Mayor

Julia Arata-Fratta was elected Mayor of Fitchburg in April 2023. With over 20 years of experience as a business and accounting professional, she is recognized for her expertise in accounting, consulting, tax preparation, and advising nonprofit organizations and commercial companies. Julia is a senior manager at the Accounting Solutions Group at Wegner CPAs. Before becoming Mayor, she represented Fitchburg as an alderwoman for eight years. During that time, she held leadership positions on several committees and served as President of the Common Council in 2020. Julia is a proven, reliable, and community-focused leader known for her dedication to servant leadership. She is also highly active within the Latino community in Dane County.

Julia envisions Fitchburg as an equitable and inclusive city where all residents are connected to a prosperous and safe community. She aims to create a Fitchburg where everyone has safe places to live, work, and play. Julia has strongly focused on inclusive growth, fiscal responsibility, and long-term community sustainability. As Mayor, she has prioritized investing in public infrastructure, expanding affordable and workforce housing, enhancing public transportation, and supporting the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods through targeted initiatives like the HNI. Julia is also committed to strengthening city staff capacity, modernizing local government through technology, and encouraging civic engagement at all levels. She values collaboration, transparency, and practical solutions to complex municipal challenges.

Julia’s dedication to community and leadership has been widely recognized. In 2012, Brava Magazine named her one of the "23 Women to Watch" for her contributions to the Latino Chamber of Commerce and her entrepreneurial initiatives. In 2013, she received the "Women of Achievement Award" from the Wisconsin Women of Color Network for her efforts to enrich the lives of women of color. In 2014, she was honored with the Community Leader Award for her work with the Latino business community in Dane County. Most notably, INBusiness Magazine recognized Julia in July 2015 as one of Madison's "Most Influential" people for her significant contributions to the local business community.

In 2024, Julia received the Visionary Award from Centro Hispano of Dane County for her impact on the Latino community through civic leadership, advocacy for equity, and commitment to empowering future generations. Mayor Julia was recognized for her trailblazing role as an elected official, her dedication to public service, and her work as a role model for young Latinas in Wisconsin.

She also received the Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council Leadership Award for supporting the city's urban forestry and Tree Ordinance.

Julia served on many boards and organizations, including the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Dane County and the Latino Professional Association of Greater Madison. Julia has also served on the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce board of directors, a South-Central Advisor Team for Wisconsin Women Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), Agrace Hospice, United Way of Dane County, Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadRep) as Treasurer, and Overture Center Foundation as past treasurer.

Julia serves on the League of Wisconsin Municipalities board and is a member of the Latino Consortium for Action and the Small Business Entrepreneurship Advisory Board for Madison College.

Julia has been a proud resident of Fitchburg since 2004. Originally from Córdoba, Argentina, where she was born and raised, she holds a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and an MBA from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. She is fluent in Spanish and English. Julia is married and has two sons, Diego and Julian. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, snowshoeing, walking, practicing yoga, and is an avid soccer (fútbol) fan.

Phone Number: 608-270-4215
Email: Julia.Arata-Fratta@fitchburgwi.gov