Ald. Yanette Figueroa Cole (District 10) filed the resolution at the close of Tuesday's Common Council meeting. The measure would amend city ordinances to suspend the board, which has been at the center of a contentious fight with city officials over who has the power to hire and fire the independent police monitor.

The conflict reached a breaking point last month when alders voted to terminate interim Independent Police Monitor Aeiramique "Meeka" Glass. City Attorney Michael Haas' office said Glass had violated city rules. The debate over her removal hinged in part on whether the council even had the authority to fire her under city ordinances. Board members argued that only they could vote to remove the monitor, while Haas and some alders disputed that interpretation and ultimately removed Glass.

As part of the resolution to remove Glass, alders appointed the Common Council's chief of staff to oversee the Office of the Independent Monitor until a permanent monitor could be hired. But on Monday, the oversight board appeared to circumvent that arrangement by appointing a new interim monitor.

Haas said the appointment must be approved by the city's human resources director before the new monitor can begin work, and that approval has not been granted.

The council is scheduled to discuss the suspension resolution at its next meeting on Nov. 24.

The dispute raises broader questions about the independence of Madison's civilian oversight structure, which was created to provide community input and accountability in policing. Supporters of the board argue that suspending it would undermine public trust and silence residents' voices in police matters. Critics of the board's recent actions say it overstepped its legal authority and created confusion over who supervises the monitor's office.

The resolution's introduction signals that the fight over police accountability in Madison is far from over, with the future of the oversight board now in the hands of the full Common Council.