Davy Mayer for District 6 Alder

08/05/2026

Lotus Company proposes to redevelop the Essen Haus / Come Back In site to build 202 units of affordable housing. The form factor will largely follow what was previously approved for this site, but replaces a hotel with apartments.

08/04/2026

https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/district6/blog/2026-08-04/08-04-26-willy-baldwin-protest-area-cleared

Early this morning, the intersection of W***y and Baldwin Streets was cleared. Please see below for a summary sent to alders. Alders (including me) were not notified in advance of this action.

Statement to Alders from the Mayor's Office:

Early this morning, City staff cleared and opened the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin. The work was led by non-law enforcement staff from multiple City agencies. City departments were able to clear the barricades, preserve personal property and memorial materials, and to prepare to open the street up to normal traffic. All personal property and memorial materials were packed and are available for pick-up at Demetral Field. The 50 or so unsheltered individuals who were on site were given the option to stay in hotels and were offered transportation there; nearly 30 of them took advantage of this option.

Unfortunately, as City staff cleared the area, rocks and other items were thrown at City employees and two fires were set; as a result, law enforcement was called in to stabilize the scene, and a small number of individuals were arrested. All officers involved were in regular uniforms, and no large-scale crowd control measures were deployed. Again, multiple efforts and calls to end the occupation peacefully were made but ultimately ignored.

This effort was done with as much compassion as possible under less-than-ideal circumstances. The decision to invoke this option was not made lightly and was only made after almost two weeks of trying to resolve the situation peacefully, and voluntarily, with the people occupying the site – efforts that many of you were directly or indirectly involved in.

We were not able to provide a timeline in advance for this action, as this would have compromised the unprecedented amount of planning it took to avoid having law enforcement lead this action. There have been many negative impacts on the Marquette Neighborhood, but we learned from 2020 is that when police are being protested, having the department at the frontlines produces even more negative outcomes. Setting a deadline or timeline for this action would have made keeping law enforcement away impossible.

The death of Corey Ruiz was another tragic wake up call for Madison. Even one community member killed during interactions with the police is too many. There is more work to be done at the City level to prevent this from happening again - work to build on the success of our CARES program in diverting calls away from police, work on police policy and training, and more. We need reform at the state level as well. There are many hard conversations to come and we will all have to work together to have them with the community.

Early this morning, the intersection of W***y and Baldwin Streets was cleared. Please see below for a summary sent to alders. Alders (including me) were not notified in advance of this action.

08/02/2026

https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/district6/blog/2026-08-02/08-02-26-joint-statement-from-madison-district-6-alder-davy-mayer

Since the police killing of Corey Ruiz on July 22nd, we have been at Williamson and Baldwin every day. First, to express our intense anger at yet another officer-involved killing in our neighborhood. Next to mourn with the community in our collective grief and deeply examine the societal and structural issues that brought us to this place. Then to reach out to neighbors and community leaders, help keep people safe, and work to meet the needs of neighbors, activists and businesses on the ground.

We collaborated on reopening vital service providers like St. Vinny's, which serves one in five of our neighbors with essential services like free diapers and helping keep utilities on. We also assisted with move-out street access for neighbors whose leases had ended and move-in for new neighbors, navigating the barricades, checkpoints and vehicles along the site.

We are still actively working to de-escalate increasing friction between neighbors and protesters, identifying and addressing serious public health and safety concerns.

In recent days, we have seen an increasingly tense atmosphere, with outside agitators arriving on-site claiming to be armed and trying to provoke protestors. We have also seen predators arrive who intend to take advantage of vulnerable individuals present.

The situation is becoming untenable and we are concerned that the delicate peace maintained for so long by the activists, organizers and neighbors nearby could fracture. Our community has already seen enough pain and tragedy and we cannot endure any more.

We absolutely support sustained protest and demonstration, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the 24/7 occupation at Williamson and Baldwin Streets is unsustainable. We are calling for a peaceful, community-driven solution where the barricades come down, services are provided including housing to those in need on-site, and people to voluntarily disperse from this specific location.

We are further calling for a permanent memorial at the site for all victims of officer-involved killings in our neighborhood, through a community-driven, grassroots project, with the city providing full support for what is needed.

It is our top priority to work on enduring systemic change starting at the neighborhood, city and county levels, such as support for the City of Madison's Office of the Independent Monitor and Police Civilian Oversight Board, as well as city and county support for effective homelessness services that put people in housing and uplift them from poverty.

We will also push for changes at the state and federal levels, as we clearly need progress across all of these institutions. That work will be vital as we must uproot the systems and processes that allow for and often facilitate injustice.

We will continue to engage with our neighbors, community organizers and leaders and elected officials to work toward a peaceful, collaborative solution.

