Milwaukee Ald. Tony Zielinski was ousted from Licenses Committee chairmanship

Milwaukee Ald. Tony Zielinski has been ousted from his longtime spot as chairman of the city's Licenses Committee.

Zielinski said he was pushed out for political reasons.

But Council President Ashanti Hamilton said that's not the case.

"I have had to make a lot of tough decisions in this position, and the work and responsibilities of this council is first and foremost in my mind," Hamilton said. "Any committee decisions were made with those things first and foremost in my consideration."

Zielinski said the move was about politics, not job performance. He had led the committee for six years.

"This is not the first time he has removed a committee chair for political reasons," Zielinski said in a text. "I am proud of my service."

Zielinski has announced he will challenge Mayor Tom Barrett in 2020.

In October, Hamilton removed Ald. Michael Murphy from his spot as chairman of the Common Council's Judiciary and Legislation Committee, which acts on legal claims against the city and other matters.

Murphy, who was removed from his leadership post shortly after he repeatedly questioned how the city was spending federal grant money, said at the time that his removal was politically motivated. 

The Licenses Committee reviews license and permit applications, including those for alcohol beverage-related businesses, home improvement companies and rooming houses.

The committee will now by led by Ald. Nik Kovac.