Wausau Pilot & Review

Editor’s note: Charneski did not receive our initial invitation, but his answers have been added below.

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In Kronenwetter, a record number of candidates declared their candidacy to represent the community on the Board of Trustees. Of the nine candidates, the top six in the February primary have moved on to the spring election. Ryan Leff, Aaron Myszka, Scott R. Dauel, Cindy Lee Buchkhowski-Hoffmann, Ken Charneski and Sean Dumais are vying for three open seats.

We invited all candidates in the spring election to share their views on a range of questions. Of those, Charneski, Dumais, Myszka and Buchkowski-Hoffmann submitted answers.

Candidates responding:

  • Sean Dumais, 47, business owner. Prior political experience: Village committee member.
  • Aaron Myszka, 38, warehouse supervisor. Prior political experience: None listed.
  • Cindy Lee Buchkowski-Hoffmann, registered nurse. Prior political experience: None listed.
  • Ken Charneski, independent businessman. Prior political experience: 6 years Kronenwetter Village Board, Chairman of the CLIPP committee 2021-22, (reformed the Village building code to reasonable standards), Chairman of the the Administrative Policy Committee 2022-23,(complete overhaul of Employee Handbook, updated Village Policies, and employee wage scale to retain employees. Charneski writes that in April of 2023 he was prevented from participation in any standing committee, citing opposing political agendas from other trustees. “This is the first time in Kronenwetter history that a trustee has been treated this way,” Charneski wrote.

What motivated you to run for office?

Dumais: A desire to serve my community.

Myszka: I am running for my family. I have two little girls ages 3 and 1. I want them to continue to have a great place to live.

Buchkowski-Hoffmann: Our country as a whole is in decline. I am taking this opportunity to serve locally to bring a fresh set of eyes/ears/values to the board. I will bring a more conservative approach to the table to balance the board. To make great changes you need to start at the local level.

Charneski: I intend to continue to serve the public in this way for the benefit of the People of the Village.

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

Dumais: Board member infighting and political positioning. There are members of the board that are far to concerned with fighting amongst themselves or trying to forward their own agendas and many of our board meetings get consumed by this nonsense. If reelected I will continue to push for process improvement based solutions as opposed to always trying to attack people.

Myszka: In the past, there has been tension between staff and board members. I want to bring a positive work environment, with a good team atmosphere to improve things. Giving respect to staff and fellow trustees, with the shared common goal of completing village business.

Buchkowski-Hoffmann: Like many other local governments, trying to do more with less is a common theme. I feel the biggest hurdle Kronenwetter is facing today, is to move forward and grow. We need to come up with a plan to move past the bad publicity the village has had over the past years related to the infighting, poor decision making and lack of balance on the board. The board is to represent the entire village not just a select few. I will do my due diligence to represent the citizens of the village knowing that I too have many years of vested interest in this village. I remember when Kronenwetter was a township. Look how far we have come.

Charneski: To keep the answer short, I’ll say it is the inability since the 2023 election, of the Board to function efficiently or discuss issues intelligently. This appears to be due to petty preoccupation of the two new Board members and the President with some kind of personal animosity and resentment toward conservative, responsible ideals, and toward myself for representing these ideals.
A good example is the March 25 Board meeting in which these two trustees went off on rants of numerous false accusations toward me, apparently hoping the publicity of this would then affect the outcome of the election.
Politically motivated grandstanding like this has no place at a Board meeting trying to conduct Village business. However, that same disruptive spirit has surfaced at many meetings since last April, and it is embarrassing to the Village.
I have tried to keep the Board on course to conduct Village business like adults, dealing with facts and issues for the best interests of the Village, and away from making decisions based on personal partisanship, or be led off into the weeds by irrelevant ramblings.
As an offshoot of that, there appears to have been a total disregard for budgetary spending limits by certain staff members. But then, that may be because the majority of the Board as a whole does not seem to share my concern with the cash burn of the annual deficits, or holding anyone accountable for violations.

