2018: Lafayette County Board
On the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors, four incumbents will have opposing candidates for the nonpartisan seat. District 1 Supervisor Larry Ludlum will seek re-election against Mike Paulson, District 3 Supervisor Jack Sauer will be on the ballot versus candidate Nick Metz, Supervisor Leon Wolfe of District 4 will be running against Jeremiah Kleiber, and District 5 Supervisor Dwayne Larson will be on the ballot against candidate Andy Schilling.
Incumbents Steve Spensley, Tony Ruesga, Robert Boyle, Kriss Marion, Jack Wiegel, John Bartels, Gerald Heimann, Carol Korn and David Hammer are running unopposed. In District 9, the incumbent Wayne Wilson resigned Aug. 31. Robert Laeser will be on the ballot for the seat. District 13 Supervisor Ted Wiegel and District 16 Supervisor John Perkins have both chosen not to seek re-election. District 13 candidate Ursula Fecht is running unopposed. Two candidates will vie for the District 16 position: Rita Buchholz and Cal Robbins.
Age: 38
Town of residence: Darlington
Family: Wife Ashley (Buisker) Kleiber
Education: Graduate of Darlington High School and South West Technical College in Fennimore
Occupation: Entrepreneur. Together with my wife, we own Renui Salon and Spa (Darlington), Pec Time Tubing Inc. (Argyle), Arbor Crest Acres (Darlington), and Kleiber Property Management (Darlington/ Shullsburg)
Previous elected positions held: Seven years on the Darlington Community School Board
What are the top issues facing this district/municipality and how would you work to resolve it?
The spending of tax dollars is an issue continually at the forefront of many conversations. As elected officials it is our responsibility to not be short sighted with our decisions in spending. It is important that we are progressive for our future, but we need to do more research, conduct feasibility studies, and be more thorough in our proposals before we choose to spend taxpayer money. One aspect in helping curb costs is to focus on pooling resources between our townships and municipalities. Choosing to work with each other can only work towards the betterment of Lafayette County.
What are other key issues facing the district/municipality, and how would you work to resolve them?
Transparency. The people of Lafayette County deserve to know what their elected officials are doing. I would push to have meeting times with clear, descriptive agendas posted well in advance. Governing should not be about any personal agendas, it needs to be about what is best for Lafayette County. We need to be clear and open in our actions, and we need to encourage our constituents to be involved in discussion. After all, bottom line is, it's their tax dollars being spent.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I feel I would be the best choice for District 4 Supervisor because I can provide a new and different perspective. Doing business in Retail/Service, Agriculture, Real Estate, and Recreational Tourism affords me a very unique set of views and an insight into how our decisions as a board effect many aspects of our work and life in Lafayette County. There have been many issues in the last several years that have caught my attention pertaining to the County Board. But, during my time on the Darlington School Board I learned that unless you are intimately involved in the situation, there is often much that you are unware of that has gone on, or is involved in the decision making. I want to be able to be a part of resolving these issues, and if I cannot help resolve them, I want to be able to give a thorough answer as to why. A large part of an elected official's job is to be the voice of their constituents, and I am confident that I have the skills and experience needed to do the job.