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Dave Schumacher
Dave Schumacher
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."