If elected, what steps would you take to put Kronenwetter on firmer financial footing?

Dumais: I think the first step to a firm financial footing is to bring stability and forward thinking to the Village. Our Village is pretty financially sound however poor planning and lack of maintaining infrastructure, equipment, and a competitive wage rate for staff over the past 20 years forced us to spend very large sums of money in the past 2 years just to bring us to basic industry standards. There was very little future planning done recently because there needed to be so much focus on just getting the Village to a level equal to other municipalities. Our wage rates were woefully low, our PD, FD, and public works were all using antiquated equipment well past its useful life expectancy, and our sewer and water infrastructure has never had any upgrades since it was put in. In the past 2 years I have championed wage increases and better employee benefits, getting new equipment for our PD and FD, and I am on the Utility Committee that, although very unpopularly, raised rates on the sewer to ensure it could begin to get upgraded instead of continuing the trend of “kicking the can down the road”. Looking forward the Village does need to foster growth in the commercial or industrial segment to offset the slow down of residential growth in order for us to keep our tax rates low so stabilizing our Village government is key to attracting those types of developers.

Myszka: I want to see more businesses come to Kronenwetter as well as continued residential development to help bring in additional revenue. Preventative maintenance when possible to lower the cost of repairs coming in the future. We can look into improving on how to better manage our assets.

Buchkowski-Hoffmann: I effectively balance my family budget. I effectively work with my finance department to make fiscally responsible decisions in my work life. I understand that no one likes to hear that taxes need to be raised to cover cost of one thing or another. I transparently state that I would be a “newbie” to the innerworkings of the village, but rest assured I value the investment our taxpayers but into the village and will work to find the best deals that provide the best services to the village. I do not believe in frivolous spending and in anyone’s special interests. I too work hard for my money.

Charneski: About five years ago, I led the move to stop the habit of borrowing to to fund purchases or projects, as well as advocating working toward eliminating Village debt altogether. That is why you see Debt Reduction as one of the goals in the Village Strategic Plan, and it has been working out well so far.
In 2020 I initiated and fought for the plan to refinance Village debt from 3-5% interest, down to just under 1% interest. This was also successful, and the Village has since saved at least two million dollars in unnecessary interest because of it.
Since the trustee changeover of the 2023 spring election, I believe that village overspending has been a disaster. Over $500,000 was spent without authority and in excess of budget limits. That number may turn out to be more like $700,000, according to requested budget amendments.
Overall, it appears that the Village spent close to a million dollars more than it received in revenue for 2023. We don’t know exactly, because for some reason we will not get the 2023 year-end financial report until after the election.
The 2024 is also off to a bad start because the budget has a $400,000-plus deficit already built into it from the start. I voted against that budget.
Just as in 2020, I saw that refinancing the debt was a no-brainer, I now see with equal clarity that deficit spending like this will result in a crash-landing for village finances if it is not brought under control quickly. We need to take a hard line on cutting costs and staying within the realm of responsible budget management, not continually dipping into Village reserves.
As it is going now, when capital projects come due, and if the money is not there for them, it will become necessary to borrow for those projects.
If Village residents don’t like the sewer rate increase they just got, they certainly will not like the tax rate increase caused by new Village debt.
I aim to prevent any new Village debt, and I know it can be done if there is support from the rest of the Board.

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

Dumais: I am, and always have been, a proponent of quarterly public input sessions to give the community a chance to voice their concerns and ideas. This has been met by some resistance by other board members stating that they have tried in the past but nobody came to the meetings. Since I have been a part of the Village government I have supported the 2 public input sessions we have hosted and there was a fair amount of citizens that attended. I don’t think every citizen cares about every issue the Village faces but giving them an opportunity to be heard is still something I would like to do. I believe I clearly articulate my opinions and facts at board meetings and am a hundred percent transparent.

Myszka: I am active on social media and welcome residents to come forward with any concerns they might have. We have residents on committees and others attending board meetings. We need to improve our transparency and communication from all areas including village staff, board members, and committee members and better outcomes will follow.

