Six candidates are seeking election to city government seats in Clintonville.
Among them are District 1 Alderperson Al Miller (incumbent), facing challenger Jim Krause; District 3 Alderperson Steve Kettenhoven (incumbent), facing challenger John Wilson; and District 4 Alderperson Mike Hankins (incumbent), facing challenger Mary-Beth Kuester.
The County Post East sent the following questions to candidates in contested races. Responses from candidates who choose to respond are listed below.
Please tell us about your background and why you are interested in running for office.
Miller: I am currently serving the balance of Pete Stumbris’ term in District 1. I’m really interested in the re-election of this position because I feel that we are headed in a positive direction and I would like to be involved in our future.
I am retired and proud to be living here and contributing in any way I can. I retired from Avis Rent A Car in Las Vegas, Nevada, 10 years ago and decided to come back home.
Krause: Did not respond.
Kettenhoven: I have lived in the Clintonville area since 1975, and have been a resident of the community since 2000. I am a graduate of NWTC with a degree in Business Management. I have been on City Council for the past eight years, and I consider it a privilege to serve my district and the city.
Wilson: Did not respond.
Hankins: When my wife and I chose to move back here to our hometown to raise our three children almost 30 years ago, I felt I owed something back to this community.
Since then I have had the opportunity to serve in leadership roles in various Clintonville organizations including the Area Chamber of Commerce, the Area Foundation, the United Way, Scouting, Marketplace 2001, Rotary, the Behling Home Board of Directors, the Board of Directors for Clintonville’s First Old Truck Show, and the development and design of our new Clintonville High School and School Community Rec Center, before I was elected to the City Council.
Kuester: Born and raised in Clintonville. BS and MS from UW Madison (Merit Scholar)CHS Alumnus Honoris 1979. President of St. Martin Evangelism Board, member of church council and ad hoc member of Stewardship Board. President of the Shawano County Arts Council 2013, and four year board member, Secretary of Clintonville Area Historical Society for four years and five year board member. Secretary of the Box in the Wood Theatre Guild, four years and board member five years. President of Phoenix Services, marketing firm, 20 years. Taught finance, marketing Mt. Mary College, UW Madison, U of Phoenix, Lakeland College, Cardinal Stritch University.
Do you plan to help the city recruit potential businesses? If so, how? Do you plan to assist existing businesses in their efforts to grow? If so, how? How do you plan to help attract more residents to the city?
Miller: If and when I’m re-elected, I plan to do anything and everything possible to have new businesses come to Clintonville. I support all of our businesses that are here now and I plan to do anything to help them. I try to promote our city by word-of-mouth wherever I go.
Krause: Did not respond.
Kettenhoven: Recruiting new businesses, assisting existing businesses, and attracting more residents is not the job of one individual. It is a team effort. The Mayor, the City Administrator, staff and department heads, City Council, business leaders, and even residents are all part of the team that helps our community continue to grow.
Wilson: Did not respond.
Hankins: We have done as good a job as any community in using and planning TIF Districts, which are one of our most effective tools to develop potential business and expand existing businesses. We are also in the process of further expanding our Industrial Park to position ourselves for continued growth.
We have continued to develop new and expanded businesses, like Walgreens, Kwik Trip, Klein Auto, and Creative Converting. These things don’t just happen; they are the result of long term planning and coordination between these valued businesses, city staff and positive council leadership.
We need to continue to promote strong business and industry, improved housing, good educational programs and facilities, and good quality of life and activities for our residents. This will encourage people to stay in or move to our community.
Kuester: After listening to residents, needs appear to be another grocery store, appliance store, bakery and dry cleaner. By contacting the Wis. Merchants Federation, find out what family owned grocery chains are located in the vicinity and invite them to visit. Contact people in the businesses needed that have nearby locations. The city makes loans to new businesses. Work with local property owners and realtors to make locations available. Contact employers in the industrial park to get names and numbers of employees who work here but live elsewhere. Cooperate with employers on incentives to live in the city. 60 vacant homes are located in the city limits but many of these are not suitable for families. The building fee in Clintonville is just $700, where in Hortonville its $2,000 and Greenville $4,000. Hortonville just cut its fee in half to attract new builders. A local realtor tells me Tigerton had success by offering lots at $5,000 with the restriction that the buyer had to build in two years. Encourage employees of businesses throughout the city by offering employees and pay incentive to live in town. Building our tax base with benefit schools, churches and local business. Very few business owners on Main Street live in the city but they share voters’ interest in a thriving community. Consulting with them on ways to improve the city will yield good ideas and cooperation.
Which areas of the city budget do you think should be reduced? Which areas do you think should be increased? How much do you value current city departments and employees? Are there any departments or employees that you’d like to see eliminated? Are there any departments or employees that you’d like to see added or promoted?
Miller: I think our city budget seems to be pretty stable right now. All of our city departments seem to be working very hard to maintain a stable foothold on some trying times. I am very proud of all of our staff members.
Krause: Did not respond.
