Meet the 2022 Candidates
A slew of hopefuls are competing for seats on the Eau Claire City Council in the April 5 election. Here’s who they are and where they stand.
In case you hadn’t noticed all the yard signs, it’s that time again: Wisconsin’s spring election is Tuesday, April 5. Unlike fall elections – like the one we’ll have in November for Congress, U.S. Senate, and the state Legislature – spring elections are nonpartisan. But that doesn’t meant they’re without importance.
In fact, you could argue that these elections are in many ways more important than the higher-profile ones: Local government is where the rubber meets the road in terms of representative democracy: It’s members of city councils, school boards, county boards, and other local offices who determined how roads get plowed, fires get extinguished, and children get educated.
In the City of Eau Claire, voters will chose among nine candidates running for five seats on the City Council. Three incumbents – Catherine Emmanuelle, David Klinkhammer, and Jon Lor – chose not to seek re-election. This leaves this election relatively wide-open. Two of the candidates, Kate Beaton and Roderick Jones, are running to retain their seats. The other seven are newcomers, including Mary Catherine Partlow, whose name will not appear on the ballot but who is registered as a write-in candidate. (Note: One candidate, Mark Richter, did not respond to our candidate questionnaire.)
The biographies and question responses on the following pages will help you get to know the candidates both as people and as politicians. As in past years, we asked candidates to rank their priorities by allocating 100 points across a variety of important issues.
Where do I vote?
The state’s official myvote.wi.gov website will tell you what’s on your ballot, and where your polling place is: Just select the “Where Do I Vote?” icon, input your street address, and you’ll be directed to your polling place. The same website can also help you find out if you’re already registered to vote (this will save you some headaches on Election Day, although you’ll still need to bring a photo ID to the polls) and who your current elected officials are.
What do those numbers mean?
As of way quantifying the candidates’ priorities, we gave all of them a list of categories and 100 points. They were asked to assign more points to the categories they would emphasize and fewer points to those that would take a lower priority if they were elected. Candidates didn’t have to assign points to each category, and they were given an “other” category if they felt the options we provided didn’t cover all their priorities. We also asked the candidates to explain why they arranged the priorities the way they did. You’ll see that as the last question in the Q&A.
City Council Candidates
Kate Beaton
| Infrastructure | 5% |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | 10% |
| Public Transportation | 10% |
| Maintaining/Reducing Taxes | 10% |
| Recreational & Cultural Opportunities | 5% |
| Public Health | 10% |
| Economic Development | 15% |
| Environmental Sustainability | 15% |
| Affordable & Available Housing | 20% |
age 30
years in Eau Claire 11.5
family Engaged to be married in June.
occupation Organizing director.
education UW-Eau Claire, 2014.
political experience Six years on Eau Claire City Council.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in Eau Claire in the past five years, and how do we expand on it?
In 2017, Eau Claire led the state by setting a goal to transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2050 and making a strategic plan to accomplish this goal. In doing this, we are making smart financial decisions to invest in clean energy, which is cheaper than fossil fuels, and doing our part to ensure a safe future for the next generation. Moving forward we’ll need to continue to make investments with a high return, as prioritized in our Renewable Energy Action Plan, as well as be nimble to leverage the rapidly changing technology that will help us in this goal.
What unique qualities or skills do you possess that set you apart from the other candidates?
I am someone who moved to Eau Claire 12 years ago for college, decided to stay after graduation, have built my career here, bought a house, and am building family here. As we grow, we need to double down on the things that make Eau Claire a lovable city, things that make people want to come and put roots here, like I did – things like good wages, attainable housing, healthy natural areas, strong neighborhoods, and a government that empowers people to get involved.
What role should the city play in creating job opportunities and retaining young workers?
We should continue to create a lovable community people want to move to. Of Wisconsin’s largest 10 cities, Eau Claire was the second-fastest growing city since 2010, attracting workers and their families. That’s because we’ve invested in our parks and trails system, prioritized affordable housing, and cultivated our arts and culture, etc. The city will need to find ways to continue to provide the same high quality service, as our state funding remains relatively stagnant and our community grows. We’ll need to also continue to increase our housing stock across income levels, focusing particularly on lower-income housing.
What role should the city play be in local redevelopment efforts?
In the last five years or so, Eau Claire has seen significant redevelopment which has created new businesses, new jobs, new housing, and new cultural amenities. The City Council has invested in these redevelopment effort, occasionally providing make-or-break funding to move a project forward. We should continue to make smart investments that limit gentrification but increase availability of jobs and housing.
