Conversations to continue on proposed Wildcat Pit operation
“Dane County can and should deny the conditional use permit to protect Dane County residents,” Mayor Luke Diaz said in a statement to the Press. “While I understand that the applicant, Southwest Investments LLC, would make a lot of money from this project, I don’t think that should take precedent.”
Verona tops county in construction
“We are fortunate to have wonderful businesses in Verona that are having a lot of success,” City of Verona Mayor Luke Diaz said in an email statement to the Press. “These numbers show how active and vibrant of a community Verona is. Our biggest challenge in Verona will be dealing with our community’s success. It’s critical that we continue to build community spaces to keep our sense of community even as we grow.”
‘Very frustrating’: Verona sues DNR over Badger Mill Creek trout habitat
If water levels drop, some habitat for brown trout in the river may no longer be accessible to fish. The harm to fish could then impact anglers and the broader community, according to Verona Mayor Luke Diaz.
“What’s at stake here is [an] amazing natural resource in the City of Verona,” Diaz said.
*A note from Luke: I think it’s pretty obvious that I care a lot about the environment and protecting the Badger Mill Creek. I’d rather not tangle with the DNR, but if that is what it takes, so be it.
Verona residents set to get new primary care facility through SSM Health
Verona Mayor Luke Diaz believes this will impact the city beyond healthcare.
“[It’s] a big and positive impact on the city. It’s no secret a big part of our employment base is Epic. Ultimately, everyone’s not going to work at Epic. Anytime we can add another employer, another job center, I think that’s a really positive benefit for the community,” says Diaz.
Housing shortage holds back Dane County cities, mayors say
Meanwhile, Verona Mayor Luke Diaz wants to help local workers do away with the commute altogether. “If you’re good enough to work in Verona, you’re good enough to live in Verona,” Diaz said. “We want to make sure that Verona is more accessible to people so you can be middle class and afford to live here.”
Guiding Verona forward: Mayor Diaz talks city progress in 2024, plans for 2025
The city saw several exciting community projects come to fruition this year. In partnership with Steve Brown Apartments, Century School Park was completed in July. This new park features an accessible playground, a solar-paneled bandshell, fire pits, and the city’s first outdoor chilled ice rink, set to open in December.
Can Dane County’s long push for regional transit get out of neutral? | Government | captimes.com
“If we did get an RTA, is it going to be because we want to efficiently move people around so they can get where they work and live and do recreational things and reduce congestion and make things better for everyone overall?” he said. “Or is it going to be so people can have a debate society?”
*Note from Luke: I’m here to get things done. If we ever get the opportunity to get a regional transit authority (RTA), we need to deliver results for people, not just sit around talking.
A message from Mayor Luke Diaz (2023)
The city’s financial condition remains strong due to sustained growth and responsible use of public money. Due to the city’s strong fiscal management, our bond rating improved this year from Aa2 to Aa1.
Candidate Q&As: City of Verona Mayor
Q: You are running for your fourth term as mayor. What accomplishments are you the proudest of from your first three terms?
A: “To maintain our sense of community even as we grow, it’s critical for the city to have spaces for people in the community to gather. As mayor, I’m proud of the new two-plus acre park on West Verona Avenue. I’m also proud of the support we’ve offered community groups, including supporting a second sheet of ice at the ice rink and the Art House 360. I’m also proud of the strong fiscal health of the city, our efforts around transparency, the progress we’ve made on sustainability (there’s more to do!) and building our trails for people who walk and bike.”
Council OKs TIF deal with Art House 360
Mayor Luke Diaz…“When this project is completed, it’s going to be a really wonderful piece of our community,” he said. “I think it’s going to bring people in, I think it’s going to serve people who don’t always get served by art, and ultimately, art should be for everyone. And it also has the bonus of being able to help local Verona businesses and the bonus of saving a historic building that was very important to our community.”
Community voices support for Art House 360
Mayor Luke Diaz…“The park is gonna be really great on its own, (an) art house will make it better.”
[Diaz] also is open to the city retaining ownership of the building so it can keep a historical status.
Latina medical spa owner makes history in Dane Co.
“I think it’s just great that we work really hard at the city level to be fair and open to businesses and to see it paying off when businesses locate here,” Verona Mayor Luke Diaz said. “It makes me feel really good.”
City bond rating raised
High rating demonstrates strong fiscal position of city, Mayor Diaz says
“The city was upgraded to Aa1 because its well managed financial operations will continue to support very strong reserve levels, which have improved in recent years,” a Moody’s press release states. “The city benefits from its position as a growing suburban community favorably located near Madison with strong resident income and per capita wealth metrics. Leverage and fixed-costs ratios are in line with peers. These strengths are balanced against its high taxpayer concentration.”