Kettenhoven: I see cuts as negatives. When we cut something, we automatically lose something. We had a growth rate of 2.94 percent in 2013. That growth has allowed us to balance the budget for 2014, and lower the tax rate, without losing any services. Again, I think this is all due to the efforts of the dedicated staff, department heads and employees, and city officials.
Many of our departments are already running on a skeleton crew, and yet we have a beautiful park system, an expanding Industrial Park, and a very safe place to live.
Wilson: Did not respond.
Hankins: As a member of the Finance Committee I have helped make hard decisions on spending. In 2012 we cut our city budget, spending a quarter of a million dollars less than in the previous year.
As chairman of the Clintonville Area Waste Commission, I have worked with our partners from the towns of Mattson and Larrabee, to eliminate the subsidies from our communities for the CAWs Site. This reduced city spending by $16,000 dollars a year, while we also improved safety, staffing, and operations at the site.
Our Street department has been reduced from 10 employees to six as department employees retired.
Every year our Finance Committee spends two to three months going over every line in the budget, reviewing each item, with each department head, looking for ways to save. If I am re-elected I am committed to continuing this process.
Kuester: My priority is growing the city so cutting budgets is not first on my list. I would have to examine all areas of the budget and compare to cities of comparable size, watching for duplication of duties etc. The city administrator is responsible for overseeing all employees and the mayor for overseeing the city administrator. As I understand it the council provides input to those two. In my listening sessions with citizens one person brought up the fact that three garbage collection trucks go by his house each week. I was not here when the privatization of that service took place but would ask if this is the most efficient way.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being low and 10 being high), how much progress do you think the city has made in the past three years? What will you do to continue or reverse that trend?
Miller: I give us a solid 10 based on our progress in the last three years.
Krause: Did not respond.
Kettenhoven: I would give our city a solid 10. In the past three years we have new businesses like Walgreen’s, Kwik Trip, Ellen’s Café, and Arty’s. Major companies like Walker Forge, Creative Converting, Schutt Industries, Specialized Products, and Deluxe Die Mold have expanded and increased their workforce.
I think our emphasis should be to continue with the current growth trend by encouraging other businesses to expand their operations by building here in Clintonville.
Wilson: Did not respond.
Hankins: We need to continue to involve citizens in an open process, developing long-range plans that use tax dollars wisely. In the last three years we have consistently attracted new and expanded businesses. This creates jobs. Last year our almost 3 percent increase in tax base was 6 times the county’s half percent increase. This expanding tax base helps control our tax rate.
Kuester: Since Clintonville is the only city that has not grown in population in the 2010 census (and since I graduated from High School) I would rate it 1 on that scale. The city’s efforts have been on the industrial park which has resulted in jobs and will eventually add to our tax base but many of the jobs are held by out-of-towners who shop elsewhere. I see a new auto parts store but also a vacant Merc building on Main street where the original auto parts store was before the new competition came in. I see a new filling station but also a closed one on Main Street. I see more vacant store fronts on Main Street so my overall rating would be 6. I would work to fill vacant stores, attract new residents and encourage employers to join a joint effort to get workers to live in the city.
Why should people elect you?
Miller: I would like to be re-elected so I can help to continue our push to be a great place to live.
Krause: Did not respond.
Kettenhoven: I believe that my experience, knowledge, and confidence will continue to drive me to make the right decisions for the people of my district and the City of Clintonville. I am dedicated to seeing that our community continues to grow, and I am always available to listen to your concerns and ideas.
Wilson: Did not respond.
Hankins: I’ve served for 10 years on the City Council. Fellow alderpersons elected me Council President, the last two years. I have chaired five city committees, served on a total of 12, and on the Park and Recreation Commission for 13 years before becoming an alderperson. I also played a major role in developing Clintonville’s Community/Senior Center on Main Street.
I served as one of three Co-Chairs of the C.A.R.E. Citizen’s Committee that developed the plan for Clintonville’s New High School, Community Recreation Center, and remodeled Middle School. I was one of two Co-Chairs of the Design Committee for these facilities. During that school planning process, I found that a lot of the best ideas came from community residents who came to our many open planning sessions. I think we need to keep listening to our citizens and we need to be accountable to them.
I have had the opportunity to work with many of our community’s leaders and volunteers over almost 30 years, and I have learned the importance of long range planning, and making a positive contribution. I would appreciate the chance to continue to use what I have learned to help my hometown, and the people who live here.
Kuester: This is the first time in 10 years there has been competition for this seat on the city council. I hope this contest will bring more voters to the polls. I bring new energy, new ideas and expertise in marketing and finance. We do not have term limits for council seats and I am not proposing that. But if more citizens were encouraged to step up and run for office, our overall informed populous would increase. One former alderperson told me he thought everyone should serve a term on the council. I was asked by many constituents to run after attending a council meeting and speaking out. I have experience in working with board to arrive at consensus. I am the fourth generation of my family to step forward to serve the city of Clintonville. I represent owner operated small businesses, rather than out of town corporations. Let’s honor Clintonville as home of the FWD and North Central Airlines. Our entrepreneurs can do anything.