Milton council short one candidate
Photo 
Dave Schumacher
Photo
Maxine Striegl
MILTON — The Milton City Council might be short a council member or two in April if no write-in candidates step up this election season.
Two incumbents filed papers for three open spots by Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline. They are:
-- Dave Schumacher, 71, 101 N. Clear Lake.
-- Maxine Striegl, 1012 Sue Lane. (Striegl preferred not to give her age.)
Council president Sharon Rozelle filed non-candidacy papers.
The council could lose a second member if Tom Chesmore wins his bid for mayor against incumbent Nate Bruce.
Clerk Nancy Zastrow said the city hasn't been short of candidates in the eight years she's worked there.
"We have absolutely no idea why people aren't interested," she said.
Residents still can declare write-in candidacies, Zastrow said. A write-in candidate must fill out a campaign registration form at city hall to be certified, she said.
Certification isn't necessary, but it is helpful, Zastrow said.
"It just means that we know they will accept the candidacy," she said.
If no write-in candidates step up, the mayor will recommend an appointment for council approval.
The lack of candidates comes at a critical time for Milton, candidates said. Schumacher and Striegl said the city needs to look at its aging fire station and public works building in the coming year. Striegl said the police station should be studied, too.
"They need much attention," Striegl said.
The city shares the fire station with the town of Milton through the Milton Joint Fire Department. A consultant study released in September said the station house is inadequate and recommended hiring an architectural firm to study costs of remodeling and building new.
Milton, like every community, also will face budget challenges in 2009, especially if the state reduces shared revenue, Schumacher said.
"It's going to be a big juggling act, I'll tell you that," he said. "Especially with the economy the way it is."
More than 200 Milton residents worked at General Motors in Janesville, not counting residents who worked for auto suppliers that closed when the GM plant ended production. Schumacher hopes the city can attract some new businesses to replace those jobs.
He also hopes someone launches a write-in campaign to fill the open council spot and help meet Milton's challenges.
"Hopefully there will be somebody out there who decides, by golly, they've got some expertise they can lend," he said. "When it gets all done, it's always a big team working together."
Jan 8, 2009 at 1:12 p.m.
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Shocker! Smaller than what? Milton has just as small of government as any other city it's size. In fact Department of Public works is about 1 person short of where they should be, and it's Police Department ran on 2-3 shy of the needed officers for nearly two years. They did not fill a clerical position last year instead spread the duties over an already taxed (pardon the pun) group of hard working ladies. Nancy works her butt off and does more than most workers you or I know. The Council is what makes up your "government" and they are normal size and under-compensated by today's standards. The EMS and Fire Department is a shared entity and is very efficient. In fact they cover many costs the average person never hears about through fundraising. What other "government" needs to be smaller? They have no Parks or Recreation program. The water department is a function of Public Works, and the sewer treatment plant is run by one man and an assistant from DPW. Trash collection is done by Waste Management for a fee that is added to the tax bill each year. Maybe you shouldn't consider a council bid. You obviously do not know what you are talking about and shoot from the hip. Wait, there is the Library that could be cut right? Those girls work under the direction of the Library Board for about 65% of the national average wage for Librarians or Asst. Librarians. There are always things to cut, but "government" size is not really much of an option unless you are willing to plow your own streets, pick up your own trash, send out your own tax bill, and mow the park down the street from you. I don't know how you would do that since you spend nearly all of your time on the computer whining.
Jan 8, 2009 at 12:49 p.m.
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Yep there goes the whining again! Build build build as you call it has to happen. How long has it been since the city of Milton built anything besides rebuilding roads and sidewalks? The current fire station was built in 1976. The current police station was built in the 1940's and used to be the city garage. I am not sure when the public works building was built I belive it was shortly after the fire station. How much has the city grown since 1976? You have to take care of your basic services that people expect. I am sure when the time comes there will be plenty of citizen imput asked for. Some one should ask the school board when it was the last time they built. I guess its alright as long as you say its for the childern. I see one person has joined the write-in's how about you biggirl? don't just sit and complain do something about it! Smaller goverment? Please explain this one I can hardly wait.
Jan 8, 2009 at 12:37 p.m.
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Sorry, Facts, that you insist on using the word, "whine" yet again and thus obviously fail to understand my comment. To repeat, what you call whining has a long political tradition. One needn't always "do" something, whatever that be. To go back to my example, Tom Paine by your standards and Kangaroo's standards "did" nothing but whine, and yet he is commonly seen as the Father of the American Revolution. While I am not saying I'm Paine, I am saying that the act of stating objections is in this tradition.
The govt. of Milton needs to be much smaller if it is going to be responsive to its citizens and much less determined to spend money that we don't have. Build, build, build seems to be all we ever hear from them. There, there's more whining from the biggirl.
Jan 8, 2009 at 12:03 p.m.
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So is eating. It does not mean you have to overdo it.
Jan 8, 2009 at 11:51 a.m.
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Seems the ones that whine the loudest about change are the ones who are never on the ballot. Now is the time if you ever thought about running. One open seat and all the abuse you can eat from people who can do nothing but sit on the sidelines and complain.
Jan 8, 2009 at 11:25 a.m.
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I am not sure why CaptainKangaroo has to be so uncivil. "Whining," as s/he calls it, is in the American tradition. In fact, Thomas Paine could be called a whiner when he wrote his pamphlet calling for _The Rights of Man_.
Jan 8, 2009 at 10:31 a.m.
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Biggirl, your whiney posts are annoying. Here is your chance to run for an uncontested position to have all of the say you want. You can have your own listening sessions. Heck, you can even complain to yourself about the police, Milton's government, and anything else you want. As for your latest complaint, there is a myriad of meetings you are able to go to to listen, complain, or constructively voice your concerns. I have listed just a few that were posted in the Gazette in the past 14 months. There are many more besides the ones I have listed, but you have to look for them. The best place to find meeting announcements is in the Milton Courier, the lobby of the Milton Public Library and City Hall, the City's website http://www.ci.milton.wi.us/, the City's cable info channel on tv, and in the Gazette. There are many meetings held every month. All of these allow you to not only hear what is going on, but nearly all allow you to speak. You can also find your representatives phone, e-mail, and snail-mail address on the City website. They represent you, make use of their contact info if you really want change. Random change just to have new faces to complain about will not do anything but fulfill your own prophetic need to complain. We all have issues we want to see change. However, in reading all of your comments I see a pattern of disgust toward all aspects of local government especially the Police. In fact, there is a meeting tonight held at City Hall by the Milton Police Department. It was posted at the end of this article I read yesterday:
http://gazettextra.com/news/2009/jan/06/...
What: Crime prevention and community awareness forum
Where: Milton City Hall, 430 E. High St.
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
To learn more: Call Lt. John Conger at (608) 868-6910"-press release
City Council is every other Tuesday night at 6:30.
You have no excuse now. Stop yelling from the sideline and take action.
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Jan 8, 2009 at 9:15 a.m.
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I have registered as a write in candidate.
Jan 8, 2009 at 5:18 a.m.
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I will run ! Vote for me !
Jan 7, 2009 at 9:41 p.m.
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If the seats are filled at large, then you need to be a resident of the municipality. If the seats are by wards or some other division, then you must be a resident of that division - BY the date you take office. You must also be at least 18 (of voting age).
Jan 7, 2009 at 7:23 p.m.
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what are the requirements for candidacy? anyone? gazette?
Jan 7, 2009 at 4:13 p.m.
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We need new blood. We could have it if the local government officials asked for more feedback on some of these issues. There's no talk about having any listening sessions, it seems, nor any plans about waiting on various building projects. Does anyone realize how bad the economy is?
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