Buchkowski-Hoffmann: Board members are the conduit of the people who live in the village. They need to actively listen to the people and consider unbiased solutions that serve the needs of the people and the village. I will be an advocate and voice for the village residents. I will listen to and consider what they are offering for solutions. Usually, the best solutions come from the front lines, those in the trenches.

Charneski: As a trustee, I have always had an open door for phone calls and emails. Public input is important, but not everyone will be happy with every decision. I try to find the most reliable information, and then to make the best decisions that I can with that information. I am not afraid to vote against hostile opponents, if it is in the best interest of the taxpayers, and I am always willing to explain why I voted a certain way.

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

Dumais: This is difficult at the Village level to address. There are many factors at the Federal and State level that dictate the markets that the Village and even the county have almost no control of. Multifamily housing is a solution for some however this also changes the dynamics of the Villages character. The Village is known for its larger lots and homes, not for its large population or multi family type units. Allowing some multifamily properties to be established while maintaining the character of the Village is a difficult balancing act to perform.

Myszka: The affordable housing shortage is a national issue without an easy solution. Housing costs have skyrocketed nationwide and that is a fact in our metro area. Residential development, especially new single home construction, has been slow in this country since the great recession in 2008. Kronenwetter has always emphasized residential development and I intend to focus on continued development in the village including residential. Kronenwetter can’t solve the housing situation in the metro area for low to moderate income households, but Kronenwetter can certainly play its part through continued residential development.

Buchkowski-Hoffmann: There have been may new residential areas constructed in the village. This is an area that I would need to investigate as I am not well versed in this area. I will do research on this topic and look to the village citizens to see what suggestions they might have. I would encourage growth in our commercial and manufacturing opportunities that would stimulate increased job opportunities and then increased wages for villagers.

Charneski: Simply stated, the cost of things has gone up much more than the income of the working people has, making not only housing more difficult, but other basics as well. It is difficult to counter at the local level the deliberate plans and actions taken at the national and world economic level.
That said, Kronenwetter has lots of land available. As mentioned above, we have a reasonable building code, and we also have a very low tax rate. All of these should be encouraging to anyone wishing to locate here.

What is the most exciting thing happening in Kronenwetter right now? In other words, what makes Kronenwetter such a great place to live?

Dumais: Kronenwetter is a great place to live for a multitude of reasons. We have beautiful landscapes, amazing public services from our PD, FD, and public works crews, a nice balance of long term residents and new residents, and in general a very strong sense of community.

Myszka: I am most excited with the spring election. Our residents need to decide what direction we are moving in. The election of our leaders is very important. Our residents make our village great, from the neighbor who shovels snow when you are not physically able too, to the neighbor who always waves when walking there dog. The people of Kronenwetter are amazing.

Buchkowski-Hoffmann: This election! What an opportunity to refresh the board. The village of Kronenwetter is an awesome place. Kronenwetter is the largest village by land area in the state of Wisconsin, as well as in the entire United States, and the third-largest community by population in Marathon County. It is a great balance for those who prefer the residential life and those of us who still prefer the quite country life.

Charneski: I would say there is a lot of pent-up interest for development of TID 1 and other areas, that will be acted upon once the floodplain map is finalized with an ordinance.
This is about a year behind schedule, which I believe is due to improper legal guidance, but I think out Community Development Director is finally getting it straightened out, and the ordinance approval is close at hand. .
There are areas along Old 51 that will also be favorably affected once the ordinance is approved. This will all help increase the tax base and help finances.

With the water treatment plant finally being constructed, I think for many, the day they can turn on the faucet and get clean water, will be exiting to them.

Kronenwetter has always been my home, and even as farmland gives way to development, the Village has always had the relaxed atmosphere, rural neighborliness and traditional values that sets the Village apart from some of the other municipalities.
We have newcomers from all corners of the country adding to the positive mix of ideas. Unfortunately, there are a few who move away from the cities for the peacefulness of this Village, but then bring with them the urban attitudes and values that they were trying to move away from.
Criticizing their new home and wanting to change it can create cultural conflict with the long term residents, and all we can really do is to set good examples as being the neighbors that we want others to be.

