Election 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: 37
City/town of residence: Darlington
Family: I'm not married and I have no kids, but I do have a horse that is like a child to me.
Education: Graduated from Darlington High School. Associates Degree from MATC in Architecture. Bachelors Degree from UW Oshkosh in Fire and Emergency Response Management
Occupation: Self-employed as a carpenter / residential designer. I also provide some IT services in the local area. Previously employed by Lafayette County/ MHLC in the IT department.
Previous elected positions held: This is my first time running for a public office. I have held elected positions within the Darlington Fire Department with the last position being Deputy Chief.
What are the top issues facing this district/municipality and how would you work to resolve it?
One issue I see is transparency. I would advocate for the county to make all minutes that are in electronic format available on their website and searchable. I would further advocate for the board to limit use of closed sessions.
Spending is another issue. The county board has made some LARGE purchases the last few years; county k building, three clinics, and the multipurpose shed. The county board has put the cart in front of the horse so to speak on each of these, and appears they are about to again. Some members are trying to ramrod a new clinic through based on false rumors. They have no preliminary plans or preliminary estimates for a building, but want to move forward with buying land. This type of action needs to cease. I seriously doubt any current board member would commit to building a new house of their own without having numbers first. Why is taxpayer's money treated differently?
What are other key issues facing the district/municipality, and how would you work to resolve them?
Another key issue is roads. The short-term band-aid fixes don't work. It only ends up costing more in the end. If there is any attempt made again by the board to generate additional funds it has to be a fair approach that applies to everyone. Being self-employed - I feel strongly that we're all just trying to get by and make something for ourselves in Lafayette County. Transportation is vital to any economy and something needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Younger generations' leaving Lafayette County for jobs is a major issue as well. This will take time to address is the unfortunate part. I think a multi-prong approach needs to happen. The county board has a part by attracting new businesses. I would also like to see local schools start highlighting local businesses and kids that work for them. The same way they highlight kids getting to play sports for a college. A 4-year degree is great, but it's not the only path that leads to greatness.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I'm not a typical politician, and I dislike using that word for myself. I'm to the point about things. I won't talk your ear off and tell you what you want to hear in order to achieve something else. I expect people to be honest, upfront, and do the best they can as I try to be that way. I'm human and make mistakes and I'm the first to admit that.
Mr. Sauer has had many years on the board, but it's time for someone new. Someone who has seen how dysfunctional things really are from the inside. If you like how things are ran then you should vote for Mr. Sauer. I hear over and over how people are tired of it - I'm the change you should vote for then.