Highlights
The mayor’s bailout of Madison Ice, Inc. was not evaluated using the city’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative (RESJI).
Evidence shows that Madison’s ice arenas primarily serve white users, many of whom are affluent and do not live in Madison.
Nearly half of Madison’s public school students are economically disadvantaged and more than 60% are nonwhite.
Youth sports are proven pathways to improved health, mental well-being, and academic success, but access is often determined by race and income.
Public funds should prioritize programs that provide the greatest social return and align with Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative.

The City of Madison prides itself on its Racial Equity & Social Justice Initiative (RESJI), a commitment to ensuring equity in all its decisions and policies. However, the mayor's proposal to forgive $1.6 million in debt owed by Madison Ice, Inc., plus accrued interest, and sell two city-owned ice arenas for $1 each raises serious questions about whether this commitment is being upheld.
RESJI: A Commitment Unfulfilled
The City of Madison’s Racial Equity & Social Justice Initiative (RESJI) was established to ensure that equity and social justice guide all city decisions. As stated in the RESJI Strategy Guide, “The mission of the City of Madison Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative (RESJI) is to establish racial equity and social justice as core principles in all decisions, policies and functions of the City of Madison.”
The initiative emphasizes that “equity ensures that everyone has the resources to succeed, calling for just distribution of resources to achieve shared power and community involvement.” Yet, the mayor’s proposal to bailout Madison Ice, Inc. bypassed a Racial Equity Analysis, raising concerns about whether this decision aligns with RESJI’s mission. Without evaluating the proposal’s impact on marginalized communities, the city risks perpetuating systemic inequities rather than addressing them.
As Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has stated on her website, “I promised to work to weave racial equity into everything the city does. I'm proud of the work we've done, but there is still more to do.” This statement underscores the need for every policy decision, including the one regarding Madison Ice, Inc., to be carefully evaluated through the lens of equity to ensure it upholds the city’s commitments.
What the Proposal Overlooks
The mayor’s plan would forgive significant public debt and transfer the city’s ice arenas to a private entity, but its beneficiaries appear to be predominantly white, affluent, and non-Madison residents, which diverges sharply from the city’s demographics.
When contacted, Laura Franzen-Elmer, president-elect of Madison Ice, Inc., confirmed that the organization does not collect socio-demographic data on its users. Without this data, it is impossible to measure whether the arenas serve a diverse population or whether this proposal would exacerbate existing disparities.
Additional Evidence of Who Uses the Arenas
While Madison Ice, Inc. does not collect socio-demographic data on its users, observations based on publicly available photos and national research on youth hockey players—a major segment of arena users—highlight the contrast between typical arena users and the socio-demographics of Madison’s youth
Photographic evidence suggests that a majority of participants are white. While this observation is not based on demographic surveys of userss, photos of groups using the arenas—available on Madison Ice, Inc.’s website—show that over 90% of participants appear to be white. Photo Link 1 | Photo Link 2.
Hockey, a primary activity at Madison's ice arenas, provides insight into access barriers, though data on other user groups is unavailable. The Aspen Institute’s 2019 State of Play report identifies hockey as one of the most expensive youth sports, with an average annual cost of $2,583 per child. Similarly, research from the National Sporting Goods Association highlights cost as a key barrier to sports participation, particularly in hockey. Families with children who play hockey have median household incomes 61% higher than the national median for all households.
Meanwhile, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 60.7% of students in the Madison Metropolitan School District are nonwhite, and 47% are economically disadvantaged. The striking contrast between the arena users and the city’s youth population underscores concerns about inequities in who benefits most from the proposed subsidy.
Where the Users Live: A Regional Issue
The proposed subsidy also raises questions about where arena users live and alignment with city policy. Of the board members of Madison Ice, Inc. and East Madison Ice Collective, and donors to the Hartmeyer capital campaign, only 25% reside in Madison. This suggests that many of the arenas’ users live outside the city limits.
City of Madison policy embodied in the Comprehensive Plan states that the city should “pursue regional solutions to regional issues.” Subsidizing facilities that largely benefit non-Madison residents without requiring regional support shifts the financial burden onto city taxpayers, potentially neglecting opportunities for shared solutions.
Why Equity in Sports Access Matters
Youth sports are a proven pathway to better health, improved mental well-being, and academic success. Yet, access to these opportunities is often determined by race and income. In Madison, barriers to participation disproportionately affect minority and low-income children—precisely the groups RESJI aims to support.
Madison Ice, Inc. argues that the proposal ensures continuity of services. However, this comes at the expense of investments that would expand access to youth sports for all. Public funds should prioritize programs with the greatest potential to address disparities, such as subsidized league fees, scholarships, and multi-sport complexes designed to serve economically disadvantaged communities.
The Opportunity Cost of Inaction
The RESJI underscores that data-informed decision-making is critical to identifying needs and allocating resources equitably. By failing to conduct a Racial Equity Analysis, the city risks perpetuating systemic biases and prioritizing those who already have access over those who do not.
As the RESJI Strategy Guide reminds us, “To challenge institutional racism, we have to look beyond individual acts of prejudice to the systemic biases built into our institutions.”
A Call for Action for Racial Equity and Social Justice
The City Council must demand better. This means rejecting the current proposal and making investments in youth sports that reflect Madison’s values of equity and justice. Madison’s RESJI isn’t just a set of principles on paper; it’s a call to action. As residents, we must hold the elected officials accountable to their promises. Every city decision, including this one, must be evaluated through an equity lens.
How You Can Help
The City Council will consider this resolution at their meeting tonight. If you have concerns about this proposal, you are encouraged to:
Write all alders at allalders@cityofmadison.com.
Register to speak at the council meeting tonight. Information can be found in this link.
Together, we can ensure that public resources are used to build a more inclusive and equitable Madison.
If you enjoy this content, please like and share. For questions and media inquiries, email asaloutos@tds.net or call (608) 345-9009.
© Alex Saloutos 2025.
With all due respect this is so disingenuous. Using racial justice as a stalking horse for financial greed of white developers and real estate interests who are soley focused on gaining control of the properties for profit is beyond objectionable in its cynical motivation. If developers are so interested in minority acces to these rinks why don't they start by sponsoring teams and skating lessons for marginalized kids?