-- Madison District 6 Alder Davy Mayer and Dane County Board District 6 Supervisor Yogesh Chawla

Since the police killing of Corey Ruiz on July 22nd, we have been at Williamson and Baldwin every day. First, to express our intense anger at yet another officer-involved killing in our neighborhood. Next to mourn with the community in our collective grief and deeply examine the societal and structu...

07/31/2026

https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/district6/blog/2026-07-31/07-31-26-update-on-willy-baldwin-protest-area

At 8am this morning, Yogesh Chawla - Dane County Board District 6 and I were onsite as St. Vinnie's regained access to their parking lot / loading dock and unloaded their first truck in a week. At 10am, they reopened to the public.

A dozen or so people are moving out of the apartment building at 320 S Baldwin St today and have clear street access. New neighbors are moving in tomorrow and should have the same.

With the forecast showing steady rain over the next couple of days, we are trying to get hotel vouchers for the unhoused folks on site to get shelter and move out of the street where tents and sleeping bags would be inundated by rain runoff.

This is a developing situation -- things are changing by the hour. My goal remains a peaceful resolution for activists and neighbors alike, along with continued work with the community on a memorial honoring all those who have lost their lives to police violence.

I am also trying to put together a relief fund for employers in the area who have been closed for the last week or have been otherwise affected. On Wednesday night I met with the Williamson-Atwood Business Alliance (WMBA) and around 60 employers from the area. They shared how foot traffic has suffered over the past week, looked for ways to collaborate and help each other, and asked how the city might be of assistance. I encourage you to patronize the businesses of W***y Street and support our community.

This past week has been difficult for everyone. Amid the pain and anger, I've also seen real solidarity, people showing up for one another, and communities coming together. I hope we hold onto that as we do the harder, longer work of fixing the systems that allow injustice to continue.

At 8am this morning, County Supervisor Yogesh Chawla and I were onsite as St. Vinnie's regained access to their parking lot / loading dock and unloaded their first truck in a week. At 10am, they reopened to the public.

07/28/2026

We also continue to hear from residents in the Marquette neighborhood about the traumatic impact of another life lost, the desire for actionable and sustainable ways of remembering Corey Ruiz, and a way forward.

07/28/2026

https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/district6/blog/2026-07-28/special-trash-pick-up-thursday-near-willy-and-baldwin-protest

99% of trash and recycling containers are no longer part of the barricades. I have spoken with protest organizers and you can go retrieve your carts.

07/27/2026

https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/district6/blog/2026-07-26/update-on-the-police-killing-of-corey-ruiz-and-the-protest-area

I have received over a hundred direct messages from neighbors over the last few days unanimously expressing a desire for justice. But there have also been many with concerns over the protest area on W***y and Baldwin.

07/24/2026

During an attempted arrest on Wednesday, July 22, an MPD officer shot and killed Corey Ruiz in the intersection of W***y and S Baldwin Streets.

I spent the afternoon and evening on location to listen to and support neighbors and people from across the city who descended on the location to express their reactions, emotions, sadness and anger.

I have been in continued contact with neighborhood leaders, Common Council leadership, the Mayor's office and MPD. My most urgent priority is providing a safe space for continued gathering and protest in District 6.

My very next priority is ensuring a thorough, transparent and independent investigation of circumstances leading up to and resulting in the police-shooting death of Corey Ruiz. Primarily that will be by supporting the Office of the Independent Monitor's investigation. As required by state law, the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation will also pursue a complete inquiry.

There will be a vigil tonight at 5pm at the Social Justice Center, 1202 Williamson St. I hope to see you there.

As always, you can reach me at [email protected].

During an attempted arrest on Wednesday, July 22, an MPD officer shot and killed Corey Ruiz in the intersection of W***y and S Baldwin Streets.

07/22/2026

I am aware of an incident of an officer-involved shooting on Williamson and Baldwin Street earlier this afternoon. I am on the scene and I am in touch with City of Madison officials, the police and the OIM and will provide more details as they become available. My priority is to make sure the community remains safe and that the public receives full details about what happened as soon as possible.

I am aware of an incident of an officer-involved shooting on Williamson and Baldwin Street earlier this afternoon. I am in touch with City of Madison officials and the police, and will provide more details as they become available. My priority is to make sure the community remains safe and that the....

04/22/2026

I was honored times infinity yesterday to be sworn in for a full two-year term as Alder of District 6. And a big welcome to Common Council leadership for Sabrina Madison, elected as council President and Re-Elect Carmella Glenn for District 18 elected as council Vice-President. I’ve gotten to know these two amazing women better over the last year and am truly looking forward to the next year under their leadership!