I am running for the County Board out of a sense of civic duty and a desire to be involved in serving the community my family and I have lived in for the past 23 years. Local elected officials can have a direct impact on addressing the many challenges their community faces, whether it be economic, environmental, or social concerns. I have recently retired after spending 35 years in the Banking and Financial services industry. The fiscal knowledge and relationship building skills I have learned over the years will serve me in the County Board Supervisor position role of fostering community engagement and building stronger ties among the residents of Holmen. I have been serving on the Holmen Police Commission for the past 10 years, which has helped build relationships with key Village of Holmen personnel and community members.

I would like to see an increase in support for small business. By offering more resources and support to small local business, such as assistance with acquiring financing, and assistance navigating regulatory processes. This would help stimulate economic growth and job creation within the community.

There are many issues facing La Crosse County, such as affordable housing, the increase in drug abuse and addiction, assisting the homeless population and child day care availability and affordability. If we can work towards improvement in the following areas, this would help ease the aforementioned issues. Promote economic development by promoting job creation by working to attract new industries and business. Promote access to affordable healthcare, mental health services and substance abuse treatment.

The County Board can support pro-business policies at the state and federal levels, such as tax reform, regulatory relief, and trade policies that support small businesses and entrepreneurship. We should be encouraging residents and visitors to support local businesses through buy local campaigns, marketing initiatives, and procurement policies that prioritize local vendors for government contracts and purchases. We can invest in public health initiatives aimed at promoting preventive care, wellness programs, and disease prevention efforts. This can include initiatives such as vaccination campaigns and nutrition education. Support Mental Health Services: Mental health services are often underfunded and under-resourced. We need to promote the allocation of funding for mental health programs, crisis intervention services, and support groups. They can also work to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues through education and community.

I am running for re-election to continue serving the people of district 22 and the Village of Holmen. I am not a registered Democrat or Republican. County Board Supervisors are to be non-partisan and I am. I am running to stand up for the people of this area and I am running to speak for the people of District 22 and the Village of Holmen. County government needs to listen to ALL the residents of the County not just to a select few or a political party agenda. Each area of the County has specific needs but we all need good roads, equal access to all County programs and services, and to have our voices heard. You don’t have to belong to a political party to want clean water to drink, to live in a safe neighborhood, to have safe roads, to have access to quality health care, to be able to live in a home you can afford, to have your taxes be low, and to be able to provide for yourself and/or your family. We have a lot in common and we need to concentrate on that.

All County resources should benefit all residents. My most recent survey of residents repeated many of their concerns from 2022, roads and more road repairs, more and better citizen access to programs and services, and fiscal responsibility and accountability. Holmen’s population is growing at a rapid pace, 16.42% from 2020 to 2024. This increase in population generates more needs for the many programs and services offered by the County. The question is how to best provide those services and programs. Since approximately 60% of the County’s population lives outside the city of La Crosse, where County programs and services are headquartered, we need to explore ways to make those programs and services more accessible. All state mandated and other County programs and services, including Mental Health Crisis services and elder abuse training for Police, must be available County wide. It’s time to take County programs and services to the people throughout the County.

A. Taxation and Spending In order to effectively manage the people’s money and keep taxes as low as possible, we need to better control spending by prioritizing budgets and spending on the right programs and services.

B. Equal Access and Accessibility to County Programs and Services All County residents must be afforded equal access and accessibility to all county programs and services. Many of these programs and services are mandated by the state and the County does receive some reimbursement so it is critical that all residents can be served.

A. Taxation and Spending The County is mandated by the State to provide certain programs and services to residents. These include Roads and Road Maintenance, Public Health, Protection of Children and the Elderly, Veterans, and many others. No money should be spent on other programs or services until all the mandated programs are fully funded and are available to all County residents. Being available means that programs and services should not be available only in La Crosse but throughout the County. All non-mandated programs must have the approval of the full County Board and must serve all residents of the County.

B. Equal Access and Accessibility to County Programs and Services If any County program or service is not accessible and available to all residents throughout the County, justification must be provided to the Board and if not approved, the program will not be funded.