MONROE - Monroe could see a big change in its Common Council members by the end of 2010.
Three council seats and the office of mayor are being challenged in the April 6 election. If all challengers win, they would give the city leadership a 36 percent change-over.
If Dan Henke, Monroe Common Council President and Ward 8 Alderman, succeeds in his hope for the 80th District State Assembly seat later this year, his chair will be filled with an appointee by January, and push the change up to more than 45 percent.
In Ward 9, on the far west side of the city, will definitely have a change in April. Kent Kallembach is not running for re-election, opening a stand-off between Mike Rivers and Richard Thoman.
Ward 7 incumbent Thurston Hanson is looking across the fence at his challenger and neighbor Louis Armstrong, while incumbent Mark Coplien and challenger Michael Boyce are opponents for the Ward 3 seat.
The question now before voters is how much difference would a change of aldermen make?
Positions on city issues, gleaned from comments and questionnaire answers from alderman candidates, show as many similarities as differences.
All six candidates noted the budget as one of the biggest challenges Monroe faces, and mentioned or implied controlling spending as a way to get a handle on it. Most also pointed to a personal desire to reduce property taxes, and incumbents Coplien and Hanson included reducing fees for permits and licensing, for example.
Coplien and Hanson also commented on the current council's ability to keep tax rates low relative to county and school taxes.
Mike Rivers offered the suggestion of applying for more state and federal grants to help pay for some city projects.
State and federal grant money comes from the tax payers also, as Coplien has pointed out in committee meetings, and yet he too has said the city might as well get a share of it as long as it's being given away.
Improving business development along with increasing job growth was another issue high on most candidates' lists of priorities.
Hanson heavily links decreasing taxes and fees as an incentive for improving the business development environment. Thoman identified keeping utility infrastructure in tip-top shape to encourage businesses and people to move to Monroe.
Armstrong pushed the hiring of a city administrator to one of his top priorities for the city. He believes the city could fill the position without the recently required law degree and at a salary $10,000-20,000 lower.
Coplien said letting the attorney-administrator position go was the biggest mistake the city made in the last year, and a huge disappointment to him. Council members failed, in a 6-4 vote Dec. 4, 2009, to agree on an applicant for the position. The city administrator position has been vacant since May 2008.
Thoman noted hiring an administrator is part of his philosophy in running the city as a business is operated.
In addition to Thoman, Coplien, Armstrong and Rivers have made comments about managing the city as if it were a business.
Both Thoman and Armstrong included the use of foresight in their approach to city management, noting decisions made today have an impact on the future.
Boyce and Rivers also mentioned they want to see more public participation in government.
Boyce has called for more transparency and open government, with policies requiring the city government to release data in a form that is more accessible to the public and in context for more usefulness.
Rivers is taking the path of holding listening sessions for citizens in his ward, while encouraging all city residents to attend council meetings and mayor town hall meetings.
Three council seats and the office of mayor are being challenged in the April 6 election. If all challengers win, they would give the city leadership a 36 percent change-over.
If Dan Henke, Monroe Common Council President and Ward 8 Alderman, succeeds in his hope for the 80th District State Assembly seat later this year, his chair will be filled with an appointee by January, and push the change up to more than 45 percent.
In Ward 9, on the far west side of the city, will definitely have a change in April. Kent Kallembach is not running for re-election, opening a stand-off between Mike Rivers and Richard Thoman.
Ward 7 incumbent Thurston Hanson is looking across the fence at his challenger and neighbor Louis Armstrong, while incumbent Mark Coplien and challenger Michael Boyce are opponents for the Ward 3 seat.
The question now before voters is how much difference would a change of aldermen make?
Positions on city issues, gleaned from comments and questionnaire answers from alderman candidates, show as many similarities as differences.
All six candidates noted the budget as one of the biggest challenges Monroe faces, and mentioned or implied controlling spending as a way to get a handle on it. Most also pointed to a personal desire to reduce property taxes, and incumbents Coplien and Hanson included reducing fees for permits and licensing, for example.
Coplien and Hanson also commented on the current council's ability to keep tax rates low relative to county and school taxes.
Mike Rivers offered the suggestion of applying for more state and federal grants to help pay for some city projects.
State and federal grant money comes from the tax payers also, as Coplien has pointed out in committee meetings, and yet he too has said the city might as well get a share of it as long as it's being given away.
Improving business development along with increasing job growth was another issue high on most candidates' lists of priorities.
Hanson heavily links decreasing taxes and fees as an incentive for improving the business development environment. Thoman identified keeping utility infrastructure in tip-top shape to encourage businesses and people to move to Monroe.
Armstrong pushed the hiring of a city administrator to one of his top priorities for the city. He believes the city could fill the position without the recently required law degree and at a salary $10,000-20,000 lower.
Coplien said letting the attorney-administrator position go was the biggest mistake the city made in the last year, and a huge disappointment to him. Council members failed, in a 6-4 vote Dec. 4, 2009, to agree on an applicant for the position. The city administrator position has been vacant since May 2008.
Thoman noted hiring an administrator is part of his philosophy in running the city as a business is operated.
In addition to Thoman, Coplien, Armstrong and Rivers have made comments about managing the city as if it were a business.
Both Thoman and Armstrong included the use of foresight in their approach to city management, noting decisions made today have an impact on the future.
Boyce and Rivers also mentioned they want to see more public participation in government.
Boyce has called for more transparency and open government, with policies requiring the city government to release data in a form that is more accessible to the public and in context for more usefulness.
Rivers is taking the path of holding listening sessions for citizens in his ward, while encouraging all city residents to attend council meetings and mayor town hall meetings.