What can (or should) the city do to ensure affordable, accessible housing for all residents?
The City Council has invested millions of public dollars to subsidize new affordable housing, which has successfully increased our affordable housing stock. But building prices are way up and it’s becoming more and more difficult to build new housing that is affordable. As we increase our housing stock across the board, we also need to think of creative ways to make existing housing more affordable, like improving energy efficiency in homes to bring energy bills down.
Please write a statement explaining why you organized your priorities as you did.
I allocated points not based on what percentage of our budget I believe that we need to spend on each of these categories or how important I think they are. Rather, I gave more points to categories that I believe we need to pay special attention to in the next five years. There are things that our city does really well: maintaining our streets and infrastructure, providing city recreational opportunities, etc. We can continue with the status quo to continue to provide a great service to the community. But there are other things that we need to spend more time to be visionary, breaking away from the status quo, to make the significant change we need – providing safe, affordable housing for all, building more housing stock across income levels as our city population grows, transitioning away from fossil fuels to protect our environment and reduce our energy costs long term, cleaning up the ground and surface water, creating more opportunities for small business owners and working families, etc.
Joshua Miller
| Infrastructure | 10% |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | 10% |
| Public Transportation | 14% |
| Maintaining/Reducing Taxes | 0% |
| Recreational & Cultural Opportunities | 12% |
| Public Health | 12% |
| Economic Development | 0% |
| Environmental Sustainability | 20% |
| Affordable & Available Housing | 20% |
| Other | 2% |
age 42
years in Eau Claire 16
family Married with an 11-year-old daughter.
occupation Senior chemical lab technician at Hutchinson Technology/TDK
education Bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in mathematics, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2002
political experience Waterways & Parks Commission member for six years, chairperson for three years.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in Eau Claire in the past five years, and how do we expand on it?
The amazing recent downtown growth is the most exciting thing in the past five years, I’ve not seen anything like it before now. Personally, my favorite project is the library renovation and transformation. The library is downtown’s most visited destination and a hub of civic life. The library will be a jewel of the city center when it reopens this fall. A close second is the transit center, a permanent facility that is befitting a growing city like ours. We need to keep reinventing our urban core with infrastructure, density, walkability, and greening as an anchor for the whole city.
What unique qualities or skills do you possess that set you apart from the other candidates?
I work in manufacturing, a sector vital to the economy of Wisconsin, and, if elected, would be the only one on the City Council with that experience. That insight would be of use as we work to attract both good employers and highly-skilled workers to the Chippewa Valley. My spouse is an educator and I have a daughter in public schools, lending me experience in the public and private sectors and with family life. My time on the Waterway & Parks Commission also gives me valuable experience in city government if I were to join the council as a newcomer.
What role should the city play in creating job opportunities and retaining young workers?
With Eau Claire’s unemployment now near record low levels, creating job opportunities is not currently an issue. To retain young workers and recent graduates, Eau Claire has to be a place where someone both wants to live and where they can live. Fostering and promoting amenities like recreational opportunities and cultural activities while having an open, tolerant, and welcoming community would be a pull to encourage young people to move to or stay here. Housing and transportation costs determine if someone can afford to live somewhere. Lowering these costs is vital to making Eau Claire an affordable place to live.
What role should the city play be in local redevelopment efforts?
Continuous redevelopment is essential to the sustainability of Eau Claire. These tasks should mainly be led by the private sector, but the city can provide guidance and incentives to direct growth. Redevelopment needs to be cohesive with a forward-looking vision in mind. A comprehensive plan encourages the orderly development of a city and creates attractive and efficient urban surroundings while also ensuring that the environment and other long-term public interests are given the consideration deserved. The city has tools available to support redevelopment when it is demonstrated that the benefits to the city strongly justify the investment decisions.
What can (or should) the city do to ensure affordable, accessible housing for all residents?
There are two approaches the city can take. One would be to work with developers and make a direct investment to build low-cost homes and apartments with the express purpose of affordability. A second approach would be to use finance and regulatory tools to increase the total amount of housing. Current residential vacancy rates are half of what they need to be for housing costs to be “affordable,” which is 30% of household income. The city would need to be mindful of an acceleration in housing construction to ensure it’s done with a long-term overall plan in mind.
Please write a statement explaining why you organized your priorities as you did.
