Town of Brooklyn
In the Town of Brooklyn, Rob Bartle and Rex Tilley are running for Supervisor 2. Incumbent Russell Cichy is unopposed for treasurer. Garth Langhammer, the incumbent, is unchallenged for chairman. Incumbent Jeff McNeely is running for Supervisor 1, while incumbent Amy Ross is unopposed for clerk.
Position sought: Treasurer, Town of Brooklyn, Green County
Age: Past the mandatory Social Security Retirement age.
City/town of residence: Brooklyn WI - Resident for more than 20 years
Family: Married, 2 grown children, 4 grandkids
Education: University of Minnesota with B.S. degrees in Finance and Accounting. Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Occupation: Retired.
Originally a farm boy from Minnesota, I graduated from University of Minnesota in 1973 after serving in the military. Spent the first 25 years of my career as a CPA in public accounting and industry. Spent the last 25 years of my career as a real estate agent with Century 21
Member of the Town Recycling Committee for the past 8 years
Served as the Town Treasurer for the last four years - completing my second successive term
Previous elected positions held: Treasurer, Town of Brooklyn - Two Successive Terms
What are the top issues facing this district/municipality and how would you work to resolve it?
1. Town Roads - Transportation Dilemma: Governor Walker will not increase transportation fees or gas taxes. So, insufficient funding support from State government. State's proposed biennium budget provides lower road spending than last biennium. State municipal aid funding for local governments has been cut over the last 10 years as local transportation funding remained roughly flat. Town constituents will need to "step-up" and provide the necessary funding for road maintenance and an orderly plan for timely road-reconstruction. Without continuing financial support from Town residents, town roads will degrade requiring major borrowing for what will become a foremost road-reconstruction requirement.
2. Fire and EMS - The Town is experiencing a continual decline in readily available volunteers, especially for EMS. This lack of volunteers produces inadequate coverage that must be filled by outside contract services or fully-paid staff. The steady cost progression of the Town's Public Safety Budget, for Fire/EMS District, represents about 30 percent of the Town's levy. While there is a great deal of concern about Town Roads, of equal or greater concern should be the Fire/EMS coverage. You don't want to experience a major health situation on those days where the local EMS may not be able to respond.
What are other key issues facing the district/municipality, and how would you work to resolve them?
Overall Funding Stability
a. The Town residents will need to continue its systematical funding of the cash reserves in anticipation of Major Capital Expenditures to including: A new fire truck which the Fire District is anticipating needing in 5-7 years. Major equipment, and building replacement reserves - road equipment, bldg roofs, new patrol trucks and the like. I encourage such practice which has been put in place during the latest annual budgeting process
b. The Town needs to be planning for and to continue budgeting for those major capital expenditures which necessitate a levy amount as currently structured. I vigorously supported the 2014 Excess of Levy resolution which ultimately received voter approval and is currently being sustained. Such constituent levy support will continue to be necessary until a sustainable level of State municipal aid and State transportation funding is provided once again. Until then, any lack of local levy funding support will necessitate debt financing, through long-term borrowings for major projects, which will then be funded from the current operating levy over the ensuing 10-20 years. I strongly advocate against major road reconstruction financed sole through major debt financing.
Age: Past the mandatory Social Security Retirement age.
City/town of residence: Brooklyn WI - Resident for more than 20 years
Family: Married, 2 grown children, 4 grandkids
Education: University of Minnesota with B.S. degrees in Finance and Accounting. Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Occupation: Retired.
Originally a farm boy from Minnesota, I graduated from University of Minnesota in 1973 after serving in the military. Spent the first 25 years of my career as a CPA in public accounting and industry. Spent the last 25 years of my career as a real estate agent with Century 21
Member of the Town Recycling Committee for the past 8 years
Served as the Town Treasurer for the last four years - completing my second successive term
Previous elected positions held: Treasurer, Town of Brooklyn - Two Successive Terms
What are the top issues facing this district/municipality and how would you work to resolve it?
1. Town Roads - Transportation Dilemma: Governor Walker will not increase transportation fees or gas taxes. So, insufficient funding support from State government. State's proposed biennium budget provides lower road spending than last biennium. State municipal aid funding for local governments has been cut over the last 10 years as local transportation funding remained roughly flat. Town constituents will need to "step-up" and provide the necessary funding for road maintenance and an orderly plan for timely road-reconstruction. Without continuing financial support from Town residents, town roads will degrade requiring major borrowing for what will become a foremost road-reconstruction requirement.
2. Fire and EMS - The Town is experiencing a continual decline in readily available volunteers, especially for EMS. This lack of volunteers produces inadequate coverage that must be filled by outside contract services or fully-paid staff. The steady cost progression of the Town's Public Safety Budget, for Fire/EMS District, represents about 30 percent of the Town's levy. While there is a great deal of concern about Town Roads, of equal or greater concern should be the Fire/EMS coverage. You don't want to experience a major health situation on those days where the local EMS may not be able to respond.
What are other key issues facing the district/municipality, and how would you work to resolve them?
Overall Funding Stability
a. The Town residents will need to continue its systematical funding of the cash reserves in anticipation of Major Capital Expenditures to including: A new fire truck which the Fire District is anticipating needing in 5-7 years. Major equipment, and building replacement reserves - road equipment, bldg roofs, new patrol trucks and the like. I encourage such practice which has been put in place during the latest annual budgeting process
b. The Town needs to be planning for and to continue budgeting for those major capital expenditures which necessitate a levy amount as currently structured. I vigorously supported the 2014 Excess of Levy resolution which ultimately received voter approval and is currently being sustained. Such constituent levy support will continue to be necessary until a sustainable level of State municipal aid and State transportation funding is provided once again. Until then, any lack of local levy funding support will necessitate debt financing, through long-term borrowings for major projects, which will then be funded from the current operating levy over the ensuing 10-20 years. I strongly advocate against major road reconstruction financed sole through major debt financing.