Taxes, Budget Cuts on Top of Candidates' List of Concerns

Getting a handle on taxes, bringing new families to Shorewood and dealing with state aid cuts in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget were hot button issues discussed by Village Board contenders at a candidates forum Wednesday.

Incumbent Michael Maher and newcomers Don Ford and Michael Sauer spoke to a small crowd at a Shorewood Men's Club event at Hubbard Park Lodge. Candidate Christopher Piotrowski was absent.

“I just wanted to find out about the candidates because local elections are just as important as national elections, especially given everything that’s going on at the state level,” said resident Tammy Bockhorst, one of those in attendance.

The candidates

With a master’s degree in public administration, Maher has managed the finances of Legal Action of Wisconsin, a non-profit legal aid organization, for 26 years. He also has served two terms on the Village Board. Before moving to Wisconsin, he worked for the Environmental Protection Agency on urban storm water projects in Illinois.

“I’m very familiar with negotiations, long nights working through things with employees and reaching an agreement that moves us forward,” he said.

Ford has lived in Shorewood for six years, though he considers himself a newcomer after living in Alaska for 13 years and Australia for five years. He is a certified public accountant with a degree in accounting and finance.

“The big issues facing us are especially our financial stability, our deteriorating infrastructure,” he said. “I think my background as a CPA and a business manager will complement the existing board.”

Sauer earned his master’s degree in private management and works in insurance. Sauer sees his youth as an advantage to him in serving on the board.

“I see how things look here from the perspective of a renter, and also from a younger perspective of someone who eventually wants to come here and raise a family,” he said.

Walker’s budget

Among the most pressing issues was how the candidates would manage to provide services in the face of funding cuts from the state government.

The candidates expressed similar ideas in facing budget cuts consolidating operations between Shorewood and neighboring communities, as well being flexible until it is clear how Shorewood will be affected.

Maher criticized the state budget proposal.

“The budget repair bill actually, the way it’s currently configured, raises our personnel costs by about $40,000,” he said.

Sewers

The candidates also discussed the village's sewer problems and how they should be resolved.

“(The system) is two or three generations old and now it’s on our generation to do something about it,” said Ford, though he believed that more investigation is necessary before deciding what action to take.

Sauer, however, expressed doubts about replacing the whole system.

“Something needs to be done, but do we need a $72 million construction project to do it?” he asked. “I’m not 100 percent sure about that. There are other options.”

During the forum, residents in the audience expressed concerns over how the village could entice young families to buy homes in Shorewood, which increase the village’s tax revenue.

All three candidates said they support increasing the village’s efforts to promote itself.