Committed to her constituents

by A. David Dahmer  Vic Bankston with Ida Wyman, one of the seniors that is very near and dear to her in District 14 Vic Bankston strives to be hands-on problem solver whenever she sees people in need. "You shouldn't have to wait on some legislator for months or years," Bankston says. "You can just take the information down, and say, 'I promise to make some phone calls for you and help you out. I don't need to wait to have a meeting next month. I'll go back and make these phone calls. I'll find a name and see who you need to talk to now. That's what I do." Bankston says that she's running for Dane County Board because she's passionate about ensuring that the community remains a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. Vic Bankston has seen Dane County grow and develop quite a bit over the last decade. "I am committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe, protecting beautiful natural resources, and holding the line on property taxes so that residents can afford to stay in their homes," she says. She's gotten a big endorsement from Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. "Vic listens well and does her homework before making important decisions," Falk says. "She has been a terrific leader on the Equal Opportunity Commission and would be a terrific county board member. These are the reasons I encouraged her to run for the county board." Falk approved Bankston as a member of the Dane County Equal Opportunity Commission, which has been beneficial for Bankston. A number of projects that she looks at through her participation in the Dane County EEOC fit right in with things that the Dane County Board of Supervisors is in charge of taking a look at. "That has really kept me tied to that district, because you're constantly out looking at the small things and the big things," Bankston says of her membership in the EEOC. “You can't just look at the immediate surroundings; you have to look at what's going on in the rest of the community."  Jail overcrowding is a big issue for Bankston. Although it isn't a topic that is specifically germane to District 14, it is a problem in the county, where a great deal of money is being spent. As a member of the EEOC, Bankston says, she's been working on criminal justice issues. "An audit came back, and it was discovered that there was a lot of [jail] overcrowding and a number of issues related to that overcrowding," Bankston says. "It's one of the areas where a lot of money has been spent in the county. The money we spend is huge. We have to start finding solutions." And although her District 14 is comparatively safe compared to many other districts in Madison, Bankston says they are at the point where they probably need another police patrolman in the area. "It doesn't have to be all day long, but we can really use a little more patrolling in this area, to keep it as safe as it has been," she says. Bankston has been busy going door-to-door in District 14, which runs from Verona Road to Highway M on the north side of Highway PD, finding out what people like and don't like and what they want and how she can help them get what they want.  "The area has seen tremendous growth," she says, "even in the last nine years. When I moved there, it used to be nothing but farmland, and there are now all of these houses and condos there." "When I look at my walk sheet and the number of people who have voted within the last three years .... when the last election occurred, some of these houses didn't exist. It's been interesting when I'm out and about," she adds. It's not unusual for Bankston to walk six miles in her district to meet new people. "Doing walks and going door- to-door has been a lot of fun, because I've had the opportunity to meet people of all ages," she says. "And some of the prize individuals that I meet have been seniors." Senior citizens are very near and dear to Bankston's heart, whether they are worried about staying in their homes and maintaining their independence or talking about crime, taxes, schools, or other topics. "When it comes to seniors, they can have a lot of my time on a personal level," Bankston says. "I've had 25 years of hands-on assistance with seniors, physically helping them, from my parents to grandparents to members of church. It's just something that I've done all of my life." The biggest issue she sees as she knocks on doors, from old and young alike, is — surprise! — taxes. "But for people who are senior citizens, it's an especially big deal," she says.  “Property taxes are going up every year. ‘We don't mind paying a little bit more for taxes, but let us know what we're really getting for it,' they'll say. 'Where's the money going?'" Raised in Louisville, Ky., Bankston taught high school English in the Jefferson County Public School System. Her master's degree was in special education, and she also taught at the Kentucky School for the Blind. "I taught English in an adult education program and worked with a few visually impaired students as well. My public service included Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. [DST]. The main focus was on scholarship, voter registration, and education. I served as recording secretary. I also taught Sunday school." She has also lived briefly in Boston, Chicago, and California. In each of the cities she has lived in, she has been an active participant in churches. "I have continued throughout the years to play an active role at Quinn Chapel A.M.E. church in Louisville, Kentucky, where I grew up," she says. After moving to Madison in 1998, she became an original member of the Woodbury Village Condominium Association board, where she held the positions of recording secretary and vice president until she began running for the Dane County Board of Supervisors. She's also a member of the board of directors of the Madison Development Corp. and a member of Madison Alumnae Chapter of DST. She was the historian until the last election. She has participated in voter registration and education, talking to people near Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Madison's south side. She also assists seniors  who need transportation and other services. Bankston is also treasurer of the Madison Alumnae Chapter of DST, which empowers young students through college scholarships, and an active member of Mount Zion Baptist Church. "I've always been involved in public service," Bankston says. "Ever since high school ... it's something I really enjoy." Bankston has been in Madison for a decade, and this month she is also celebrating her 10th anniversary in District 14. "The drawing card for Madison was that I could rollerblade and I can ski, I could ride my bicycle, and I could walk on trails," Bankston says. "And I really love to kayak." That leads her to another issue very dear to her: "I'm a kayaker, and it's been very difficult the last few years because of all the algae," she says. "It's a real issue. It's something I'm very concerned about, because it's gradually gotten much worse over the last three years. It's something that I continue to talk about. It's an area in the county where we are spending money." Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is a hot election topic. The proposed RTA has people concerned; they don't want their taxes to go up. "We're so early in the stages ... there's so much research to be done yet," Bankston says. "We'd like your taxes not to go up. We need to make sure that, if a rail system goes in, that our other services aren't degraded." Bankston says her commitment to her constituents can't be beat, and she contends that she has a fantastic record for attending meetings and getting things done. "If I miss a meeting, it has to be because of a death," Bankston says. "I'm not going to miss one because I'm not feeling well. I'm very dedicated ... and I've been that way all of my life. If I assume a position, I'm going to be there."