Story originally printed in the Onalaska Life or online at www.onalaskalife.com

Published - Friday, May 16, 2008

Giese pulls out a squeaker in Onalaska mayoral race; recount planned

Mayor-elect Mike Giese chats with his wife, Kathy, after learning he had beaten opponent Bob Muth by three votes. Photo by Randy Erickson

By JO ANNE KILLEEN | Staff writer

If it wasn’t the closest mayoral election in Onalaska history, it was close. It couldn’t get much closer.

With almost 25 percent of eligible voters casting ballots Tuesday, Alderman Mike Giese was elected mayor over fellow Alderman Bob Muth by a three-vote margin, winning with 1,489 votes to Muth’s 1,486.

At press time on Wednesday, Mike Giese was considered the mayor-elect, in line to take over April 14 for two-term Mayor Jim Bialecki, who chose not to run for re-election. Muth has asked for a recount because of the close vote, and City Clerk Cari Burmaster said that recount will start at 9 a.m. Monday in Room 112 at City Hall.

“We will have a recount,” Giese said. “I certainly understand why Mr. Muth would feel the necessity to do so.”

Both Giese and Muth called Tuesday’s results a lesson in democracy — and the lesson is that every vote counts.

Muth, a longtime Onalaska police officer who now works as an investigator for the La Crosse County district attorney’s office, said Tuesday he’s ruled out another run. “This was my one shot,” he said. “In four years I’ll be 62, and there’s a lot of golf courses I haven’t aerated yet.”

There was no close margin for incumbent aldermen up for re-election to the council. Jim Olson garnered 598 votes, or 55 percent, for the District 1 seat, to beat out challenger Rick Durst, the city’s former administrator, who had 490 votes (45 percent).

District 2 Alderman Clarence Stellner ran unopposed and collected 620 votes (with 22 write-in votes for others), while 3rd District Alderwoman Kim Smith garnered 715 votes (with eight write-in votes for others).

There were six write-in votes cast in the mayoral race. Giese was not surprised by the number of write-ins that were cast, but what concerned him was the 25 under-votes that could have made a difference. “The people who did not vote for mayor might wish they had because every vote is having a decisive effect,” he said.

Onalaska Town Board

In what was seen as an encouraging sign for people eager for change on the Onalaska Town Board, challenger Howard Kelly unseated longtime board member Frank Fogel by 50 votes, a 7-percentage point margin.

Seventeen percent of eligible voters in the town of Onalaska cast ballots, with Kelly getting 53.5 percent and Fogel getting 46 percent. There was also one write-in vote.

“The most important thing is that I could never have thought to win this without the help of people in the community,” Kelly said. “I thank Frank for 20 years on the board and for having a clean, honest campaign for the board. It was straight up.”

Showing a different kind of approach and concern for his community, Kelly said he will donate the pay he gets as a town board member to Riverfront in La Crosse. “Doing this is more of a community service than anything else,” he said.

Kelly is concerned the town has suffered because of the events surrounding last year’s election and, although he expects challenges, he hopes to bring more cohesiveness to the community.

“The town of Onalaska is in terrible shape because of the change in the board and what has happened over the last year,” he said. “I know I’m not going to be popular with the board, but through tenacity and being at the board month after month, people will recognize the logic I am bringing to the decision-making process.

“I have the greatest respect for the people who are currently on the board,” Kelly continued. “They are giving of their time to do something that ultimately could benefit people in our community.”

Former Town Chairman Dave Paudler was pleased with the results of the election. “It was nice to see Howard win, for sure,” Paudler said. “He presented himself as someone who will listen and get information back to people who have asked for it. That’s something the present board has refused to do.

“It’s a sign the people want to see a change, to get back to being a normal city and the way meetings are run and responding to people,” Paudler continued. “It’s a good turn for the town. Hopefully he can bring some stability to the board.”

Vicki Burke, County Board Supervisor in the town of Onalaska, believes the voters are making a statement about their dissatisfaction with the current town of Onalaska board, but the town is divided. “Kelly beating Frank Fogel, the closeness of that shows the town is divided. I think what that means to me was the last election was definitely impacted by that material that went out two days before the last election.”

The other seat open on the Onalaska Town Board was Jeff Henessee’s seat. He ran unopposed and kept his seat.

County board

While not as close a race as the town of Onalaska, Burke secured her seat for another two years on the county board for District 26, which includes parts of the towns of Onalaska and Campbell. Burke received 69 percent of the votes while her challenger, James Kinsman, collected 31 percent of the votes.

Burke cruised to a victory by winning in the town of Campbell with 73.1 percent of the voters, and support from 64.5 percent of voters in the town of Onalaska. “I really believe my vote was a confirmation of my performance, that people are happy with what I am doing,” Burke said. “I look forward to two more years and completing some very important tasks such as the law enforcement center remodeling and having more discussions with the towns on comprehensive plan and work with the towns on that.”

Marilyn Pedretti will replace George Hammes on the county board for District 27. With 65.71 percent of the vote, Pedretti beat out challenger Mark Huesmann.

Seventy-two percent of the voters in the Holmen part of her district voted for Pedretti, and she garnered support from 57 percent of Holland voters.

“I’m surprised,” Pedretti said. “It’s great that there’s that many people out there that came out to vote for me. Thank you to everyone who voted for me and I will do all I can to represent the people in my district.”

Other county board members who kept their seats without challenge were Leon Pfaff, District 24; Steve Doyle, District 28; Brad Pfaff, District 29; and Charles Spiker, District 30.

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