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The one-year term of Christopher the Austere as Milwaukee County Executive commenced at a large yet restrained ceremony at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on Tuesday as Christopher Seton Abele affirmed his oath of office to Milwaukee Municipal Court Judge Derek Moseley. Reinforcing the theme of thrift, the food was nearly non-existent – just coffee, juices and cake.

The courthouse rotunda, which is designed to serve more as a thoroughfare than a gathering place, held hundreds of political types, officeholders and well-wishers who either sat in a semi-circle reserved for elected officials and transition team members or jostled for elbow room in the cavernous hall.

Chris Abele with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the background (photos by Michael Horne)

Among those in the audience was Abele’s immediate predecessor, Marvin Pratt, who was appointed to the caretaker position by Lee Holloway, who was not present at the event. Holloway did not advance in the primary election that ultimately pitted Abele and Rep. Jeff Stone to complete the one year remaining in the term held by now-Gov. Scott Walker.

However, many past candidates for County Executive were on hand for the activities, including Jim Wahner, Paul Mathews, David Riemer and Joseph Czarnezki, who now serves as Milwaukee County Clerk.

Riemer is a member of the Abele transition team, and he was joined by fellow transitioners Danae Davis Gordon, Sheldon Lubar, Michael Dawson, Ricardo Diaz, Candace Owley and Sue Black.

Black was chatting with developer Julilly Kohler, who prompted her to account for how many bosses she has had in her career as a parks administrator. “I’ve been through lots of transitions,” Black said. “Ten mayors, five governors and five county executives, including in Dane County … Well, make that about five.”

Although Black had nothing critical to say about Walker, her former boss, it was clear she looked forward to working with Abele. For example, Walker had banished bicycle polo players from using the Red Arrow Park skating rink during off-season, and it was up to Black to be his enforcer. Now, she says, Milwaukee might join other cities that use their rinks for the growing sport, in which Milwaukee teams dominate worldwide.

Municipal Court Judge Derek Mosley, Chris and Miriam Abele, County Clerk Joseph Czarnezki and Abele Chief of Staff George Aldrich

Unlike Holloway’s grand swearing-in of December 28, during which he talked about himself for a half-hour, Abele kept his remarks brief, perhaps presaging the austerity which faces the county budget. He began his remarks by thanking his wife, family and supporters, giving special attention to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Rep. Gwen Moore (D – 4^th District), both of whom were in the audience.

“There is one constant – change,” said Abele, waxing oxymoronic. His keywords, he promised, would be to provide “sustainable, efficient services, to eliminate duplication in services and to partner with others.”

In a pointed comment toward the Walker administration, Abele said, “I don’t see the county board as a rival. I see (board members) as partners.”

“Partners” would not describe the role of board members under Walker, who in his eight years in office used the veto 204 times, or about 25 times a year. His vetoes were overridden all but 65 times, or more than two-thirds of the time.

Abele reminded the audience that “all of us are hurt when urban transit is cut,” (yet another jab at Walker) … “all of us have a friend with a lack of opportunity.” He added that his top priorities would be transit, jobs, mental health care and addressing the county’s structural deficit.

Immediately after giving his address, Abele went before the television cameras for his first interview as county executive. The topic of the day was the O’Donnell Park parking garage and Abele’s plan to veto the county board resolution approving expensive decorative panels. Abele prefers a simple, cheaper stucco surfacing for the building, calling it “the best alternative for the parking garage.”

While beginning a term of office by vetoing the actions of a board that he considers a partner may seem a risky move, Abele may be able to draw on a reservoir of goodwill for his honeymoon period in office.

A more momentous decision awaits him when it comes to approving the board’s decision to eliminate the district of Supervisor Joe Rice by merging it with the adjoining districts of Gerry Broderick and Theo Lipscomb. They were present along with colleague Marina Dimitrijevic, who hopes to become the next County Board Chair, and who worked on the redistricting deal with them.

“Before my time, the board size was also reduced,” she said, suggesting that the modest size reduction of just one county board seat, which would thereby eliminate one of her rivals, was part of the inevitable course of events.

Abele aide Brandon Lorenz said “it’s a fair question” to ask if Abele would veto the bill, saying only that “we will be studying the issue.” (Abele must complete his studies and make his decision by Thursday.)

Mayor Tom Barrett, who lost the election that Walker won for governor and who was an early backer of Abele, was asked to give his opinion. “This is a total sea change,” the mayor said, waxing nautical. “He wants to work to address people’s concerns, and to work with others.”

After the event, which was guarded by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s SWAT team, a number of participants made their way to the third floor offices of the county executive.  Abele’s name was already on the brass plaque next to his door, although the County Executive’s website still lists Marvin Pratt as its head, prompting Joe Klein, who ran in the first primary election against Walker and Riemer to say, “What does it take for Milwaukee County to put up a web page?” (It took Holloway weeks to get his picture up.)

Next to Abele’s office in the inner sanctum is that of his chief of staff George Aldrich, and beyond that is the office of E. Marie Broussard, who was brought in as Holloway’s and later Pratt’s deputy chief of staff. Broussard says she would like to keep her position with the administration.

Meanwhile, the county executive’s meeting room offered the lightest of repasts, just liquid refreshments and celebratory cake. With a little bit of effort, Julilly Kohler was able to locate a lethal knife from somewhere in the office and proceeded to slice the cake into little cubes. There was plenty remaining for leftovers at the Abele residence.

As the afternoon dwindled, there seemed to be a consensus among attendees on the third floor that part of the county’s problems had to do with the acrimony between a county executive intent on finding a role on the state (if not national) stage, and the many stakeholders in county government, including the county supervisors who work on the floor below. There seemed to be hope, if only for a day, that things might change for the better.

“Things were getting bad between the third floor and the second floor. There was no communication at all,” a second floor worker tersely noted, and then headed back to his office below.

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