On January 3^rd, I was sworn into Wisconsin’s State Assembly, representing District 13; which is composed of Elm Grove and Brookfield with portions of Wauwatosa and the Town of Brookfield.  In April 2022, the State’s Redistricting maps were accepted.  While I do not wish to discuss the perceived impact of redistricting on some of the 99 assembly districts, I want to point out that in the case of District 13, restructuring did an excellent job of following the traditional redistricting principles of compactness, contiguity, and preservation of community interests. District 13 is compact, continuous, and most importantly, it fairly represents a community, including those portions of Wauwatosa and the Town of Brookfield, which are populated by individuals arguably similar to their Brookfield and Elm Grove neighbors.

As I begin my role in the State Assembly, I have been assigned to five committees: Colleges and Universities, Local Government, Government Accountability and Oversight, Veterans and Military Affairs, and I’m Vice-Chair on Workforce Development and Economic Opportunities. My experience as an elected official and my work history at Marquette University and Waukesha County Technical College will be used in these Committee assignments. In future articles, I will discuss each of these committees.

Prior to being elected to the State Assembly, I have been serving as a Trustee for the Village of Elm Grove and a Supervisor for Waukesha County. Both positions are two-year terms, with Trustee ending at the end of April 2023 and Supervisor ending at the end of April 2024.

I envision that the time and energy to perform the duties of the State Assembly are too essential to attempt to perform all three elected positions at the same time. For this reason, I have informed the Village that I will not run for a 7th term when the Village Trustee term ends in just a few months. Additionally, I have tendered my resignation to Paul Decker, Chairman of the County Board, effective January 31^st, 2023. This gives the Chairman enough time to select an individual to serve the remaining year of that term.  

I intend on being in Madison on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and working in our District on Mondays and Fridays. I would welcome a visit from you if you come to Madison. I would also like to be available to you while I’m in the District.  I intend to work remotely at area coffee shops when I am not in Madison. Many of you know that I love to go for walks.  I’d welcome the opportunity to walk with you (weather permitting) through a park or your neighborhood while we discuss the issues that impact you. Please get in touch with my office to set up an appointment to meet in Madison, at a coffee shop in our community, or at a local park.

Thank You for the opportunity to continue to serve our community.

Thomas A. Michalski

Wisconsin State Assembly

District 13

For the letter found in its original release: February 2023 - (elmgrove.news)