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

Dumais: I think sound financial planning with the resources we have now is the start. We had to deficit spend in the last two years to bring us up to par which is never good. Proper forward planning to avoid another instance where the Village has to pour money into fixing things that were neglected is second. Finally establishing and implementing a plan for growth in the commercial sector is imperative. The Village has grown very rapidly over the last decade and has enjoyed the increased tax revenues from doing so which offset the spend. Now that residential growth has slowed we need to look to the commercial sector to bring revenue to ensure we can maintain the services we need while maintaining the low tax rate we all love. Looking to the commercial sector will require a lot of input from the Village residents as to what “right” looks like, we can’t just bring in anything that applies. We need to balance the need for growth while still maintaining the Villages character.

Myszka: We will promote business and residential development to bring in additional revenue. We will keep a constant priority on improving efficiency in all areas of village business. As the costs for services go up, we will continue to try to keep low taxes for our residents.

Buchkowski-Hoffmann: This is unfortunately a loaded question for many. Sometimes it is hard to keep tax increases low and still find ways to provide services to the village. I know I don’t like increases to my taxes. I will work with the village staff and the listen to the village residents.
Looking to the village residents for their input is key. There will be give and take and collaboration to come to decision that benefit the village. I will do my best to uphold the interest of the village residents.

Charneski: Since we are currently taxing at our maximum levy amount, and grants or other revenue sources are uncertain, the one and only choice we have is to cut spending. I believe that this can be achieved while successfully maintaining services if the the Board has the resolve to do so. That is why aside voting for me, also voting for Dumais and Hoffmann is so important in this election.
The only other option, and I think this is the plan of the others, is to borrow to fund capital improvements and equipment, because the current deficits are eating up the Village’s cash reserves.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Dumais: I am not a politician. I am not running for office with a flood of signs and mailers, I am not running on any catchy social media phrases, I am not dependent on any groups or committees to push my name like our Federal bureaucrats. I am a 15 year resident of the Village that believes that the privilege of serving on the board should be taken serious and not used to promote any agenda other than doing what’s right for the Village. I believe that standing on my track record is far more important than aligning with any other candidates or groups. I have a proven history of doing what’s right for our Village and I ask that you listen to the recordings of past board meetings and see for yourself. I take my oath of office serious and I am not afraid to tackle the tough or uncomfortable issues that our board faces. I am not afraid to admit if a mistake is made and course correct. I put in countless hours of research before each board meeting to ensure I understand the material in front of me as well as the related laws, statues, and ordinances involved. Directly after the “exodus” of employees I took on the task of going through all of the HR policies as well as the employee handbook on my own time to ensure our new employees were taken care of correctly. In my 2 years in Village government (1 year on committee and 1 on the board) I have never taken any payment from the tax payers. Serving my community is a privilege not an opportunity to make money. I would be honored to be given the privilege to serve my community another term.

Myszka: I moved to Kronenwetter in 2021 and immediately knew Kronenwetter was a great place to live because of the of the people that live here. My priorities are for all residents, from families with young children, to retirees like my parents who’re living off social security. We need to value all peoples interest. If you want someone who started from humble beginnings that shares your values, vote for me. Its okay to be excited, Kronenwetter’s best days are yet to come.

Buchkowski-Hoffmann: I would like to thank in advance those in the village of Kronenwetter who will consider me, for Village Board Trustee. If given the opportunity to serve, you have my word I will do my best to serve. I thank you for this opportunity and God Bless.

Charneski: I have a 6 year track record of diligent inquiry, financial knowledge, and practical decision-making at the village level. I have no allegiance to anyone other that the best interests of the taxpayers of the Village, and to the State and Federal Constitutions. Some people love me for that, others as noted above, not so much.