Redistricting Update---Set of Maps Chosen

Just a quick update on redistricting, the County Board's Executive Committee met tonight and chose a set of maps.  We were given 3 options.  When I first saw the three options, I wasn't too thrilled with them.  However, after reviewing them closely and after hearing the explanation of our Data and GIS Manager explain why each set of maps were set up that way, one set of maps really stood out as a very good option for the next 10 years.

All three sets of maps focused on the following 5 priorities:

• Equal Population
• Compact districts
• Follow municipal lines
• City, Village and Town representation
• Minimize ballot styles

We chose draft 3.  What made this set of maps good?

• It gave the village of Jackson its own district, something that was lacking in the district maps used for the 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections and something that many on the board, myself included, wanted.  The Village of Jackson has the population to support having their own district, and the current district boundaries split the Village of Jackson into two.
• It gave a fair representation to the towns.  Statistically, the towns have not grown as fast as the cities or villages.  With the 2020 population data, the villages should have 8 districts, the two cities should have 7, and the towns should have 6.  The population increases no longer supported the equal 7/7/7 breakout between the towns, cities, and villages.  Keeping the towns with 6 representatives was important.
• The design stuck closely to municipal boundary lines, reducing the number of different ballot combinations that will be needed for the county's April elections and making it easier for municipalities to draw up their districts and wards.
• It was the only map that kept the City of West Bend as 5 districts, where the other two had West Bend over 6 districts with some area of the towns in their district.

In general, almost everyone seemed to recognize the value of the district maps we chose.

Most importantly, two years ago we voted to reduce the County Board from 26 to 21 Supervisors.  This was something that many Supervisors, including myself, had promised to do for our constituents, and it was good to fulfill this promise.  

Redistricting & Consolidating (At the County Level)

It is redistricting time!!!

On a state level, this means that legislative districts are being redrawn, and arguing will ensue about how to most fairly apportion the districts between Republicans and Democrats.  The side that feels that they "lost" in the redistricting process will make claims of gerrymandering, while the side that "won" will point to gerrymandering attempts the losing side made.

On a County level, redistricting fairly means something different.  We don't have blue districts and red districts, but instead have districts in various shades of red.  So for our county, the focus is on fairly representing the Cities, Villages, and Towns of Washington County.  In our county, the population as of the 2010 census was split up pretty evenly, with a third the population living in either the city of West Bend and Hartford, a third the population living in one of the 7 villages, and a third the population living in one of the 13 townships.

As well, our County Board is consolidating, and going from 26 Supervisors to 21.  As a side note, this fulfills a campaign promise I made when I ran in 2018.  I ran on that promise, and am thrilled to fulfill it.

So what will the new maps look like?  We don't know yet, but we can make some guesses before some options are shown to the Executive Committee at our upcoming August 24th meeting.

• One easy guess, since the cities will likely have 7 Supervisors between them, West Bend will go from 6 Supervisory districts to 5, and Hartford will go from 3 to 2.  I can't imagine either of these not happening.
• Another easy guess, the Village of Kewaskum has never been big enough to be its own district, and has no nearby village to connect with, so it will likely be paired up with the township of Kewaskum, as it traditionally has been. 

Beyond those easy guesses, I don't know what to expect in these options.  I do think it is important to try to equally represent the towns and villages with 7 Supervisors each, though that may not be perfectly possible.

Over the course of the next few months, the County Board will chose a set of maps that will be used for the 2022 County Board Elections. I will endeavor to try to support maps that closely balance out representation between the cities, villages, and towns.

Compromise on Highway Project

 

I had called on County Executive Josh Schoemann to veto the ammended Resolution 11 & Highway S.  On May 25th, he decided to Partially veto Highway S.

At last week's County Board meeting, I was one of the leaders in calling for a compromise, which 22 other Supervisors agreed to.  With this compromise, we voted not to overturn the County Executive's partial veto, and instead allow the Highway Department to create a new and fully-engineered solution that would focus on truly improving safety for the intersection of Highway S and 175.  By a vote of 3-23, the County Board voted not to override Josh's veto, and to instead agree with this compromise.

