Get to know the candidates for Wausau City Council Dist. 9

What motivated you to run for office?

Tierney: My motivation to run for office was because of several issues. The lack of progress in the development of the old mall site downtown, the sizable increase in water rates, the debt the city now has that is over $233 million which is unacceptable, the choice of the contractor for the LSL replacement project and the lack of transparency with the city spending.

Herbst: I am seeking another term to continue working on existing projects including upgrading playground equipment at both city and county parks and the creation of a future park. Additional my involvement with the Planning Commission allows me to advocate for developments that will increase the city’s revenue.

What is the biggest concern you have about the way Wausau’s municipal government operates today, and how do you propose to manage that, if elected?

Tierney: The biggest concern is the lack of transparency which ties in with some of the concerns in the previous question. The public has not been given the entire story on the mall site development delays. T Wall has not had the needed capital to do this project. The public may not know this is the reason for the numerous delays. My solution is if T Wall does not start construction by the June deadline, we cut ties with them. I don’t think this was handled properly from the beginning by selling the property to WOZ with a $1,000,000 forgivable loan. I doubt that many residents are aware of this.
The contractor chosen for the LSL replacement project, in my opinion was a poor choice. This is an approximately $80 million project that was given to a company in business less than one year that had not done a project comparable to this as a new company. Some of their senior executives were involved with projects of this nature when employed by a company call Corvias who has been involved in lawsuits over rampant mold infestation in military housing. I believe a thorough investigation of contractors considered by the city for projects must be done prior to signing any contracts.

Herbst: My biggest concern is the misinformation being delivered to the Wausau residents regarding the current water rates .I would propose working with the appropriate, knowledgeable personnel at City Hall and publish the accurate information.

Residents are concerned about the city’s debt and financial stability. If elected, what steps would you take to put our city on firmer financial footing?

Tierney: I believe the city needs to spend money on critical expenses in order to reduce our debt. By critical needs I mean road repairs, police and fire departments having the people and equipment they need to keep Wausau safe. These are a few examples of what I feel are critical needs. Any project that is not already started and is not a critical need should be on hold.

Herbst: Any city borrowing is planned out and reviewed by city hall staff and committees. Committee and council meetings are open to the public for comment. Public concerns can be expressed at the open meetings. Financial footing is already in place. Yearly budgets for fixed and variable projected costs are established for the up coming year’s department needs. Each department is required to work within their budget. Any emergency needs are brought to the Finance Committee and voted on by City Council.

How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our community and be transparent in your decision-making?

Tierney: I would like to hold monthly or bi-monthly “open house” meetings at a business in District 9 for District 9 residents. (If elected I will contact the business I have in mind) I would like people to stop in to tell me what their concerns are, what can we do better and what are we doing well. I will answer all emails as honestly as possible as quickly as possible. There are no “dumb questions.”

Herbst: I highly recommend Wausau residents to attend open meetings and provide comments and solutions to the issues. The constituents in my district have taken it upon themselves to contact me often with their issues and concerns. I am more than happy to spend the time to hear their concerns as well as express my thoughts on the issues with them.

How can Wausau effectively tackle the ongoing housing shortage, particularly for people with low to moderate incomes?

Tierney: This is where I believe TiFs would be in order.
There are blighted areas in the city where affordable housing could be constructed which would improve a neighborhood and offer much needed affordable housing. The city has approved TIFs for luxury apartment projects such and the downtown mall project. Affordable housing is a huge need in Wausau. Not every person decides to go on to school after high school and decides to work at one of our local factories or in the service industry. We need to meet their needs so they can continue to stay in Wausau.

Herbst: There is a project recently approved to build low income housing. I would recommend the city to pursue federal tenant-based rental assistance which would subsidize housing costs in private rentals.

What can Wausau be doing better to help the homeless population in the city?

Tierney: I feel that we need to have social workers that visit the transitional living center to help direct them to resources in our community such as Catholic Charities and CCAP services.
Many of our homeless have addictions. I feel that NCHC needs to be more involved with treatment for these individuals. If they are a veteran then we need to get them with the VA Clinic in Rothschild so they can assist them with treatment options. The key here is that the individuals with addictions need to play an active role in their recovery.

