Where Is Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd?

Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd has been a hard person to find at City Hall in the past month.

Dodd was last present for an in-person, public meeting on Sept. 20. She participated virtually in the Community and Economic Development Committee on Sept. 28. She has missed the last two council meetings, held on Oct. 11 and Nov. 1.

Her colleagues expect her to attend the council’s budget adoption meeting on Friday, and then resign sometime in the coming weeks to take a new job.

“She told me she wouldn’t be here for today’s council meeting, I believe she’s out of town, and she will be here Friday,” said Common Council President Jose G. Perez after Tuesday’s meeting.

Perez said Dodd would need to resign by the end of the month in order for a special election to be called that coincides with the normal spring election cycle. “It’s imperative I hear from her if that’s the case,” said the council president. The winner of the election would serve through April 2024.

Dodd, as a council member, is paid $73,222 annually. She was first elected in a November 2018 special election and re-elected in April 2020. Dodd, 47, did not run for re-election in the state senate in 2016 so she could spend more time with her young son. She and her husband Anthony Dodd are residents of the city’s Nash Park neighborhood. Dodd also previously served on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.

The 5th council district, currently represented by Dodd, is located on the northwest side of the city. It runs from W. Bradley Rd. to W. Center St., primarily between N. 76th St. and W. Appleton Ave. and the city’s western border. The seat was previously held by Jim Bohl, who resigned to take a job in Tom Barrett‘s administration and is now chief of staff to Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

The alderwoman did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Five Open Council Seats

Dodd’s absence and potential resignation comes at a time when the council is already experiencing a modern record for vacancies. Four of the 15 seats are currently vacant.

Johnson won a special election to serve as mayor in April. Alderman Nik Kovac was appointed by Johnson to serve as the city budget director. Those two vacancies are due to be filled later this month following two special elections on Nov. 8.

But two more vacancies were created since the special elections to replace Johnson and Kovac were called. Chantia Lewis was removed from office July 18 as part of a felony plea agreement for campaign finance violations. And Alderman Ashanti Hamilton resigned in August following an appointment by Johnson to lead the city’s Office of Violence Prevention.

A special election is expected to be called soon to fill the north-side seats of Hamilton and Lewis. A primary would be held Feb. 21 and a general election April 4. Council seats are non-partisan with the top two vote-getters in the primary advancing to the general election.