Civics: Rule of Law Edition – City attorney: Madison Mayor Paul Soglin should have sought approval before removing Confederate monument
Two community members weren’t sure Soglin had the authority to order removal of the plaques unilaterally. David Wallner, chair of the Board of Park Commissioners, and Stuart Levitan, chair of the Landmarks Commission, separately contacted the city attorney questioning the legal authority of the move.
Because the entire cemetery is designated as a landmark, Levitan thought the removal of the plaque required a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Landmarks Commission. Wallner wanted to know whether Soglin could remove the monument without the approval of the Board of Park Commissioners, which manages the cemetery.
“This came up fairly quickly about a month ago, and for the sake of the commission members I wanted to know what our role and authority was,” Wallen said.