Here is Josh Schoemann's statement on his partial veto:

All along I have felt the CTH W extension project as proposed came down to weighing the safety of drivers at various intersections throughout the area with the necessity of using eminent domain to purchase active farmland.  In that regard I think the County Board made a reasonable public policy decision, as people’s personal property rights are of the utmost importance and shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said County Executive Josh Schoemann. 

“After consultation with the farming families and various Supervisors, I’ve decided to partially veto the adopted resolution, allocating $100,000 versus $500,000 for the realignment of these highways. This action will allow sufficient funds and time for the experts, not just County Board members, to re-evaluate the design, come back with a viable plan, and consult with the people who live there. With this action, the proposed CTHW extension is off the table, and as long as I am County Executive no such extension will be proposed by my administration.

Here is my statement regarding the partial veto:  

I applaud our County Executive’s decision to veto (partially) an unworkable plan.  As he acknowledged in his statement, the plan passed by the County Board simply isn’t viable.  This approach will allow us to start over and develop a more effective plan for safe and efficient travel in the town of Addison. 

The plan the County Board developed as a compromise was simply unworkable.  It used a road segment designed for 200 cars per day for a traffic volume that would see between 1,700 and 2,600 cars per day.  That plan is not feasible, it puts lives in danger, and it would have been irresponsible to put that plan into action. 

Starting over, with a safe plan focused on Highway S, is the best way to go at this point.  County Executive Schoemann did the right thing, and now the County Board needs to follow his lead.  Together, we can build a properly-engineered travel route on highway S.  It will hopefully be one that our County Highway Commissioner and Traffic Safety Commission will endorse, and one that will be safer and more efficient.

Thank you Josh!

 

Christopher Bossert

County Board Supervisor, District 3

Report to Constituents - Request to Veto Resolution 11 (Highway S Modifications)

Today I am requesting that our County Executive veto resolution 11, as amended.

This is no longer about Highway W, that plan was defeated.  This is about a new plan, hatched by the County Board. 

The new plan uses designs for an intersection designed for 200 cars per day, despite the fact that the intersection will now see more than 2,000 cars per day.  The plan will most likely need a significant redesign, and will see a significant cost increase, in order to be safe and effective for this higher traffic volume.  Our Highway Commissioner admitted as much at Wednesday's County Board meeting, and the board admitted as much when they sent Resolution 12 back to committee.

This plan also had no public notice or public hearings.  The neighbors near this intersection might love this plan, or they might hate this plan.  Without having public hearings, so that they can learn about the plan and express their thoughts, we don't know what they think about this plan.

A veto at this point would not be a way to build highway W, but instead would be a way to stop a plan that is ill-conceived and lacks public notice.

Ice Age Trail

Tis weekend brought us great weather, and I decided to take advantage of that by continuing my exploration of one of our County's hiking trails, the Ice Age trail.  I started exploring this trail last year, and this year I am adding a new element, rucking.  I am also setting a stretch goal for myself, to do an "out-and-back" hike of the entire 8-mile West Bend segment of the Ice Age trail (16 miles total) by early fall.  I hope I can meet this goal.

Rucking, or backpacking, helps build leg and back strength, and can double the calories you burn while hiking.  You throw 15-25 pounds worth of weights and stuff in your backpack, and then hike as normal.

The West bend segment is an adventurous hike, with elevation changes and a rocky terrain.  Long term, the goal of the Ice Age trail Alliance is to connect the West Bend segment to the Kewauskum and Slinger segments.

Today I started with an out-and-back hike of a 2.8 mile segment, from Ridge Run park (By UWWC) down to Paradise Drive.  The last mile or so, I was struggling, but I made it.

Statement on Shootings in Kewauskum

Like many in our community, I am saddened and deeply troubled by yesterday's shootings in Kewauskum.  Words cannot describe the array of emotions I feel about this incident.  I urge the community to support the families of the two victims of this criminal.  My heart goes out to the families, my prayers are with them.

My thanks go out to all of the law enforcement involved for their efforts yesterday in risking their lives to keep our community safe.  This incident clearly had the potential to be even worse than it already is.  The criminal who ravaged our community yesterday clearly had no value for the sanctity of human life.  The efforts of law enforcement undoubtedly prevented further loss of life.

I encourage everyone to stay clear of this area and out f law enforcement's way, so that they can do their investigation.  I await more details on this incident.