Re-election Campaign Announcement

I am proud to announce my intent to be re-elected to the Washington County Board of Supervisors, representing District 4 in West Bend. I have served on the County Board for 8 years, and chaired the Public Safety Committee for the last 4 years.  I have always strived to lead the discussion in ensuring a fiscally responsible and sustainable County Government for our residents.

During this last term, I was a leader in the efforts to preserve the Samaritan health center, which provides skilled nursing care for our impoverished senior and disabled community, by working to identify ways to make Samaritan a financially self-sustaining operation.  Samaritan is a vital part of our community.

I plan to be a leader in the effort to preserve the Eisenbahn Trail, which has become a cornerstone of our community and a key component for revitalizing our downtown.  Later this month, the federal government will announce its decision to approve or deny a request by the Wisconsin D.O.T. to fund a study of a possible Amtrak line from Milwaukee to Green Bay, and the Eisenbahn Trail is a possible route.  Passenger rail service from West Bend was discontinued due to low ridership, and this year the County discontinued our commuter bus route to Milwaukee due to low ridership.  Preserving the Eisenbahn Trail must be the priority.

I am also proud that the County will be sharing $3 million in sales tax revenue with the City of West Bend over the next 3 years, via a grant to replace lead lateral lines.  This will ensure that residents have safe drinking water. As part of this project, the roads in those same neighborhoods will need to be dug up and repaired, making this program a double-win for residents in these neighborhoods and support for the city’s road repair efforts.  West Bend has roughly 850 homes that have lead laterals, and a majority of them are in my district, so this issue is especially important to me. 

I am also a big supporter of shared services.  When governments share services, we reduce duplication, and can use the savings to increase the value taxpayers receive for their tax dollars.  Hartford and Germantown have each started the process of combining 911 dispatching with the county, allowing those communities to reprioritize those funds in a way that better meets taxpayer needs. I hope over the next 2 years to find ways in which we can partner with the City of West Bend to share services, which will free up financial resources so that the City can increase their road repair budget or fund an additional firehouse.

I ask for you support in my re-election campaign.