Kaukauna Alderperson District 2
City of Kaukauna Alderperson
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Kelli Antoine
(Non)
Please introduce yourself and explain why you are running for City of Kaukauna Alderperson.
What do you think are the top two challenges for the City of Kaukauna and how do you propose to address these as an alderperson?
What role do you believe the city should have in promoting a wide variety of housing options to meet the needs of all citizens? Why do you believe that?
In your opinion, what is the status of Kaukauna as an open and welcoming community that is attractive to a diverse population (color, creed, sexual orientation, immigration status)? What does Kaukauna do well and where can we improve?
Tax rates and tax levies are always important issues for voters. What ideas do you have for balancing quality services and funding them?
Campaign Phone
9202840265
My name is Kelli Antoine and I am running for re-election representing district 2. I have lived in Kaukauna for the past 28 years and retired from the Kaukauna Area School District where I spent my entire professional career as a teacher, principal, and district office administrator. I am passionate about our community and work hard to be responsive to the residents I represent. My husband and I have two adult children and three grandchildren.
While these issues are not exclusive to Kaukauna, the most prominent concerns are access to affordable housing and the cost of household needs, particularly, groceries and gas. These concerns cannot be solved at the local level alone, but it is important that city officials get involved with state and federal elected officials to express the impact on our community. In the area of housing needs, we also need to be creative in looking at spaces within our community that may be repurposed and developed into housing. We also need to be more aggressive at requiring clean up of both residential and commercial properties. It impacts the appearance and attraction to our community.
The city needs to be encouraging housing development in open spaces within our community. There needs to be a variety of options from low income/affordable housing options to higher end options. It is important to have the balance as we are mindful of the impact on our tax base. There are elderly and medically fragile residents that need tiered care options (which multiple facilities are underway). There are also residents who want to downsize from the house they have owned that may want something that provides more amenities as they transition. Kaukauna benefits from keeping them in our community, rather than pushing them elsewhere because we don’t offer what they are looking for. This also opens up homes for those looking to buy.
The complexion of our community has changed through the years. I have experienced it through my career in education, as a resident and as an Alder. It has become more diverse through every lens. The city is experiencing the growing pains. We want our employees to represent the community. It is a competitive market for hiring in all areas, but particularly in public safety. We want employees & residents alike to feel that they are welcome and safe and make Kaukauna a destination to work & live. Our public library is a beacon of support connecting residents with other services and agencies, offers the free food pantry and many programming options to support residents. Our rec program has also increased offerings to meet the changing needs.
We live in a world where we want all the services but don’t want to pay more for them. Public Safety (Fire and police), Street Dept, Parks etc all require money. While every resident has different opinions surrounding what they think is important, city officials must ensure that everything is covered. The key is in the budgeting process that we live within our means. Inflation costs are ridiculous . From trucks to the cost of concrete, it all adds up. Our current City Council, along with city staff are mindful of this. There is a great deal of confusion among many residents surrounding the significant increase in taxes in Kaukauna this past year. While the city was about 1%, the school referendum was the majority which the voters approved.
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