Candidate Profiles
The Monroe Times contacted candidates in area races and gave them the opportunity to submit profile information. The following profiles were returned and are published below as they were submitted. Republican Reginald M. Gill, Democrat Linda J. Gebhardt and Republican Catherine McGowan are running unopposed in the Nov. 4 general election.
Reg Gill
Position sought: Lafayette County Sheriff
Age: 50
City/town of residence: Cuba City, WI - Benton Township
Family: Wife - Carol, and two sons - Elias and Levi
Education: Associates Degree, Southwest Technical College, Law Enforcement Academy, Southwest Technical College; 15 years of ongoing education and training in various disciplines while employed with the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department, including: certified firearms instructor; concealed weapons carry instructor, and motor vehicle crash investigation.
Occupation: Lafayette County Deputy Sheriff
Previous elected positions held: None
What are the top issues facing this district/board/office and how would you work to resolve them?
I believe the top issue for any law enforcement agency is how to continue to provide the very best security and service to the public while remaining within the constraints of a limited budget. As we have seen recently, there is no way to see what the future holds and when major incidents or severe weather occurs, it can have a major influence on manpower needs, which directly effects the budget.
What are other key issues facing the district/board/office, and how would you work to resolve them?
There appears to be resurgence of methamphetamine use as well as a growing problem with the use of heroin and prescription drug abuse. Unfortunately, these increases also bring along with them an increase in many other calls for service such as thefts, burglaries, domestic disputes, assaults, and motor vehicle crashes. This is a complicated issue and not an easy one to resolve. Only through the continued hard work of our investigators, as well as our patrol staff, can we slow this increase in illegal activity. One of the most valuable tools we have to combat these issues is the private citizens themselves. By making the public aware of these types of issues and asking for their assistance with reporting suspicious activity when it is observed can provide much needed assistance.
The increase in calls related to mental health issues also continue to rise. These calls for service create a tremendous burden from a personnel standpoint as well as a financial burden to the taxpayers of the county. Only through continued cooperation between law enforcement and Lafayette County Human Services can we appropriately deal with this ever increasing issue and provide those in need with the services they require.
Position sought: Lafayette County Sheriff
Age: 50
City/town of residence: Cuba City, WI - Benton Township
Family: Wife - Carol, and two sons - Elias and Levi
Education: Associates Degree, Southwest Technical College, Law Enforcement Academy, Southwest Technical College; 15 years of ongoing education and training in various disciplines while employed with the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department, including: certified firearms instructor; concealed weapons carry instructor, and motor vehicle crash investigation.
Occupation: Lafayette County Deputy Sheriff
Previous elected positions held: None
What are the top issues facing this district/board/office and how would you work to resolve them?
I believe the top issue for any law enforcement agency is how to continue to provide the very best security and service to the public while remaining within the constraints of a limited budget. As we have seen recently, there is no way to see what the future holds and when major incidents or severe weather occurs, it can have a major influence on manpower needs, which directly effects the budget.
What are other key issues facing the district/board/office, and how would you work to resolve them?
There appears to be resurgence of methamphetamine use as well as a growing problem with the use of heroin and prescription drug abuse. Unfortunately, these increases also bring along with them an increase in many other calls for service such as thefts, burglaries, domestic disputes, assaults, and motor vehicle crashes. This is a complicated issue and not an easy one to resolve. Only through the continued hard work of our investigators, as well as our patrol staff, can we slow this increase in illegal activity. One of the most valuable tools we have to combat these issues is the private citizens themselves. By making the public aware of these types of issues and asking for their assistance with reporting suspicious activity when it is observed can provide much needed assistance.
The increase in calls related to mental health issues also continue to rise. These calls for service create a tremendous burden from a personnel standpoint as well as a financial burden to the taxpayers of the county. Only through continued cooperation between law enforcement and Lafayette County Human Services can we appropriately deal with this ever increasing issue and provide those in need with the services they require.