Herbst: Wausau is not the only city experiencing this issue. It is a nationwide issue. Wausau is fortunate to already have the Community Partners campus to provide food, shelter, medical and social well being. The city has a resource on board to assist those that want to be assisted to locate housing and proper attention needed. The program needs additional resources to handle the need. Does this mean approving more people? Maybe.

What is the most exciting thing happening in Wausau right now?

Tierney: I think the lead service line replacement project is exciting for our residents. I’m not in agreement on the contractor that was hired to do this project , but none the less assisting families to have safer drinking water is exciting.

Herbst: Approved improvements to Athletic Park will bring in a women’s softball league to fill out the summer season in 2025. The recently completed Children’s Imaginarium on the former Wausau mall grounds is a hit with families and school field trips. The Children’s Imaginarium will be complimented by the Foundry on 3rd project starting soon.

How do you feel about the transportation options available in our city, and what would you do to tackle the challenges you see?

Tierney: One of the transportation issues or questions I have is on the new asphalt recycler that is supposed to be able to be used year round for pothole repair. We had a very mild winter with almost no snow. Have we had the road department out using this tool over the winter to tackle some of these potholes? As far as public transportation. I think we need to have our drivers note the busiest routes and number of people served per day per route. I think we could possibly look at the route schedules to see if what we are doing currently is our best option or if their are adjustments that can be made that will not be a hardship for those who depend on public transition. When school is not in session in the summer can seasonal adjustments be made? We would need driver input on this.

Herbst: Wausau has a new Metro Ride director. We are excited to see his plan to improve the current issues. There are several focus groups and committees already working on this with the new Director. As the Alderperson I would attend the open meetings to hear the proposals and provide additional comments.

After multiple rate increases, many residents are concerned about their water and sewer bills. What is the best way to manage this issue, while still providing Wausau with the clean water it needs?

Tierney: Water rates do not have to be this high. Many of our citizens are likely not aware of what the PILOT tax is, or that it is part of their water bill payment. Approximately $1.6 million is collected annually on citizen’s water bills and taken by the city for other purposes. That is the PILOT tax. Water bills should be for payment of water used. I would vigorously try to eliminate that tax.

Herbst: The Public Service Commission (PSC) establishes the water rate using financial data on operating costs, inflation, maintenance, debt, staffing and capital projects. The PSC requires a year’s worth of this data before they could reconsider a rate change. Costs can be reduced by implementing a solar farm for the water facility, applying upcoming PFAS environmental lawsuit settlements to the debt of the water facility are a few ways to reduce the financial data presented to the PSC.

How will you work to keep tax increases to a minimum while maintaining expected services for residents?

Tierney: By keeping to our budget. Every year the debt increases because the city is going over budget and paying a horrifically high amount on the interest of our loans.

Herbst: It takes money to pay for all the services the Wausau residents want and expect, not limited to but including, police, fire, garbage pickup, and clean water. It is the responsibility of the city department heads to uphold the budget established for their needs. Any requests above and beyond the approved budget are presented to the Finance committee as well as City Council. As the alderperson I have the ability to approve or decline the request.

Which does the city need more: A city administrator, or a mayor? Why?

Tierney: City Administrator. They are not elected based on political preference. They are hired to oversee the budget, expenditures and disbursements. They are responsible for making sure departments function properly. They are more like a CEO, than an elected official.

Herbst: The major difference between a mayor and a city administrator is that a mayor is an elected official while a city administrator is an appointed position . A mayor or city council would be responsible for appointing a city administrator. A mayor would still be on staff with overlapping responsibilities. All this would do is add an additional salaried position to the budget including benefits. The fiscal budget would increase for the city.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Tierney: I truly believe in providing the best possible services to our community in a fiscally responsible manner. We need to make tough choices so that our property taxes do not continue to rise and to reduce our debt. I will work as hard as I can to do this for District 9 as well as the city. I want to be an asset that will work with the residents of District 9 to help with issues they are facing and get answers for them. I want them to be able to know that I will be standing with them.

Herbst: I am fair and honest with my constituents whom I enjoy interacting with. I enjoy my role on city council and work hard to represent my constituent’s best interests as well as the city’s. I am looking forward to representing District 9 for another two years.