This list is a priority ranking, not budgeting percentage. Affordable housing is a top area given the current needs. Included in that is also an obligation to address residents experiencing homelessness. Sustainability is also highly ranked because Eau Claire must follow through on its commitment to be 100% on renewable energies by 2050, if not sooner. This won’t happen without deliberate, long-term plans. Public transportation is an area where the city must develop to meet our growth. With the new transit center, we need to pursue Sunday bus service. Public health would have been first on the list last year; though vigilance is still needed, we can employ recent experience if any new COVID waves arise. Recreation and culture get a boost as part of a goal of retaining young workers. The areas receiving 10%, an average ranking, are important but currently maintainable. Zero points were given to reducing taxes because the city is currently debating a referendum to exceed property tax levy limits. Zero points were given to economic development due to the current labor shortage. The two points for the category of “other” fall into a rainy day fund for flexibility because something always comes up unexpectedly.
Robert Carr
| Infrastructure | 25% |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | 20% |
| Public Transportation | 5% |
| Maintaining/Reducing Taxes | 5% |
| Recreational & Cultural Opportunities | 5% |
| Public Health | 10% |
| Economic Development | 15% |
| Environmental Sustainability | 5% |
| Affordable & Available Housing | 5% |
age 58
years in Eau Claire 58
family Married with two grown children and one grandchild.
occupation Sales.
education B.S. from UWEC (1988).
political experience Multiple terms on the Eastside Hill Neighborhood Association steering committee.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in Eau Claire in the past five years, and how do we expand on it?
Phoenix Park. The development of green space, commercial, and residential is great. I would make sure that surrounding developments fit with the current area and I would be very careful not to infringe on access or parking.
What unique qualities or skills do you possess that set you apart from the other candidates?
Living my entire life here I have seen many things come and go. This experience will help the city build on the good and avoid repeating the bad.
What role should the city play in creating job opportunities and retaining young workers?
The city’s part in this puzzle is to create a safe environment to live, work, and raise a family. The city needs to continue to support the wide variety of activities and attractions it is well known for. The city also needs to support not hinder the private sector so it can continue to grow and adapt to changes in the job market.
What role should the city play be in local redevelopment efforts?
The city needs to be the big picture people and promote redevelopment so it benefits all residents. This is true no matter the size of the project. If the planning is done right the project will have a positive impact well beyond its boundaries. This is where the city can guide development with targeted incentives and improvements to infrastructure.
What can (or should) the city do to ensure affordable, accessible housing for all residents?
The city can offer incentives like tax breaks and discounted loans. They can also offer improvement to infrastructure like water, sewer, and transportation to help lower the cost of construction. The city must also hold property owners accountable for substandard and unsafe living conditions.
Please write a statement explaining why you organized your priorities as you did.
The top three of infrastructure, safety, and growth are the big picture items that only the city can do. If they are done right they will support most of the others. An example is growth will help offset taxes and can be sustainable.
Larry Mboga
| Infrastructure | 100% |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | 100% |
| Public Transportation | 100% |
| Maintaining/Reducing Taxes | 100% |
| Recreational & Cultural Opportunities | 100% |
| Public Health | 100% |
| Economic Development | 100% |
| Environmental Sustainability | 100% |
| Affordable & Available Housing | 100% |
age 49
years in Eau Claire 20
family Three children.
occupation Coach.
education College.
political experience First-time candidate.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in Eau Claire in the past five years, and how do we expand on it?
The Pablo Center at the Confluence. Affordable housing (more affordable housing should be build).
What unique qualities or skills do you possess that set you apart from the other candidates?
I am an independent thinker, a team player, and and I love working with people of different political parties.
What role should the city play in creating job opportunities and retaining young workers?
No response.
What role should the city play be in local redevelopment efforts?
Set local development priorities and allocate public funds to affordable housing and other community development initiatives.
What can (or should) the city do to ensure affordable, accessible housing for all residents?
We should retain the Eau Claire landlord support program for years to come, create an affordable housing trust, offer incentives and tax breaks, and relax zoning and developing rules.
Please write a statement explaining why you organized your priorities as you did.
I think strongly that the above priorities get 100% because the city needs all of them to function efficiently.
Charlie Johnson
| Infrastructure | 20% |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | 20% |
| Public Transportation | 12% |
| Maintaining/Reducing Taxes | 0% |
| Recreational & Cultural Opportunities | 0% |
| Public Health | 6% |
| Economic Development | 10% |
| Environmental Sustainability | 12% |
| Affordable & Available Housing | 20% |
age 23
years in Eau Claire 5
family Single, no children.
occupation Project coordinator.
education Bachelors degree in political science, UW-Eau Claire, 2020.
political experience First-time candidate.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in Eau Claire in the past five years, and how do we expand on it?