‘More jobs for the Verona and Dane County area’: Epic Systems is planning another expansion
Verona Mayor Luke Diaz said Epic’s continued growth shows the company’s strength in the market, and that health care organizations find its software valuable.
“They’re continuing to expand — I think that’s a good thing,” he said. “More jobs for the Verona and Dane County area is good overall, and I’m happy to see them succeeding.”
American Legion recognizes local Vietnam War veterans with picnic at Wisconsin Brewing Company
At this point, several Cooperstown Baseball Bats were presented to guests, including City of Verona Mayor Luke Diaz, City of Fitchburg Mayor Julia Arata-Fratta, Wisconsin Brewing Company president Paul Verdu and American Legion Post 385 along with its Auxiliary unit.
City Hall to fly progress pride flag for Pride Month
Following the approval of the new flag policy, the council voted to fly the progress pride flag at City Hall for Pride Month throughout June 2023. The request to fly the flag was written by Mayor Diaz.
Diaz said if the city is sending a message, it’s that they accept people for who they are – and supports flying the pride flag because he believes in freedom.
Diaz declares first Friday in June Gun Violence Awareness Day
Friday, June 2, 2023 will be known as Gun Violence Awareness Day in the City of Verona.
During a Monday, May 22 Common Council meeting, Mayor Luke Diaz read a proclamation to declare the first Friday in June as a day to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence, as well as declare that the country must do more to end the public health crisis.
Despite public outcry, Madison Sewer District decides to shut off flow to Badger Mill Creek
“I don’t think the DNR should approve the water quality amendment because of the harm it does to Badger Mill Creek,” Diaz says. “The statements from the fish biologist were clear about the shape the creek is in now.”
The cost of living
City of Verona Mayor Luke Diaz believes if people are good enough to work in Verona, they’re also good enough to live in Verona.
New Verona apartment complexes aim to fill housing demand
“My attitude has always been that if you’re good enough to work in Verona, you’re good enough to live in Verona,” Diaz said.
Dane Co., area cities set to purchase 40 acres to expand Ice Age Trail
“As the Verona area grows, it’s critical that we preserve valuable natural areas for current and future generations,” said City of Verona Mayor Luke Diaz. “I think that Verona residents are really going to enjoy this area, once it is prepared and open to the public.”
Notebook: TIF refund fix in state budget
Mayor Luke Diaz announced to the Common Council on Monday that Gov. Tony Evers’ state budget proposal has a provision that would allow the state to refund taxpayers for the more than $100 per average household that was overpaid because of a mistake made by the city’s assessor.
*Note from Luke: Sometimes leadership means going all out to fix mistakes even if they aren’t your fault. In my opinion, it should have been easier to have this mistake fixed, but it wasn’t. So we went to the state legislature and the governor and got it done. I had to call in some political favors, but it was worth it if it meant returning the money and fixing the mistake.
Sustainability policy covers infrastructure, vehicles, nature
Mayor Luke Diaz told the Press after Monday’s Common Council meeting, where it was adopted unanimously, he decided to introduce the policy and wrote most of it, with help from similar policies in neighboring cities that have adopted them in recent years, such as Fitchburg, Middleton and Monona.
In addition to his own interest in environmentalism, he said he had been hearing questions from constituents and alders about whether the city had such a policy.
“We are going to have to deal with climate change,” he told alders.
City teaming up with communities across Dane County to tackle climate change
Seeking to confront climate change “head-on” locally, Dane County announced last week a novel collaboration between officials throughout the county to work on ways to do that, including with Verona Mayor Luke Diaz.
In a news release Aug. 15, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway announced the “first of its kind collaboration” to bring together elected officials, administrators and staff who work on sustainability issues from nearly two dozen cities, villages, and towns in Dane County.
*Note from Luke: Dealing with climate change will require all of us working together.
Notebook: Woods plan passes despite concerns
“This is, of course, not what we would term affordable housing, but I think you could call it attainable housing. That is a kind of progress,” Diaz said.
*Note from Luke: Ultimately, people need places to live. Encouraging and allowing developers to provide housing at a variety of price points is good for our community.
Hundreds protest in Verona for racial justice
The March for Racial Justice event, which started and ended at Veteran’s Park, featured Black community members who spoke to share their experiences with racism and their thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement. Speakers included Tamera Stanley, Tamiya Smith, Debbie Biddle, Corey Saffold, Chad Kemp and Luke Diaz.
Verona aiming for no new debt in 2022 budget
Read my lips, no new debt.
