As part of her job at a progressive UW-Madison think tank, Rhodes-Conway works with mayors across the country to improve cities.

Soglin counters that studying creative urban policy isn’t the same as implementing it. Soglin, 73, was key to getting Monona Terrace built and reviving Downtown. More recently, he responded to a troubling increase in fatal shootings by creating a peer-support team to stem violence. The approach appears to be helping.

Rhodes-Conway, 47, credits Soglin for his long tenure. So should the rest of the city. He has devoted most of his adult life to trying to improve Madison, and his gruff personality sometimes helps get things done.

But it also takes a toll. Soglin’s relationships with the Dane County executive and City Council are strained. While we appreciate his attention to public safety — including keeping police officers in Madison’s high schools — we’re worried his take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward the school district could sink the contract that allows the cops to stay.