MONROE - The 2014 mayoral race will pit incumbent Mayor Bill Ross against opponent Tyler Schultz, currently the alderman for Ward 5.
While Ross sees the city heading in the right direction, Schultz believes the city is moving sideways, maintaining but not improving.
The budget and economic development top the list of issues important to both candidates.
Ross pointed to Lamers Bus Service, Amlat and Quest as just three of the accomplishments the city has seen in the recent past for economic development.
"Lamers was one of our huge successes," Ross said. The company had a short timeline to building its bus terminal in the north industrial park, and the city "cut through the red tape" of the permitting process, Ross said.
By working through the revolving loan fund and adding an extra $100,000, the city also managed to retain Quest, a robotics manufacturer, which "was being heavily courted by Madison," Ross added.
Ross called the city, Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Green County Development Corporation a "three-legged stool," working together for increased economic development.
But Schultz believes the city should be more involved and is not presently "doing its due diligence" when it comes to driving economic development. He also believes the city needs to budget more for those other entities involved in the cause.
"We're not asserting our input," Schultz said. "We allocate a lot of money, but basically we say, "Here you go, good luck,' and don't get involved."
Additional money would help with marketing materials, conferences and more land.
"We're running up against space to use in the (north) industrial park," he said.
The city budget is always on the front burners, according to both candidates.
Ross said city staff is "very aware" of budget issues and knows that he and aldermen are, too.
"The budget is right in front of their faces," which is why they are always ready with answers for questions at committee and council meetings, he said.
Streamlining the city government structure is also intended to help alleviate some of the budget constraints, he added. City Administrator Phil Rath is trying to use part-time employees instead of full-time for efficiency, he added.
Schultz is not content with the way the budget planning was handled last year, particularly with just "two meetings" being the major input from the Finance and Taxation Committee and Rath doing the majority of the budget planning.
The process last fall "shocked me," he added.
He'd prefer to see the mayor and committee sit down together and go over the budget "line-by-line."
"It's not the city administrator's job to compose a budget, but to carry it out," Schultz said.
Schultz said that during his terms as an alderman on the council, he has seen the budget composed in different ways, none of which he believes have worked.
While the 2013 budget was set with a 0 percent increase, the 2014 budget was 2 percent higher, he said.
Efficiency attempts are "not adding up," he added.
"Taxes went up," he said, "that doesn't sit well with me."
Some of the efficiencies that were supposed to save the city money, he said, were combining the water and wastewater departments, implementing automated garbage pickup and upgrading the city hall lighting. Also, reorganizing the government structure is not appreciated by some boards or employees, while the city hires more employees and is paying higher wages, he added.
But the savings is not trickling back to the taxpayers, Schultz said.
"How does it get back to our taxpayers?" he said.
Schultz noted a constituent told him she was not going to improve their home, because it would increase its value and add to her family's tax bill.
"That's where you blow out your tax base," he added.
This is the second time Ross and Schultz will meet on the ballot for mayor. In 2010, both Ross and Schultz ran against then-Mayor Ron Marsh. With 800 votes, Ross beat Schultz and Marsh by more than 200 votes each.
While Ross sees the city heading in the right direction, Schultz believes the city is moving sideways, maintaining but not improving.
The budget and economic development top the list of issues important to both candidates.
Ross pointed to Lamers Bus Service, Amlat and Quest as just three of the accomplishments the city has seen in the recent past for economic development.
"Lamers was one of our huge successes," Ross said. The company had a short timeline to building its bus terminal in the north industrial park, and the city "cut through the red tape" of the permitting process, Ross said.
By working through the revolving loan fund and adding an extra $100,000, the city also managed to retain Quest, a robotics manufacturer, which "was being heavily courted by Madison," Ross added.
Ross called the city, Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Green County Development Corporation a "three-legged stool," working together for increased economic development.
But Schultz believes the city should be more involved and is not presently "doing its due diligence" when it comes to driving economic development. He also believes the city needs to budget more for those other entities involved in the cause.
"We're not asserting our input," Schultz said. "We allocate a lot of money, but basically we say, "Here you go, good luck,' and don't get involved."
Additional money would help with marketing materials, conferences and more land.
"We're running up against space to use in the (north) industrial park," he said.
The city budget is always on the front burners, according to both candidates.
Ross said city staff is "very aware" of budget issues and knows that he and aldermen are, too.
"The budget is right in front of their faces," which is why they are always ready with answers for questions at committee and council meetings, he said.
Streamlining the city government structure is also intended to help alleviate some of the budget constraints, he added. City Administrator Phil Rath is trying to use part-time employees instead of full-time for efficiency, he added.
Schultz is not content with the way the budget planning was handled last year, particularly with just "two meetings" being the major input from the Finance and Taxation Committee and Rath doing the majority of the budget planning.
The process last fall "shocked me," he added.
He'd prefer to see the mayor and committee sit down together and go over the budget "line-by-line."
"It's not the city administrator's job to compose a budget, but to carry it out," Schultz said.
Schultz said that during his terms as an alderman on the council, he has seen the budget composed in different ways, none of which he believes have worked.
While the 2013 budget was set with a 0 percent increase, the 2014 budget was 2 percent higher, he said.
Efficiency attempts are "not adding up," he added.
"Taxes went up," he said, "that doesn't sit well with me."
Some of the efficiencies that were supposed to save the city money, he said, were combining the water and wastewater departments, implementing automated garbage pickup and upgrading the city hall lighting. Also, reorganizing the government structure is not appreciated by some boards or employees, while the city hires more employees and is paying higher wages, he added.
But the savings is not trickling back to the taxpayers, Schultz said.
"How does it get back to our taxpayers?" he said.
Schultz noted a constituent told him she was not going to improve their home, because it would increase its value and add to her family's tax bill.
"That's where you blow out your tax base," he added.
This is the second time Ross and Schultz will meet on the ballot for mayor. In 2010, both Ross and Schultz ran against then-Mayor Ron Marsh. With 800 votes, Ross beat Schultz and Marsh by more than 200 votes each.