Meet Ranae
Ranae Bartlett was elected to the City Council in 2020 where she has served as Council President, Finance Chair, and currently Council President Pro Tempore. Prior to being elected to the City Council, she served almost ten years on the Madison Board of Education. Bartlett has dedicated her life to public service in the Madison community.
In 2003, Bartlett’s family moved to Madison from northwest Arkansas, where she worked as a Director of Risk Analysis and Security Resources and Assistant General Counsel for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Bartlett earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law. In 2013 Bartlett founded the Madison City Chess League, laying the groundwork for chess education in our schools and producing state and national chess champions from Madison.
Ranae and husband Todd Guthrie have been married 31 years and have one son — Michael Bartlett Guthrie, who will graduate from the University of Alabama this spring.
“I plan to bring new energy to our city government and shape our community’s future. People move to Madison because of its outstanding school system and small-town atmosphere. Madison is a special place to live, raise a family, and stay once the kids are grown.
- Ranae Barlett
Ranae's Vision for Madison
Roads and Infrastructure
Madison residents want to see improvements to traffic, maintenance of roads, and creation of sidewalks to help move people effectively. The ability to maintain infrastructure requires our city to balance the desire for growth with our ability to pay for city services, infrastructure, and education. City leaders must be disciplined enough to analyze the numbers and do the math. And we need to be prepared to take care of what we have within the city limits before continuing to annex more property. Residential growth by itself does not generate sufficient revenue to pay for the increased cost of city services and infrastructure.
Strong Schools for a Strong Community
The Madison City School System is the gem of North Alabama. Our community’s investment in a high-quality public education system has paid dividends in the form of increased property values, scholarships for our students, and family-friendly neighborhoods. In Madison, it doesn’t matter where your child is zoned to attend school because every school is an outstanding school. Maintaining strong schools requires constant attention and support and cannot be taken for granted. Any plan for growing the City has to take into account the impact on our top-performing school system.
Quality of Life/Fiscal Responsibility
Fiscal responsibility and the debt load the city is carrying is among the top concerns of residents. At the same time, residents want to see recreational opportunities improve and green spaces expand, and they appreciate that Madison is a safe place to live and raise a family. It’s important for Madison to live within its means, and with comprehensive planning Madison can stay on track for success.