Dane County Supervisor Faces Calls for Accountability After Apology

A private text message apology is not enough, says community leader Sabrina Madison

Apr. 6, 2026 at 7:49pm

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A dimly lit, empty government meeting room with a single chair and table, the warm sunlight casting long shadows and creating a sense of solitude and unease, conceptually representing the unresolved tensions in the political process.The quiet aftermath of a contentious government meeting highlights the need for true accountability and transparency in local politics.Dane Today

Sabrina Madison, a community leader in Dane County, Wisconsin, has called for public accountability from Dane County Supervisor Rick Rose after receiving a private text message apology from him. Madison says Rose's pattern of behavior in county meetings, which she describes as reflecting "misogynoir, power, position, and repeated behavior" towards Black women, requires a public response and not just a private apology.

Why it matters

This issue involves the potential allocation of $2.4 million in opioid settlement funding, resources that could have directly impacted communities in crisis. However, the process was clouded by concerns over a flawed RFP, misrepresented relationships, and questions about fairness and transparency, with one of the organizations at the center being Caya Clinic, where Supervisor Rose is employed.

The details

Madison says that when Black women - elected officials, subject matter experts, and community leaders - raise concerns about process, equity, and impact, those concerns deserve to be taken seriously the first time, not after repetition or validation by others. She argues that Rose's behavior towards her and other Black women, including Alders Field and Matthews, reflects a pattern of being interrupted, dismissed, questioned differently, and ultimately disregarded.

  • On the morning of April 6, 2026, the day before Election Day and with the next Health and Human Needs Committee - Opioid Settlement Subcommittee meeting only hours away, Madison received a text message apology from Dane County Supervisor Rick Rose.

The players

Sabrina Madison

A community leader in Dane County, Wisconsin who has called for public accountability from Dane County Supervisor Rick Rose.

Rick Rose

A Dane County Supervisor whose pattern of behavior towards Black women in county meetings, which Madison describes as reflecting "misogynoir, power, position, and repeated behavior", has come under scrutiny.

Alder Glenn

A Black woman whose experience and leadership in harm reduction was devalued, according to Madison.

Director Aurielle Smith

A Black woman whose experience and leadership in harm reduction was devalued, according to Madison.

Caya Clinic

An organization that was at the center of the opioid settlement funding process, where Supervisor Rose is employed.

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What they’re saying

“a private apology, sent quietly the day before voters head to the polls, is not accountability.”

— Sabrina Madison, Community Leader

“When Black women—elected officials, subject matter experts, and community leaders—raise concerns about process, equity, and impact, those concerns deserve to be taken seriously the first time. Not after repetition. Not after validation by others. Not after harm has already been done.”

— Sabrina Madison, Community Leader

What’s next

The full Board of Supervisors could remove Rose as chair of the opioid subcommittee to allow for trust to be rebuilt and for this work to move forward with integrity.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the need for true public accountability when issues of power, position, and repeated behavior towards marginalized groups occur in public institutions. Anything less than full accountability is unacceptable, and Black women should not have to fight to be heard in rooms where they have already earned their place.