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Dear editor,
When the term “The City” is formally used in town by government, it is often used to refer to the municipal corporation or some aspect of it. Citizens may hear that “The City wants this…” or “The City feels that…” from municipal representatives or staff. But I will never forget a neighborhood meeting a few years ago at GD Jones School about Thomas Street redevelopment. At the meeting, the City’s former Economic Development Director chastised residents and curtly dismissed their stated opinions by essentially saying, “That’s your opinion, but The City disagrees with it, and The City will make its own decision.” One of the residents responded, to cheers and applause from the audience, “We are The City! The People are The City!” And, on multiple important levels, that resident was and is right.
But, historically, it has been clear, particularly in certain aldermanic districts in Wausau, that:
1) regular folks had nearly no representation, and that their stated concerns and opinions were frequently ignored by municipal government; and
2) the Good Ol’ Boys culture and crew in town, often anchored in the City’s “public-private partnerships” appeared to dominate City policy plans and decisions in such an imbalanced and overwhelming manner – while conflicting with residents’ stated desires – that municipal government was reduced to looking like a tragicomedy satire of itself
Something happened in recent years in certain districts of Wausau that surprised and, no doubt, upset some of the entrenched local power establishment: regular neighborhoods and their residents successfully demanded that they have rigorous representation in municipal government, and that the policy decisions made by this representation better reflect their concerns and desires.
These sustained demands and the participation of regular residents in my district, District 3, often along with District 10 – and their representatives – resulted in beneficial policy changes and outcomes over just the last two years. The following are simply a few examples led by District 3, often in conjunction with District 10, and they demonstrate what happens with local governance in which “The City” really is “The People.”
- Led the effort to stop the City from selling City-owned land to developers for $1
- Vocally opposed using $10.5 in COVID-relief funds (funds intended for things like housing and childcare) for the WOZ pedestrian bridge, and the State subsequently rejected that grant application
- Helped to secure a bus stop at Island Place so the senior citizens there could use transit, and supported new playground equipment for children in multiple public parks
- Led efforts that secured testing and forthcoming remediation in Riverside Park for dioxin soil contamination that City Hall had been aware of since at least 2008
- Spearheaded the requests to provide residents with alternative water and at-home filters after elevated PFAS levels were disclosed to the city council and public
- Strongly opposed removing the referendum requirement for new municipal fees because it will result in regressive taxation
- Led efforts that secured testing and forthcoming remediation for what turned out to be widespread contamination on a parcel of the former Connor Forest Industries property
- Played a key role in killing a piece of “secret” Wausau TIF legislation by alerting state legislators that the city council had not even been notified of the bill’s existence
- Advocated for greater citizen participation and notice in relation to the City’s zoning decisions
- Spearheaded the first municipal-level resolution of its kind in Wisconsin history to better protect citizens’ property and health from major environmental contamination, and to increase public participation and transparency in local government decisions
- Helped support retention and generation of affordable housing without using TIF
- Pushed for the City’s zoning map “error” to be corrected for 1300 Cleveland Avenue because that error had switched the property’s zoning back from residential to industrial, in the middle of a densely populated residential neighborhood
These are just a few examples of the results of the citizen-driven government stemming from District 3, often combined with District 10.
Through electoral means on April 5, we have the opportunity in District 3 to make sure that “The People” continue to be “The City” in regard to their representation at City Hall. We can continue to welcome in policy that benefits all, rather than just a select few, and we can continue to welcome in representation that proudly serves the citizenry.
Welcome home to Wausau.
More information about me and my positions on municipal issues can be found on my website:
https://www.wausaucitycouncil.com
THE FOLLOWING IS MY VIDEO MESSAGE IN 2020 WHEN FIRST RUNNING, LAYING OUT MY FOCUS ON BRINGING THE VOICE OF RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT 3 BACK TO CITY HALL. MY WORK OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WAS DRIVEN BY THIS FOCUS.
Tom Kilian, Wausau City Council Dist. 3 Alderman
