Advertisement In one of the highest profile races in the area, two-term Onalaska Alderman Mike Giese and first-term Alderman Bob Muth are seeking the mayor’s office, which is open because Mayor Jim Bialecki decided to step down from public service at the end of his second term.
Giese and Muth were the top votegetters in a three-candidate primary held in February that also included Calvin King.
Here are their answers they returned to the newspaper’s questionnaire.
Why do you want to serve as Onalaska mayor?
Onalaska will face demanding new financial challenges over the next four years. I am eager to be hired by the voters of Onalaska to work full time to help our city meet these challenges.
What personal qualities and experiences make you a well-qualified candidate for the job?
Given the declining state of the national and state economy my experiences in working cooperatively and managing large organizations will make the mayor’s job easier.
What are the three most important issues facing the mayor and what would your approach to dealing with those issues be?
1. Responding to the looming economic issues of national/state recession and the fossil fuel crisis
2. Promoting and managing growth at a reasonable cost given that the Interstate 90 corridor is nearly full, and we are confined by the river and bluffs
3. Wise use of each and every tax penny.
Issue No. 3 above is also an important approach to dealing with issues Nos. 1 and 2. Keeping cost to as low a level as possible while optimizing income from operations and maximizing federal, state and NGO grants is also important. A universal approach to dealing with issues is to continually improve productivity, i.e. increase the value of services while lowering the cost of services.
1. Continue to be a proactive player in the region. We need to keep open all lines of communication with the surrounding communities and open new lines where necessary.
2. Planned growth. We here in Onalaska are fortunate to have on board a city planning department that is second to none. I will continue to work closely with our city planner and his group and look to the public for input on these projects.
3. Maintaining or improving city services and keeping a steady tax rate. I will keep a current and ongoing open dialogue with department heads pursuant to efficiency within their respective departments.
Under what circumstances do you believe it’s appropriate for the city to establish a tax-increment financing district?
Tax-increment financing districts divert property taxes that would go to our schools to pay for the TIF, for the life of that TIF. TIFs that benefit only entities outside Onalaska or selected Onalaska taxpayers are inappropriate.
1. Would the expected development occur without the use of the tax-increment financing?
2. How does the development in the TIF district fit into the overall economic picture of your municipality? Into an existing comprehensive plan? Are the kinds of businesses that will locate in the TIF district good for the community in the long run?
3. How does this TIF district benefit the property tax payers? Is the total expenditure for the eligible project costs feasible? Will the municipality be able to fund the costs prior to receiving the first increment dollars?
4. Who will have the responsibility for making sure that all filing requirements are completed after the TIF district is created and upon termination?
5. How are the municipality, school, county and vocational school districts impacted by the TIF district?
6. What are the risks to a municipality considering a TIF project?
7. How many and what kind of jobs will this development create?
8. Does the developer need a public subsidy? If so, how is the benefit analyzed? Is there a written developer’s agreement with a required notice given?
9. What written assurances does this municipality have that the development/redevelopment will happen as anticipated? Will the developer guarantee receipt of the projected increment?
10. What are the political risks associated with the TIF district?
How do you feel about the way things are progressing with development of Onalaska’s Black River waterfront and redevelopment of the old downtown area? Please explain.
This downtown redevelopment will define Onalaska for the next 50 years. The current national economic conditions (a dramatic change from last year) require that we consider the changing cost of capital, potential federal and state funding, business cycles and energy costs. This may appear counterintuitive, however, are we thinking big enough and allowing an appropriate number of years to complete the project? This project should be of the highest priority for our next mayor. I see great things on the Black River in 2020.
If elected mayor, what would you hope to be remembered for at the end of your service?
Do you believe it is likely the city of Onalaska will pursue annexing Brice Prairie? Please explain.
La Crosse County Administrator Steve O’Malley points out that our county now has $20 million in unfunded and deferred road maintenance cost. Urban taxpayers will pay for 70 percent this cost. We cannot afford to continue to “sprawl” residential development.
Do you think there are any changes needed in how the city is run? Please elaborate.
1. Review departmental organizational chart and building space allocation as part of ongoing management activities.
2. Continue the improvement in opening city government to the people
3. Earlier adoption of business innovations to improve the rate of productivity increase.
4. Initiate sustainability priority: promote LEED/ recycling and reuse, mitigation of stormwater runoff and cost, collaboration with La Crosse County and the city of La Crosse on “Natural Step” and more. In this area, our first step should be containment of operational costs focusing on energy use reduction and productivity increase.
5. Extend the annual budget deliberations by three weeks to allow for a purposeful dialogue between executive, council, staff and the public.
6. Optimize cost effectiveness in all purchasing at city hall. Look to the county, the University of Wisconsin and the state as partners in cost reduction. This is not to imply that efforts are not being made now, only that we need to make sure that we are not missing any opportunities for savings.
Change is a constant in all organizations striving to perform better. This is only the start of a list of changes to be considered now. Any list will need to be updated and re-prioritized regularly.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
Mike Giese
Bob Muth
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