That is the message city leaders have been giving the administration in recent years, and this year, it could become reality.
*Note from Luke: Fiscal discipline is so important for any municipality. Regardless of what any elected official is trying to do, there needs to be a strong fiscal base to make it happen.
Mayor represents city before state public utilities commission
*Note from Luke: This action let me speak before the PSC to advocate for clean renewable energy projects.
Verona residents have made the best of a difficult year
*Note from Luke: During the COVID shutdowns, we worked hard at the city level to support local businesses through the crisis while still keeping people safe.
Diaz said the city tried hard to take safety seriously, including upgrading air filtration in some buildings.
The city also helped area businesses with grants, he said, and it “felt good to be flexible” with some city ordinances, to provide businesses a better chance to weather the pandemic. For instance, Hop Haus Brewing Company and Toot and Kate’s Wine Bar were both permitted to have extra outdoor seating – in a parking lot, and along the sidewalk respectively.
Sow’s Ear beats out businesses from 87 downtowns statewide to win mini-makeover
*Note from Luke: I genuinely enjoy supporting small businesses in our community:
After reminiscing about bringing his young son to the shop to unwind, Mayor Luke Diaz said at the unveiling that businesses like The Sow’s Ear are both an economic driver and a community space, and “a part of what makes Verona, Verona.”
Mayor Luke Diaz has been a steady, thoughtful leader for our city of Verona in some unusual and difficult times. (Published on Feb 24, 2022 )
Epic Systems expanding workforce and imaginative campus, expected completion in 2024
Verona Mayor Luke Diaz says he agrees that the expansion should overall be good for the city. He also told News 3 Now will mean more conversations about where these new employees will live.
“It’s good to see a business expanding,” Diaz said. “I think there’ll be a reminder to the city to keep open to a lot of different kinds of housing options so we can support lots of different people living here.”
Diaz is best choice for Verona mayor — Denise and Paul Beckfield Mar 26, 2018
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals to receive $2.5 million in state funding
“I am thrilled to support this project and the jobs it’ll bring to Verona,” Verona Mayor Luke Diaz said on May 9. “Arrowhead is a technology leader. Dane County is clearly positioned as an important center of innovation.”
Expanding to end cancer: MilliporeSigma facility’s $65 million expansion is complete
*Note from Luke: I was happy to be able to support this project as it added good paying jobs to our area.
Council in brief: Common Council approves plat to create 10 condominium units located at Prairie Heights Drive
“I think this is a good project,” Verona Mayor Luke Diaz said during the July 11 meeting. “I think it provides a nice level of kind of gentle density and it’s a way to see that lot get used so I think it’s good.”
Here’s a letter to the editor I wrote: Letter: Support Verona schools referendum
Community hub to be developed at former Verona elementary school site
Verona Mayor Luke Diaz said the project would allow more people who work in Verona to have the chance to live there.
“Furthermore, the project will feature a fantastic two-acre-plus park, which will serve as an excellent community gathering space for all Verona residents,” Diaz said.
Celebrating groundbreaking on new hockey arena
City of Verona Mayor Luke Diaz addressed the crowd despite chilly temperatures and applauded the community for teamwork. The City and town of Verona have agreed to a 40-year lease for the land for the new rink.
“Some days mayor can be a lot of work and a difficult job,” Diaz said. “Some days are good. Why I work so hard at the job and why I put up with the bad days is because of good days like this. Being mayor has allowed me to support the community in things like this. It helps me achieve my goals to make Verona a little bit better place.”
More development on the way for Verona
Verona is in line for more development in the near future, with a goal of Mayor Luke Diaz to make single family homes in the city more affordable and less exclusive.
VASD hosts first ever Latinos United Leadership Summit
*Note from Luke: This is sort of a philosophical note, but it covers how I think of leadership:
After taking the stage, Diaz spoke about leadership and what it means to him. Originally from Oconomowoc, he said having the last name Diaz was enough to stand out as a “curiosity” while growing up.
However, as the “outsider,” he gained a valuable perspective that is useful for individuals in leadership positions.
“It shows that different people can have different perspectives, different people can have different values, people can contribute different things and still be a leader,” Diaz said.
Diaz told students there are many ways to serve as a leader and stressed the importance of being open to different opportunities. Additionally, he said people must have an innate belief in themselves.
And while leadership can be difficult, Diaz said it’s all learnable.
“There’s certain aspects of leadership that the only way you can learn them is by doing them,” he said. “You can train as much as you want, prepare as much as you want, but ultimately you just have to say, ‘This is important to me. I’m not 100% prepared – I’m gonna step up and do it anyway.’ And then you learn and get better.”
