Two Challenge Michalski For Aldermanic Seat
Field will narrow to two after Feb. 21 primary.
Mayoral candidate Tom Michalski is also defending his aldermanic seat in the Feb. 21 primary.
Ed Reader and Christopher Guzikowski are running against the six-year incumbent Michalski in the 6th District aldermanic race. The district covers the southwest side of Oak Creek. Click here for a map.
The top two vote-getters in the primary will advance to the April 3 general election. Aldermen are elected to two-year terms at an annual salary of $7,200.
Michalski, 58, would give up his aldermanic seat if he were elected to both positions. He said he doesn't see the problem with running for both at the same time.
"I just happen to be in the cycle where I'm up for election" as alderman, he said. "We're not asking other people to give up the spot they presently hold and go all or nothing for mayor. So why should I have to?"
Michalski voted for the proposal to move the library and city hall to the former Delphi site, 7929 S. Howell Ave. Not only because he agreed with the arguments for incorporating those buildings into the Delphi redevelopment plans, but because he wanted to avoid any more delays.
If voted back into office, he would make it a priority to move construction plans along, he said. He disagreed with the notion that decisions have to wait until after the election.
"Look, if the people don't like the fact that I'm willing to go forward on the Delphi site, they'll have an opportunity on the 21st or on (April 3)," he said. "If people are going to hide behind elections as to when they’re going to vote, then are you really serving the public? I don’t think you are."
The 6th District includes the southern half of 27th Street, where redevelopment efforts have slowed as the city focuses on Delphi and the lakefront. Michalski said he's looking to Northwestern Mutual as well as the interchange on Elm Road, which will be reconstructed a few years from now, to help the progress.
"Northwestern Mutual is going to be the one that drives what happens on 27th Street," he said. "And I'll work with them as best we can."
Reader, 52, said he got into the race because he was dissatisfied with Michalski and "the way he's conducting business." Reader said Michalski has not consulted with constituents in his decisions, particularly with the city hall and library.
"The business of moving city hall and library ... someone wanted that as their legacy," he said. "There's nothing wrong with the library we have right now. Sure, everybody wants bigger, better and new, but I think (residents) are worried about paying their bills and paying taxes."
Reader was pessimistic about growth on 27th Street, saying that much of the new development in the city seems to be on Howell Avenue and that the city is "handcuffed" by Northwestern Mutual and the city of Franklin.
He was also against the Drexel Interchange, which will be constructed this year, and opposes a proposal to move Fire Station 1 to Centennial Drive.
Reader is in his first attempt for public office and would look to solicit a lot of input from residents if elected.
"Nowhere is it written that politicians or millionaires are any smarter than anyone else," he said. "My qualifications are sensibility, accountability, and humility."
Guzikowski, 45, has been a trustee on the St. Stephen Parish Council for the past several years, and was instrumental in the church's construction project in his role as owner's representative.
"It was an awesome opportunity to be part of a project that big," and one that finished on time and on budget, Guzikowski said.
Now, he's looking to expand his horizons in his attempt for the Oak Creek Common Council. He said he has nothing against Michalski, but feels the council could benefit from his experience and perspective.
"I would like to bring what I've learned on the parish level to the city level," he said.
Like Reader, Guzikowski said he is looking for ways for residents' voices to be better heard. He feels the city may be moving too fast on redevelopment and neglecting other areas, such as roads and infrastructure.
He also doesn't see why 27th Street seems to have moved down the priority list.
"It's unfortunate because as much as 27th Street is one of the main arterials, when you get to Oak Creek, it's not very attractive," he said. "It's not welcoming to potential business and retailers that want to set up shop and we need to somehow make it more attractive to those people."
Patriot
6:38 am on Sunday, February 12, 2012
My feeling is any with an up vote for the new Library/City Hall should be voted out!!! None of these individuals talked with or listened to the people of Oak Creek. Wrong time to be spending this kind of money when everyone is having to tighten their belts and do with less.
Patriot
6:40 am on Sunday, February 12, 2012
I support Mr Reader because he is a real person!! An individual, a common sense regular citizen with no agenda or special interest!! You have my ED
Brian in OC
9:23 am on Sunday, February 12, 2012
I'm pretty sure this is almost the best time to build. Low interest rates, high credit rating, money to invest from WE, the ability to cut costs of a new high school by expanding the current one... not to mention most of these costs will come many years from now when the economy has improved. Not really buying these "bad time" and anti-growth arguments.
vocal local 1
10:33 am on Sunday, February 12, 2012
Brian, the public utility money from We is not a stable funding source and is not 3.3 mil per year as the city presented to persons attending the meetings. The funding is unstable as we only get paid if the units run for even one day in a year 1.4 mil each. Currently both units are down. Unit one has ran and will most likely come back on-line so we know we will receive 1.4 mil next year. This year we rec 2.8 as both were on-line last year. We can avoid construction costs by adding a second shift at the HS. Bring the early shift in from 7 to 1 and the 2nd shift from 1:30 to 8. Not too late for teens who like to sleep in the mornings. If we offer only a core curriculm we can save lots of extra-curricular costs. Lots of options with running two shifts. We could step up the currently low design curriculm, run zero tolerance, let the kids assume responsibility for their choices.Choice of when to attend has to be voluntary what works for your kid may not work for anothers family. Remember, the school district is already over fifty million in debt and is experiencing difficulty in balancing their budget. Were in a depression. Unemployment and under-employed numbers are not decreasing currently were running at about 45%. Also, we still have nearly a hundred homes here in OC in foreclosure and many more in pre-forclosure meaning the owner is 6 months behind in mortgage payments. WE NEED A REFERENDUM.
