by the County Executive, and I’m sorry he put you in this postion … He put this up to challenge us … I’m afraid I have to vote no, and I hate to do it.”
Other members cited Stubbs’ failure to immediately repudiate racially-charged remarks from a supporter directed toward Black County Board members at Thursday’s HHN meeting. She has since said she does not condone those remarks, and reiterated that at tonight’s meeting.
The full board will consider the recommendations of the two committees at its meeting Thursday.
