Strengths, experience reflected in changes in Common Council committee appointments

On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Common Council President Michael J. Murphy announced a few changes to assignments for the seven standing committees of the Common Council, including one key appointment of a new committee chair.
President Murphy has appointed Alderman Nik Kovac to succeed him as the new chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee. Alderman Kovac has served as vice chair of the committee since April 2012. “Alderman Kovac has shown an ability to grasp not only the complexities of the city budget, but also the connections and relationships in the budget which drive costs, which drive efficiencies and which ultimately determine how best to deliver valuable city services to the taxpayers of the City of Milwaukee,” President Murphy said.
“We are certainly in good hands with a Harvard-educated mathematician (Alderman Kovac) leading the Finance and Personnel Committee,” he said.
Replacing Alderman Kovac as vice chair of Finance and Personnel will be Alderman Joe Dudzik, a member of the committee since April 2008. President Murphy also announced that Alderman Terry L. Witkowski will be added to the committee, which automatically had a vacancy created when the Council elected Mr. Murphy president during Tuseday’s regular Council meeting.
The remaining committee chairs will stay the same: Alderman Robert J. Bauman, Public Works; Alderman Joe Davis, Sr., Community and Economic Development; Alderman Tony Zielinski, Licenses; Alderman Jim Bohl, Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development; Alderman Terry L. Witkowski, Public Safety; and Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Judiciary and Legislation Committee.

Alderman Michael Murphy (seated at desk) was elected the City of Milwaukee Common Council President on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. Former Alderman Willie Hines held that position for a decade. Hines resigned from the council to accept a job with the City of Milwaukee Housing Authority.