Hines signs his final resolutions after a surprise announcement Friday that he is resigning his post effective Saturday to take a job as an associate director with the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. Credit: Gary Porter

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In an announcement that surprised City Hall and his colleagues, Common Council President Willie Hines said Friday he will resign from the council effective Saturday to take a job as an associate director with Milwaukee's Housing Authority.

Hines, 49, has been council president since 2004 and an alderman since 1996. He is a close ally of Mayor Tom Barrett and has been mentioned frequently as a possible mayoral candidate.

Hines is chairman of the Housing Authority board but will step down from that position. He has been on the housing authority board since 1996 and chair since 1997.

"It has been an honor and privilege to serve the residents of the 15th District and all of the City of Milwaukee for the last 18 years," Hines said. "We have so much to be proud of and thankful for. After 10 years in the president's chair, the time has come for a new challenge, and to let the next council member continue the work for the district."

At its Feb. 11 regular meeting, the Common Council will elect a new president. A special election also will be held to fill his vacant council seat.

As Common Council president, Hines was paid $82,749.16. At the Housing Authority, he will be paid $120,000. Hines is not eligible to draw a city pension until he reaches 60 years of age. Based on service and pay, his maximum benefit is estimated at $37,000 a year.

In an interview, Hines said several months ago he began to size up his career. "I wanted to re-evaluate where I was," he said.

At about the same time, Tony Perez, the housing authority's executive director, mentioned a possible opening to Hines. "He brought it up to my attention. He didn't know I was looking," he said. "I've always been involved in public housing."

In October, he met with Barrett.

"It was clear to me how passionate he was about the Housing Authority," Barrett said. "I knew it was something he took seriously. He was at a personal crossroads and he had to make a choice."

"I thought the timing was right," Hines said. "This is a way to give back to the community."

At the Housing Authority, Hines will oversee management of housing operations and the Section 8 Rent Assistance Program, which together provide affordable housing options to more than 11,000 families.

The Rev. Willie Brisco, president of Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope, said he was "absolutely shocked" by Hines' announcement, adding: "Nobody saw this coming."

Last year, MICAH called for increased monitoring and oversight of the Housing Authority's minority contracting and hiring of low-wage workers. A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Review found that the housing authority did not comply with federal regulations on hiring low-income workers on the $82 million Westlawn revitalization project.

As president of the council, Hines preferred to work quietly and behind the scenes on important city issues, including police-community relations, economic development and the city's ongoing struggles with foreclosures.

That same quiet presence, however, also earned him criticism that he did not speak out forcefully enough.

Asked about that, Hines said: "It's easy to be vocal and be a bully. But your strength is in your passion and the ability to listen and work with people.

"I demonstrated that steadiness, which allowed me to work with people across the board."

Barrett agreed. "When we disagreed, we never made it personal," the mayor said. "We took an adult approach to government."

Barrett said Hines' seriousness and determination were his hallmarks.

"He never sought headlines. He was concerned with getting things done," he said.

Hines was especially mindful of the relationship his predominantly African-American district had with the Police Department. In one incident in September 2011, in which video showed a police officer punching a handcuffed suspect in the face, Hines said the action was appalling.

Hines also condemned illegal strip-searches by police officers and felt strongly that African-American businesses, especially bars and restaurants, were not being treated fairly compared with white-run businesses when it came to licensing and Department of Neighborhood Services issues.

In the 2004 Frank Jude beating case, in which a group of off-duty Milwaukee police officers beat Jude outside a Bay View house party, Hines said the officers' "code of silence" had done "irreparable damage — especially in the African-American community — to the fragile relationship that exists between residents and the MPD."

Like many of his fellow aldermen, Hines felt strongly that the Legislature did not understand or appreciate the struggles the city was facing, including a high unemployment rate among African-Americans, a deteriorating manufacturing base, crime in distressed neighborhoods and the current legal battle over a new state law that ended the city's residency rule for public-sector employees.

A lifelong resident of Milwaukee who said he grew up playing on the asphalt of public housing projects, Hines was an economic development specialist at the Milwaukee Urban League. Before joining the League, he worked for former congressman Jim Moody as a business liaison representative. Hines also formerly worked for Pepsi and Ford Motor Credit.

Hines was well known in his district, not just because of his longevity as alderman, but because he grew up with many of his constituents. It was not uncommon for Hines to show up at a news conference in the city and greet neighbors by name, asking about their children and what was happening on their street.

Hines graduated from Marquette University in 1988 with a bachelor of arts degree. He is a graduate of Rufus King High School.

His wife, Janel, is director of grant programs for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. The couple have a daughter and a son.

Hines' departure as Common Council president will likely set off a flurry of jockeying to take his place.

Shortly after Hines' announcement, Common Council members Michael Murphy, Ashanti Hamilton and Tony Zielinski said they would seek the council presidency. Ald. Bob Bauman, who could not be reached for comment, also was mentioned as a possible candidate.