The public-private partnerships that have allowed developments such as the Pablo Center at the Confluence and the Sonnentag Event Center to become a reality. The Pablo Center has provided new jobs, is a draw for tourists, and has helped to revitalize the downtown area. The Sonnentag Center will host events year-round which will provide an economic boost to the community. The growing partnership between UW-Eau Claire and Mayo Clinic, which will be seen within the Sonnentag Center, will be another draw for young talented students and professionals
What unique qualities or skills do you possess that set you apart from the other candidates?
Having served in a student leadership position at UW-Eau Claire, acting as a representative voice for more than 10,000 students, I understand the importance of listening and putting aside my personal beliefs when it comes to representing a large, diverse group of people. Additionally, as I will be the only member on the council under the age of 30, I will be able to offer the unique perspective of the younger generation of Eau Claire.
What role should the city play in creating job opportunities and retaining young workers?
If people see there is a clear vision for the future of Eau Claire, not only will it attract new businesses and potential workers, but we will be able to retain the bright young minds from our local schools and colleges. As a city, we must make continued investments in the services and public resources that make Eau Claire a desirable destination.
What role should the city play be in local redevelopment efforts?
We have a responsibility to first listen to the concerns of all residents and make sure our redevelopment efforts don’t have a negative impact on certain members of the community. We can provide support and continued investment in the small businesses that make Eau Claire special. Particularly with the impacts of COVID-19, we must provide support to those who were hit the hardest by utilizing the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
What can (or should) the city do to ensure affordable, accessible housing for all residents?
I believe it will be important to identify and take steps to reduce any barriers to “in-fill” development. This will help us provide residents with affordable housing that connects them with the necessary public utilities to take part in and benefit from the local economy. Additionally, when making decisions regarding housing developments, inclusivity needs to be a top priority. Affordable housing initiatives need to be designed so they accommodate people from all backgrounds regardless of age, race, disability status, etc.
Please write a statement explaining why you organized your priorities as you did.
I started by allocating 20 points to the categories of infrastructure, affordable housing, and public safety because I believe these are the basic necessities residents of Eau Claire should expect. All members of the community deserve housing, we all require water and rely on plumbing, and we expect our public safety officials to be able to respond to an incident such as a house fire. Next, I allocated 12 points to both public transportation and environmental sustainability because I believe they are intertwined. As we continue to improve the quality and access to public transportation methods across the city, we need to take into account its impact on the environment. Last, but certainly not least, I felt it necessary to highlight the importance of investing in our local economy and public health initiatives, particularly during this time as we are still dealing with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brian Trowbridge
| Infrastructure | 30% |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | 20% |
| Public Transportation | 5% |
| Maintaining/Reducing Taxes | 5% |
| Recreational & Cultural Opportunities | 10% |
| Public Health | 10% |
| Economic Development | 10% |
| Environmental Sustainability | 5% |
| Affordable & Available Housing | 5% |
age 42
years in Eau Claire 16 in Eau Claire, 34 total in the Chippewa Valley.
family Two sons, ages 13 and 16.
occupation Deputy sheriff.
education Bachelor of Arts, Political Science with public administration minor, UW-Whitewater 2020. Associate of Arts, Human Services/Criminal Justice, Kilian Community College, Sioux Falls, SD, 2005.
political experience First-time candidate.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in Eau Claire in the past five years, and how do we expand on it?
First off, I’d like to thank anyone taking the time to read these questions and answers. Having freedom to vote is one of the most important rights we have as citizens, and it is our duty to equip ourselves with the facts regarding those we are weighing at the poll. For me, this would be the collaborations on development within the city. Though not everyone was in favor of some of the developments, the promise shown when citizens, local business, and large corporations come together to fund projects that improve the community as a whole is very encouraging to me.
What unique qualities or skills do you possess that set you apart from the other candidates?
I have worked in public service, corrections and law enforcement, for the past 19 years. During that time I have had the opportunity to meet people of all walks and stations of life, and backgrounds. I feel that I have been able to relate to all of them in some way, and have remained open to their ideas, and customs. I have also worked in investigations for seven of those 19 years, and in doing so have become very fact-driven, being able to remove personal emotion from decisions and basing them solely on fact whenever possible.
What role should the city play in creating job opportunities and retaining young workers?
