The city of Madison spent about $1 million in response to the officer-involved killing of Corey Ruiz on July 22. Most of the cost covered police overtime ($602,238) related to the fatal shooting by Madison Police Officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson.
Less than two months later, on Sept. 8, the Madison City Council voted against providing $28,500 from the city’s contingent reserves to support the Office of the Independent Monitor — an office that holds Madison Police Department accountable — and $100,000 in funding relief to support the 30 Willy Street businesses financially struggling in the aftermath of the shooting.
Both voting decisions, it seems, were on principle alone. In the case of the small businesses within the footprint of the fatal shooting and subsequent memorial encampment, the prevailing argument against the $100,000 fund seemed to be that it’s not fair for the city to prop up a handful of sinking businesses in one district and not others on the other side of town…