Milwaukee's city attorney often operates in the background of some of the biggest issues facing the city.
In recent months, the office has handled legal questions for protests and security at the Republican National Convention, provided advice when it was revealed Milwaukee Public Schools had not completed necessary financial reporting, as well as when the Housing Authority was accused of mismanagement.
When Evan Goyke ran for city attorney in the spring, he told WUWM that his campaign goals were to return the office to world class status, hold negligent landlords accountable and help tackle reckless driving.
Six months later, Lake Effect’s Sam Woods checks in with Goyke about progress made on his campaign goals, and how his office works behind the scenes.
Goyke emphasizes the importance of fully staffing his office again. His predecessor, Tearman Spencer, was blamed for deteriorating workplace conditions leading to lawyers leaving the office in recent years.
Goyke also shares that measuring success on issues like housing and reckless driving cannot be done solely with numbers. "It isn’t a [case of] you file two lawsuits and feel good about yourself. It’s when the conditions are actually improved," Goyke says.
Goyke is the subject of a profile in October's issue of Milwaukee Magazine.