Patriot
11:18 am on Sunday, February 12, 2012
@Vocal-Very well put. Yes bring this to a referendum and let the people decide!!!
Brian in OC
7:25 pm on Sunday, February 12, 2012
vocal local. First off why wouldn't WE Energies use power plants they just built and which are the most efficient coal plants in the state if not the country. They are working out kinks from what I understand. They may not run at full capacity now but will in the near future. It is safe to assume we will be getting a large chunk of that money. Secondly your ideas for the high school are very unpopular for very many reasons (work and extracurricular schedules, parents schedules, bus schedules, choosing what kids in which schedules, and much more) These ideas have been brought up in many districts and promptly rejected nearly every time because of it doesn't work for most parents/children's lives. Personally I'm glad decisions are finally being made, these issues have been discussed for at least 5 years. This is the best plan financially that has come along, it's time to move forward. A well thought out and designed city center is the best catalyst to business development that can happen at delphi.
vocal local 1
5:37 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
Brian, a second shift at the HS is a very realistic inexpensive alternative to building another HS which we will not need once our pop maximizes and stablizes. The general public is ignorant of how it could work in our community. Were speaking of kids 14 to 18 that should be more than capable of and often do care for self as evidenced in homes of second shift working parents. What may not work for you and your child works for others. The school district should prepare a unbiased report which the needs committee did not address. But then the needs committee was spoon fed data from administration that adm desired and did not do any checking on the numbers provided to them. I sat with at least 20 adults who did not do their homework. Did not verify the data/numbers and didn't even get the fact that indistrict enrollment has decreased the past five years. In speaking with School Board members they didn't believe our indistrict enrollment was decreasing either. Again, evidence that they didn't do their homework either and were not competent to make expensive monetary decisions. Trust me, admistration was/is aware. Sara and Kramer work the numbers, do their homework. Would you please cite your sources of info? I'm not aware of any districts that have studied two shifts, one building and rejected them. Regardless of what we do we still have to bus. With a per choice 2nd shift one doesn't have to provide expensive extracurricular activities and we can accelerate, upgrade curriculm.
vocal local 1
6:08 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
Lastly Brian, I don't believe this is the best financial plan. Admittedly I am ignorant of a "public private" for profit development deal. Part of my ignorance stems from the way Bolender controlled the agenda, and speakers, and did everything in closed session disallowing resident questions and imput and hand picking persons he was in bed with to sit on committees. I maintain the best, least expensive plan is to leave the civic center where it is and go up as originally designed to do. The committee admits this in their report. Remember were a working class community, a bathroom community to failing Milwaukee not a white collar community the design states it is formulated for. Business is failing all over WI, certainly you see them come and go here as evidenced by all the vacant buildings arising out of financially failed enterprises. Further, commercial and retail investments today are projected to return 10 to 15 percent loss and I suspect more in our community. Evidenced by the current failure of the TIF for the Drexel Interchange which we have to borrow to finance. Considering our community this year receives 5.3 million from WE, residents should have seen a tax decrease. Please answer why we have not? Why were looking at millions of dollars of indebtedness, city government going into real estate development with a multi million dollar utility company on the back of the resident tax payer with an unstable funding source. No, we need the council to reconsider and review.
MaryJ
8:06 pm on Sunday, February 12, 2012
I totally agree with Michalski. Enough already with the waiting for the new library and city hall. Look how many years this has been going on and you still get the same results from some of the old cronies that just like to complain for complaining sake. This library is ridiculous and as you heard numerous people state that they go to Franklin library for a quality library. And city hall, have any of you actually gone and looked at the conditions we ask our employees to work in???? Put it up to the voters? This council has been well informed for the past three years and have seen plan after plan. It was time to step up and follow through. Obviously, Mr. Michalski is the one to do that!
vocal local 1
4:58 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
Brian, "We" will use which ever units are least expensive to produce power need and collateral costs. Projections made in the late 90's regarding future electic need have been negatively effected by the economy. Further, the technology used to build the new units would not be approved today. With both units down I don't know if We is buying power to supply the grid but doubt it which means the old units are producing enough power and they would have no neet to run the new units and pay the city Utility funding of 1.4 mil per unit. I'm glad the units are down as I and many OC residents are not disturbed by the high pitched noise especially at night. I suspect the noise comes from the H20 intake and hope We is able to fix this problem while the units are down. I live about a mile from the plant as the crow flies, within the air quality testing space and did not receive any funding from the mitigation payments 2.5 mil per year to renovate/insulate protect my self from their development. Toman and Bolender fed the allocated money into balancing the budget and targeted most for police and fire which was not the approved agreement with We and the PSC. Sounds to me like you are in the same position the alderman and mayor are in and don't understand the Utility Funding Law. The max amount we receive if a unit has ran the year prior is 1.4 mil.per unit. This amount does not change as it is based on MAX production. The funding is fixed not variable, not dependent on production.
Patriot
7:11 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
I understand real estate is down, construction is cheaper but at what cost? Businesses in the area have failed and closed up, many vacant store fronts both new and old construction. What business is going to set up shop in this State with the current state of our State? Chaos and uncertainty is not a stable platform to attract business. All the left wing liberal progressives blame Gov Walker when in fact it is due to their constant state of chaos. The recalls, the protesting ect. Let the people of Oak Creek, the ones who will be funding these projects decide.
Juniper
6:53 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012
I hope the elected Oak Creek officials and We Energies investigate the emissions produced by the power plant. The emissions appear to be adversely affecting the mental capabilities of residents living near the plant.