March 4, 2026
Hello Friends!
For the past four years it has been my distinct honor and esteemed privilege to serve as one of two Alderpersons in District 8 for the City of Wauwatosa!
For the past four years I served in many capacities as an Alderperson for the City of Wauwatosa; Transportation Affairs Committee, Financial Affairs Committee, Alder Liaison to the Sustainability Committee, Alder Liaison for the Board of Public Works, Volunteer to the Civic Celebration Committee and Volunteer for Wauwatosa's very own two weekend event that of the Tosa Green Summit and what an incredible honor all of it has been to serve, truly and sincerely!
In the coming month of April, Wauwatosa will transition from a 8 districted city to a 12 districted city and with that comes a ratio change as well. Instead of having a 2:1 ratio for each district, we will now have a 1:1 ratio for each district, thus we will reduce our council from 16 total members to 12 members in total.
I did officially file my Notification of Noncandidacy for my current district 8, mostly because it was a procedural requirement.
I am proud to share that I did also submit all 40 nomination signatures for the new district 11, I am on the ballot for April 7, 2026 and I am running for re-election for district 11 and I am very excited!
On a more serious note and truly in full transparency I share the following. It is true that I have been very quiet on social media until now and there is good reason for this.
Not too long after I submitted my nomination signatures in early January, I ran into a little trouble with my spine, well, truth be told a very bad pinch in my mid back, excruciating pain. My life was a little upside down.
For you see, if you didn't already know, the majority of my spine is fused with Herrington Rods and subsequent hardware and this June 2026 will mark 34 years post operation. I was one of Dr. Bernard Huizenga's last surgeries before he retired a few years later.
In February of this year I had an emergency CT myelogram with contrast and the results were much, much better than I had anticipated!
The most important is that all of my hardware is still perfectly in place and for this I am extremely grateful!
The imaging revealed that I had a very bad nerve flare up which has been remedied with a new-to-me prescription of Meloxicam and a lidocaine and cortisone shot scheduled for next week, which I am greatly looking forward to! I will share that the Meloxicam has been an absolute game changer!
Why would I share all of this personal medical information with quite literally the world???
Well, because I believe in honesty and transparency.
And for a good part of February I did not think that I would make it to this point, but here I am! Excited as ever- mainly because my ability to walk and resume my regular every day life has greatly improved!
And as such I will be able to continue on my journey as serving in the capacity of a current seated Alderperson for district 8 while running for re-election for the new district 11.
I love Wauwatosa and I am very proud of all of the work that I have accomplished over the last four years! I have had the incredible honor of serving alongside some of thee brightest, most intelligent people with thee big hearts and open minds that also love Wauwatosa just as much as I do!
March is just getting started and we are very long ways from shore but as any good Captain knows, set your destination, chart your course, ready your vessel and your crew and set sail!
Because in the words of John A. Shedd, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for!", from his 1928 book, "Salt from My Attic".
I am looking forward to knocking on doors and seeing everyone!
Thank you for taking time to read my note and Happy March to everyone!
Sincerely,
Alderperson Melissa L. Dolan
Currently seated District 8
Running for re-election in the new District 11
414-704-5610
February 9th, 2022
Journal entry at
My kitchen table in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
I read something very very interesting to me,
and I am going to paraphrase it,
If find yourself having to "Build up the courage" to tell someone something, whether it's good or bad something,
than maybe that person isn't the right person to be talking to in the very first place.
That resonated with me, deeply, very deeply.
The people in your tribe, the people in your circle, the people closest to you, should be or are already the people that you should just feel free to "live and let live" with day in and day out.
When this whole "new year" started, running for aldersperson was NOT on my radar, finishing the basement, getting ready for spring, cleaning the garage, demolishing the kitchen only to rebuild it back up, better and brighter than before, pick up a few new piano students, start some sunflower and holly hock seeds in my basement with a growlight in egg crates. walk with Fenway more, train for The Lakefront Discovery Run 15k, so I can finish with a better time, spend time with friends and family, etc.
In the last several weeks I have taken inventory on my personal beliefs, what I stand for, who I am an ally for and with, and more,
What is racism? Am I a racist?
What does it truly mean to be an ally to people that are LGBTQ ?
What is tif, how do you feel that it should or shouldn't be used?
How many buildings can we build and how fast can we build them?
What buildings can be built and where?
How do I feel about masks and vaccinations, and should they be mandatory?
If a giant and unstoppable and mostly deadly meteor is headed for planet Earth, how do you as an alderperson plan on stopping it?
And if you fail to do so, where can we relocate and recivilize our populuation?
And will there be wifi there?
I mean, People, this is not just me throwing my hat into the ring to see what will happen, this is not just some little position that I running for, this is not me doing something extracurricular because I don't have anything else to do because I am a bored housewife with no children to speak of.
This is me however learning more about my city, the neighbors, the problems, the possible correlating solutions, and in the end myself- learning about myself, better understanding who I am in in order so that I can better help the citizens of Wauwatosa and help move Wauwatosa forward, together, move forward together.
Anyways, that's where my thoughts are on this lovely overcast, grey and somewhat warm Wednesday afternoon in Wauwatosa.
Coming to you live from my kitchen table with a cup of hot coffee, trying to answer emails, and work hard to cross the finish line!
Remember to love one another, <3
be kind to anyone that you meet
Let love rule <3
I am going to let Lenny play us out.
Respectfully Submitted,
Melissa L. Dolan
For reference, I do not own the rights to this video or song.