1) Recruitment and retention of city employees – The city employees about 100 full time and many seasonal part-time people. Historically, the city has been considered a prime employer, but levy limits and expenditure restraints have taken a toll. We now find ourselves in a competitive job market and are struggling to attract top candidates and fill vacant positions. 2) Shared revenue/Levy limits – Last year the state government took action to increase the shared revenue to municipalities. This was a much-needed support to the city’s operating expenses. We are waiting to see what those changes will look like this year, but regardless we need to develop a long-term strategy to meet the needs of our community. 3) Support our police and fire departments – I plan to continue to support our local police and fire departments. These individuals have a challenging job that they approach with professionalism. We need to make sure they have the tools they need.

Generally, the council hires the city administrator who oversees the department heads and city employees. As mayor, I oversee the police and fire departments and represent the city in regional matters. Part of the balance is helping everyone stay in their designated role, this provides checks and balances. I help strengthen the relationships by facilitating good communication and encouraging the groups collaborate in order to come to the best possible solution for our community.

Our city has an infinite amount of space to grow, the boarders are set on all sides. To me this means we need to be very conscientious about our land use, including setting aside green space and parkland. Our future quality of life depends on it. To that end, I have always supported the preservation and public access to our unique and beautiful bluff tops and development of trails to allow responsible access. We also need to be deliberate in making sure we have diversity between residential, retail and commercial areas to help keep our local economy healthy and promote a good tax base.

We do have many examples of working together with our neighbors in place. When considering collaboration, it is important to make sure the nature of the relationship is understood by all parties. In some cases, for example our agreement with La Crosse for sanitary sewer service, we are paying another municipality for a service. With the Town of Onalaska fire services, they pay the city of Onalaska for a service. In other situations, such as the Fire Department, we have agreements in place to help each other with our own separate resources. We also rely on the County for many services, such as social services, that are not offered at the city level. It makes cost effective and efficiency sense that those resources are managed at that higher level. There are many ways to cooperate for the common good. I will always support collaboration opportunities when they are in the best interest of Onalaska taxpayers.