HACM residents, Common Ground oppose Milwaukee mayor's board nominee

A new controversy again centers on the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), which the federal government deems "troubled."

Some tenants vs. mayor

What we know:

There is an ongoing feud between the nonprofit group Common Ground and Mayor Cavalier Johnson. The latest fight centers on the mayor's power to appoint board members to the Housing Authority.

Johnson has the power to fill the seven-person HACM Board of Commissioners.

Two of the spots are reserved for people living in HACM housing.

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Common Ground last year backed Jackie Burrell, who is president of the Westlawn Gardens resident organization. Then, the mayor appointed her to the board and the Common Council last year confirmed her.

What they're saying:

This year, the second resident spot came open, and the mayor appointed Ramona Ramos, who was not on the list of four Common Ground recommendations.

"Ramona is really, really a remarkable person. I have had the chance to meet with her and speak with her on a number of occasions. And as she works through this process, Common Council members will be delighted to meet her. She’s exactly the kind of person we need on this board," Johnson said. "She’s lived in housing authority properties for such a long time, she raised their children, their four sons. I think again, she’s going to be a remarkable, remarkable, remarkable addition to the housing authority."

Tenants, Common Ground sign letter

What we know:

More than 330 Common Ground members and tenants signed a letter urging the mayor to hold off on Ramos' appointment to the board.

The other side:

"She lives in a house. She's living in a neighborhood around other people. I'm living in a building where there's neighbors next door to me, just like living in the same room, you know, the same apartment building," said Vivian Jones, who lives in HACM’s Lapham Park. "So, she don't have that insight on what's going on in that building. She can only assume because she's not there. So I think it's important that somebody that live in this situation to be on that board so they can throw out their ideas on how to better the living arrangements."

Common Ground has been criticizing problems at HACM. The group recommended four possibilities for an open resident spot for the Housing Authority board. All four, including Jones, lived in HACM's large buildings for low-income seniors and people with disabilities.

"He hasn’t called me, he hasn’t written me, hasn’t e-mailed me. He hasn't done anything," Jones said. "I haven't heard from him."

The mayor didn’t pick from Common Ground's list and Ramos lives in a HACM house on a residential street.

"The process here stinks. The process where residents weren't consulted, Common Ground wasn't consulted, some other sources weren't consulted," said Common Ground of Southeastern Wisconsin organizer Kevin Solomon. "This has nothing to do with the nominees. We don't know them. We haven't talked to them. We have nothing to say about their qualifications. It has everything to do with the process."

Mayor responds

What they're saying:

"They did not acknowledge the fact that one of the people I appointed to the Housing Authority board actually did come off their list," Johnson said of Burrell. "When organizations like this reach out, they put this kind of pressure on. This is what has contributed to us not being able to find people who want to go on boards like this, when this sort of thing happens."

What's next:

Common Ground said they’ll show up to the mayor’s State of the City speech on Monday, March 3 at the Baird Center.

Ramos didn't respond to FOX6's call for comment. She will have to answer Common Council members questions before they vote on whether to confirm her.