Mayor Vetoes Water Negotiation Team Vote

Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima vetoed on Friday a decision made on a 12 to three vote by the Common Council to keep him from the water negotiation team as the city speaks with Milwaukee, Oak Creek and Racine.

““Make no mistake about the motivations involved,” Scrima said in his veto memo. “For Milwaukee, this game is more significant than water. It’s about politics.”

The council made it clear during Tuesday’s meeting that they did not want politics involved in the process and appointed Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak, City Administrator Lori Luther and Community Development Director Steve Crandell to the team.

However, unless Scrima can convince three council members to change their votes on their decision, the council has enough votes to override his veto. The Common Council needs 10 people to override a veto.

“The most important factor is that the team have a unified front supporting a Lake Michigan diversion,” City Administrator Lori Luther said.

Scrima is asking that the council also include himself, a city attorney, the council president and a representative from the Town of Waukesha. The Common Council already indicated it did not want elected officials, attorneys or the Town of Waukesha on the negotiation team.

Scrima has fought against the application but has not made any formal requests to pursue options that he would like to use instead of purchasing Great Lakes water.

During the Waukesha Water Commission discussion when recommendations for the water negotiation team were discussed, a few commissioners expressed concerns about the mayor being taken seriously given his continued stance that is in direct contrast to the Waukesha Common Council, which has made its decision to pursue Great Lakes water.