The role of the city in the actual creation of jobs is one of responsible financial stewardship. The city needs to be willing to offer financial incentives to employers of both high- and low-skill jobs that will come to Eau Claire, creating economic growth. In order to attract employers, a city needs to offer employees. Fortunately, and unfortunately Eau Claire has an unemployment rate of approximately 2%, which is great for the well-being of our citizens, but doesn’t offer employers much. This makes attracting new, competitive employers, attractive to young workers, difficult.
What role should the city play be in local redevelopment efforts?
As with creating job opportunities, the role of a city in redevelopment efforts is one of finances. Redevelopment helps to ensure economic growth by maximizing use of available land and buildings within a city. In a time where space is at a premium, it is important for cities to be active in the upkeep of their neighborhoods, both for commercial growth and job opportunities, as well as creating housing units. Without redevelopment efforts by the city, whether that happens directly, or by means of incentives to landlords and developers, employers will take jobs elsewhere, and citizens will suffer.
What can (or should) the city do to ensure affordable, accessible housing for all residents?
If my understanding is correct, Eau Claire is at its limit for HUD funded public housing properties. If this is true, it is not an option for the city to increase the number of publicly owned housing units without bearing a large cost for them in the absence of HUD dollars. This means that the city can only subsidize developers, landlords, and potentially new grant programs in order to create new affordable housing units. Offering these incentives, along with easing zoning provisions, and paving the way for desired land use could assist in the development of more housing.
Please write a statement explaining why you organized your priorities as you did.
Public infrastructure is the backbone of our community, and the reason I chose to place 30% on that category. Without adequate streets, water/sewer, transportation, and utilities, the City of Eau Claire would cease to exist. Next, at 20%, the safety and security of Eau Claire’s citizens is an absolute priority. If a community can’t ensure the health and wellbeing of its citizens, there is no reason for the citizens to stay. Now that we have established our community and guaranteed our citizens are cared for, we can focus on activities for them to take part in, health facilities for them to utilize, and economic development so they can find jobs and earn a living. Finally, at 5% public transportation can be maintained to move our citizens around the community, housing programs can be implemented to ensure affordability and availability for all, taxes can be maintained in order to help pay for the programs and services offered, and environmental issues can be addressed to maintain the health and sustainability of our community.
Roderick Jones
| Infrastructure | 15% |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | 15% |
| Public Transportation | 10% |
| Maintaining/Reducing Taxes | 0% |
| Recreational & Cultural Opportunities | 10% |
| Public Health | 10% |
| Economic Development | 10% |
| Environmental Sustainability | 10% |
| Affordable & Available Housing | 10% |
age 46
years in Eau Claire 3
family Spouse Dr. Angela Jones; children Carmela Jones (4 years), and Orphea Jones (5 months).
occupation Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education and Inclusive Practices, UW-Eau Claire.
education Bachelor Science, Special Education; Masters of Education, Educational Leadership; Doctor of Philosophy, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies – all degrees earned from University of South Florida.
political experience Appointed to Eau Claire City Council-At Large Seat in June 2021.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in Eau Claire in the past five years, and how do we expand on it?
Although operational more than five years now, I would be remiss not to mention the symbolic significance of The Pablo Center. The Pablo serves as a flagship of community, economic growth, and appreciation of the arts and humanities. Additionally, I appreciate the efforts many local organizations and community members continue to make toward advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). While there remains much work to be on this front, there is a palpable desire for communal EDI fervor and commitment in Eau Claire. Over the last five years our City Council has paved the way on these issues.
What unique qualities or skills do you possess that set you apart from the other candidates?
Having worked as a public school teacher and leader for nearly 20 years and now as an assistant professor for the past three years, I have always viewed my professional life as an act of public service. I have great interpersonal and communication skills and relate well to others regardless of their cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. I am a deliberative thinker who is unafraid to question orthodoxy. I always endeavor to maintain an open mind, take in new information, and make well-informed decisions based on the most relevant and impactful points of view, policy, and procedures.
What role should the city play in creating job opportunities and retaining young workers?
In response to this question, I believe the city could learn more from and implement some of the practices demonstrated by the local business CoLab. CoLab thrives at fostering a coworker environment that I believe many young professional workers are becoming increasingly familiar with. It also offers great start-up support across many areas for new and established business owners and entrepreneurs, which bodes equally well for young, BIPOC business owners new to Eau Claire and who desire to remain in here. In essence, the city should scale-up a pro-job development model that resembles what we see taking place at CoLab.
