BRODHEAD - City of Brodhead voters will have to call the shot April 3 as to how their city will move forward.
Both mayoral candidates, incumbent Doug Pinnow and his challenger Ric Genthe, seem to want the same things for their community: Retaining current businesses, developing its economic segment and making the city a great place to live.
The difference is in the approach the two men want to use to lead the city.
Genthe said he has new ideas to offer.
"It's time for a change, to try something new," he said. "Nothing has been done in seven years."
Genthe is focusing on promoting Brodhead as a destination for tourists, partly because of the city's proximity to large metro areas.
"The Sugar River, Mill Race and bike trail could be a source of tourism income, if promoted correctly," he said.
Genthe said he believes his ideas to promote the city's waterways will help bring more people to the downtown and help retain businesses.
"The old way isn't working anymore," he added.
Pinnow said ideas are great, but follow-through is just as important.
"It's wonderful to have an idea, but if an idea doesn't work, you don't give up and go away. Try something different," he said.
There can be multiple stumbling blocks between an idea and attaining the results you want, Pinnow said, and preparing for stumbling blocks takes long-range planning and a lot of input from the community.
To develop great ideas, Pinnow said, he stays deeply involved in local organizations where he meets different people in different realms of the community.
"You have to be visible in the community" and "ready to listen," Pinnow said. "When you're visible to the community, people know you care, and you can get a lot of input from people."
Genthe said too many people in Brodhead are just afraid of change.
"A creative person comes up with ideas to solve problems. There are no bad ideas in the planning stage," he added.
There's more to leadership for promoting new business and retaining current businesses than ideas, Pinnow said.
"Integrity - do what you say you're going to do, follow through," he added. "Ideas are great, but you have to have follow-through, and that takes work."
Both mayoral candidates, incumbent Doug Pinnow and his challenger Ric Genthe, seem to want the same things for their community: Retaining current businesses, developing its economic segment and making the city a great place to live.
The difference is in the approach the two men want to use to lead the city.
Genthe said he has new ideas to offer.
"It's time for a change, to try something new," he said. "Nothing has been done in seven years."
Genthe is focusing on promoting Brodhead as a destination for tourists, partly because of the city's proximity to large metro areas.
"The Sugar River, Mill Race and bike trail could be a source of tourism income, if promoted correctly," he said.
Genthe said he believes his ideas to promote the city's waterways will help bring more people to the downtown and help retain businesses.
"The old way isn't working anymore," he added.
Pinnow said ideas are great, but follow-through is just as important.
"It's wonderful to have an idea, but if an idea doesn't work, you don't give up and go away. Try something different," he said.
There can be multiple stumbling blocks between an idea and attaining the results you want, Pinnow said, and preparing for stumbling blocks takes long-range planning and a lot of input from the community.
To develop great ideas, Pinnow said, he stays deeply involved in local organizations where he meets different people in different realms of the community.
"You have to be visible in the community" and "ready to listen," Pinnow said. "When you're visible to the community, people know you care, and you can get a lot of input from people."
Genthe said too many people in Brodhead are just afraid of change.
"A creative person comes up with ideas to solve problems. There are no bad ideas in the planning stage," he added.
There's more to leadership for promoting new business and retaining current businesses than ideas, Pinnow said.
"Integrity - do what you say you're going to do, follow through," he added. "Ideas are great, but you have to have follow-through, and that takes work."