Scott Resnick - Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

2015 Candidate Profile & Questionnaire
Candidate Profile
Name: Scott Resnick
Current Address: 661 Mendota Court #1404, Madison, WI 53703
Email: scott@resnickformayor.com
Phone: (608) 807-7962
Campaign Website (if applicable): www.resnickformayor.com
Twitter: @sjresnick
Education
Name of Technical School, College or University: The University of Wisconsin – Madison
Years Attended: 2005-2009
Degree(s) Achieved: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Legal Studies
Additional Educational Experiences (Optional):
Employment Information
Current Employer: Hardin Design and Development
Current Job Title: Chief Operating Officer
Job Responsibilities: Oversight of all business, sales and HR development. Responsibility over all
budgeting and business forecasting.
Length of Employment: 2007-Present
Prior Employment (Optional)
Previous Employer:
Previous Employer:
Job Title:
Job Responsibilities:
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Length of Employment:
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Madison Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire
Instructions: State your position on the following issues. Please use the provided space, and limit
responses to 100 words. Any answers exceeding the word count limitations will be cut after 100 words.
1. Why are you seeking this office?
The City of Madison has the potential to be a laboratory of innovation and progress. We have a worldclass university, an emerging technology cluster, and compassionate community. However, we have an
economy where those in poverty fail to find opportunities, hundreds of chronically homeless individuals,
and among the worst racial disparities in the country. Our community faces many significant challenges.
We need a mayor who can address these challenges with new, innovative ideas, and one who has the
ability to build a bridge between our government, business leaders, and the progressive voices in our
community.
2. What in your background or experiences qualifies you to understand the unique needs facing
Madison businesses?
I am a small business owner and work as the COO of Hardin Design and Development, a company
named by Madison Magazine as one of the best places to work in our city. I am the founding member of
Capital Entrepreneurs and StartingBlock, and I serve as a mentor for dozens of companies in the
Madison area. I have a unique perspective of capital talent and regulatory issues in Madison and I am an
advocate for the development of tech businesses in our community.
3. In your opinion, what is the perception of doing business in Madison? How can Madison’s
business brand be improved or strengthened?
One of the biggest issues our mayor has failed to address is the perception that doing business in
Madison is unpredictable. Unfortunately, much of this unpredictability is of the mayor’s own doing. While
we have made incremental improvements on building permits, developers have no insight when the
mayor will switch his position and take personal offense to a developer or project. We need to make sure
our city is a predictable place to do business and build upon the natural assets of our city, including our
world-class university, and our budding tech industry.
4. As Mayor, what would you do to support the creation, growth and retention of jobs in Madison?
My record successfully recruiting businesses to our city during my time in the private sector shows that
Madison has the potential be a great place to do business. When I worked with several colleagues to
found StartingBlock, we sought to create a world-class tech incubation hub in the Capitol East District.
Our long-term goal was to ensure that companies would not leave for San Francisco, Chicago, or New
York City but, rather, develop as high-end tech companies here in Madison. If City Hall is working
alongside the chamber, I believe we can become a hub of innovation in the Midwest.
5. How can Madison best attract and retain a diverse and talented young workforce?
Madison is being held back by the complacency of City Hall. If we intend attract and maintain a diverse
and talented young workforce, we must foster an environment with a vibrant downtown, a variety of
affordable housing, strong schools, and public parks. We need to embrace transportation methods used
by young professionals such as car sharing, bicycling, and regulated transportation network companies.
Our next mayor must ask business leaders how City Hall can be a resource rather than a hindrance. We
absolutely cannot do is move our city backwards by embracing the past instead of looking towards the
future.
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6. The City of Madison is in the process of updating its economic development strategy. What
policies or initiatives would you like to see incorporated into this plan?
Although it took Mayor Soglin three years to create an economic development plan, I am encouraged by
the early drafts we have seen. Yet, there are a few glaring weaknesses. First, we don’t consider how our
downtown nightlife and other aspects of our city’s identity impacts our ability to become a thriving
laboratory of change that attracts young and talented residents. We need to have a bolder approach to
economic development by focusing on embracing our city’s identity by leveraging these competitive
advantages and better utilizing tech transfers out of our university and college system.
7. Judge Doyle Square and a Madison Public Market are a couple of high-profile development
projects being led by the City. What is your opinion of these projects and what, if any, level of city
financial assistance are you comfortable supporting for each project?
Too often, our city makes the mistake of approving a development project without looking at a market
feasibility study or a long-term business plan. This has happened with Judge Doyle Square. While I am in
favor of a hotel on this space and would be willing to put TIF dollars into the project, I have yet to see a
business plan that justifies this expenditure. As for the public market, we are still in the dark and do not
have estimates for annual operating expenditures, and must have a better roadmap if that project is going
to have long-term success.
8. Last year, the City adopted a new, more flexible Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) policy. Do you
support the use of TIF, and how do you believe it should be utilized moving forward? How would
you rate the City’s past use of TIF? (Would you describe the City’s use of TIF as underutilized,
over-utilized, or appropriate?)
Although our TIF policy is heading in the right direction and the re-write was an improvement, we still
haven’t attracted many exciting TIF projects to our city. If Madison is going to grow, we need to be
attracting high-quality projects and show that we are willing to spend when an innovative project is being
proposed. However, we need to make sure there are safeguards in place so projects with over $10 million
in city investment incur an appropriate level of public review and participation to make sure we are
spending taxpayer money responsibly.
9. In recent years, there have been significant changes to the City’s zoning code and development
process. In general, what is your opinion of these changes and its overall effectiveness?
I was a member of the plan commission and played an integral role in several of the zoning code
changes. While I can highlight several issues with the zoning code map, I am generally supportive of the
changes. I do wish that we were more forward-thinking with our zoning and did a better job planning for
the next 10-20 years, rather than focusing only on immediate zoning needs. A stronger long-term vision
would have resulted in greater economic development for the city of Madison.
10. What strategies do you support to enhance the City’s transportation infrastructure?
Madison must make smart investments to meet our parking, biking, and public transportation needs.
Currently we are moving forward with BRT, but have no answer to how we will pay for the $160 million
proposal. We need to be looking towards the future of transportation in Madison, sell air rights above new
public parking facilities, and reinvest in transportation throughout the city. We should focus on
transportation demand management, business improvement districts and other techniques that can raise
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revenues and increase ridership. Finally, we can improve transit access with more comfortable bus stops,
better bus-arrival information, and safer walking environments.
11. Do you consider Madison’s property taxes to be too high, too low, or appropriate? Please
explain your reasoning and provide specific examples of any fiscal changes you would
recommend.
Our property taxes are too high when we are taxing people out of their homes. The mayor entered office
wanting to be a budget hawk, but he has supported the largest capital budget our city has seen since
1992. We need to be more cognizant of our debt spending, reduce frivolous studies and travel expenses,
and look for investments that create long-term efficiencies within City Hall. Over time, these investments
will reduce the burden of property taxes and increase prosperity in our city.
12. If offered an endorsement from the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, would you
accept it? Yes__X__ No_____
Required Authorization
By signing this document I authorize the verification of the information provided on this profile and
questionnaire. In addition, I authorize any public distribution of this information.
Signature of candidate:___________________________________ Date: _______________
Thank you for completing our questionnaire. To be considered for endorsement or to have your
responses made publicly available on our website, please return your completed questionnaire by
3:00 p.m. on Monday, February 23 via email (gkitchen@greatermadisonchamber.com) or mail:
Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
Attn: Gillean Kitchen
615 East Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 71
Madison, WI 53701-0071
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