What role should the city play be in local redevelopment efforts?
I think the city should continue to broaden and deepen its goals around Empower Eau Claire. This participatory budgeting process is the first of its kind in Wisconsin. It can provide our residents opportunities to have more say in how our city utilizes budgetary resources to help (re)develop our community. This has powerful potential toward increasing community involvement. I believe the more residents come to understand facets of city budgeting processes, the more likely they are to commit to efforts that support public infrastructure, health, safety, transportation, economic growth, and environmental sustainability, etc.
What can (or should) the city do to ensure affordable, accessible housing for all residents?
I believe our council needs to work toward finding effective, imaginative solutions to expanding low-income and affordable housing for individuals and families. We need to examine with more intentionally how funding and policy opportunities have been achieved in other communities throughout our state and nation. Once understood, I believe our council adopt such similar approaches. Further, we need to help families weather-proof their homes, which improves energy efficiency and livability. Examples exist; we just need to continue doing our due diligence and asking our community and business leaders for ongoing input and support around this issue.
Please write a statement explaining why you organized your priorities as you did.
This was an arduous question because all these concerns are so intertwined. Honestly, without adequate public infrastructure, I would argue a modernized community is nonexistent. Public infrastructure provides ease of public transportation (streets, bridges, biking lanes, sidewalks), clean drinking waters, utilities, etc., which are integral to public safety, economic development, and affordable and available housing. This is why I believe infrastructure should be a priority for the council. Additionally, I prioritize the safety of our community as a focal concern. As a member of our community, I care for my neighbors and believe safe communities should be a basic human right. Furthermore, a safe community is bedrock to public health, economic development, and so on. For example, I believe we should do everything in our power to allocate resources to our fire rescue workers, for when businesses and homes are destroyed or are at risk due to fire hazards, people’s lives are lost and substantial property damage can result in businesses closing their doors. Loss of life and businesses have profound negative impacts on the a community’s sustainability and growth. As I stated from the onset, many of these priorities overlap and are interrelated.
Mary Catherine Partlow
registered write-in candidate
| Infrastructure | 0% |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | 0% |
| Public Transportation | 0% |
| Maintaining/Reducing Taxes | 0% |
| Recreational & Cultural Opportunities | 0% |
| Public Health | 0% |
| Economic Development | 0% |
| Environmental Sustainability | 0% |
| Affordable & Available Housing | 80% |
| Other (addiction) | 20% |
age 56
years in Eau Claire 50
family Spouse William Partlow.
occupation Customer service supervisor at PetSmart.
education B.S Human Development and Family Studies minor Vocational Rehabilitation, UW-Stout.
political experience Student Council at CVTC and Parent President of Wisconsin-Head Start.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in Eau Claire in the past five years, and how do we expand on it?
I had a hard time with this question because I feel that Eau Claire is moving in the wrong direction and that is why I am running. We have real issue that needs to be worked on, not just talked about in another task force. Lack of affordable housing is causing real issue for the community at all levels. Homelessness in Eau Claire is increasing and all I am seeing is more buildings with rents that most people cant afford.
What unique qualities or skills do you possess that set you apart from the other candidates?
I have been an advocate for the past 25 years and worked in the field of customer service for the past two years here in Eau Claire and surrounding area. With this it has brought me the ability and experience to work with all populations, made me very solution oriented. I also have lived experience that includes being disabled and what that entails, being homeless, and 12 years in recovery from addiction. I am a very straightforward person that wants to see things to get done by using life experience, common sense, and hard work.
What role should the city play in creating job opportunities and retaining young workers?
For me I believe the city could be looking at how it taxes and serves its community. What I mean by looking into what the city has to offer I am talking about outside of work. Cost of housing. Activities that are available. A lot of people do not stay in Eau Claire due to cost of living vs. pay it does not match and there are not a lot of activities for their interest.
What role should the city play be in local redevelopment efforts?
I think that the city should partner with the people of Eau Claire and ask what do they feel the needs are and act on them. Not create a task force that looks into it for years and does no action. Working with community to find common sense plans and then implementing them in a timely manner.
What can (or should) the city do to ensure affordable, accessible housing for all residents?
A plan would be a start. I am for tax reduction and incentives as a start.
Please write a statement explaining why you organized your priorities as you did.
The reason I chose only two categories at this time because these issues are not being addressed in Eau Claire at this time. I think the other categories are also important and feel at this time they are being worked on.
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