Representative Todd Novak of the 51st Assembly District was recently awarded the 2019-20 Friend of the Towns Award by Jim Huebsch, WTA Sauk County Unit Chair.
Representative Novak was pivotal in and provided courageous leadership to an effort that resulted in a series of town law reforms,” stated Huebsch. “These reforms will provide additional authority for town government, greater legal clarity on several matters, and increased efficiencies that will save towns hundreds of thousands of dollars annually statewide.”
Friends of town government share a core belief that the best decisions occur in a decentralized system and closest to the people. They understand that local government leadership is the fuel for inventive solutions to public sector challenges and the key to unlocking the power of democracy.
WTA Executive Director, Mike Koles, commented, “Representative Novak’s collaborative and bipartisan work as Chair of the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality produced a series of bills that, if enacted into law, would be a great step toward maintaining and improving water quality throughout Wisconsin. This effort would neither have existed nor produced fruitful outcomes absent the foresight and persistence of several Republican and Democrat lawmakers, including Representative Novak.”
WTA President Jerry Derr added, “In his role as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Local Government, Representative Novak exhibits his deep understanding of how communities work and the role of the public sector in providing foundational infrastructure and services that foster the ability of the private sector to succeed.”