A-B schools see referendum, Supreme Court Judge also up

By Gazette Staff

Residents across Portage County have an opportunity to direct the future of their own municipal government as well as the county in races during the general election Tuesday, April 3.

Voters will head to the polls beginning at 8 a.m. to cast ballots in some cases in a school operating referendum, for the county’s leader, school boards and those to represent individual municipalities.

Candidates for county executive – Jami Gebert and Chris Holman – top the local races, and voters will have options also for the Portage County Board, Stevens Point Common Council, School Boards and some villages and towns.

One state referendum currently is expected in the April 3 election: Shall the office of state treasurer be eliminated from the constitution and to replace the state treasurer with the lieutenant governor as a member of the Board of Commissions of Public Lands?

A school referendum for Almond-Bancroft will ask voters to support $525,000 in recurring operating costs for curriculum and instruction, facility and site maintenance, retaining and recruiting high-quality teachers, and updating technology for students.

Voters will select a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice; candidates are Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet and Sauk County Circuit Judge Michael Screnock. The nonpartisan seat would be for 10 years. The seat was previously held by Justice Michael Gableman, a member of the court’s 5-2 conservative majority, who did not seek re-election.

Incumbent Joanne Kloppenburg will run unopposed for the position for Court of Appeals Judge District 4.

For the two Circuit Court Judge positions in Portage County, incumbents Thomas Eagon, Portage County Branch 1, and Thomas Flugaur, Portage County Branch 3, will run unopposed.

Other elections include:

Portage County executive

Three candidates filed for the four-year County Executive position currently held by Patty Dreier; Dreier filed for noncandidacy. A primary election narrowed the field to two: public office newcomer Jami Gebert, who has worked in the County Executive office for eight years, and Chris Holman, a farmer and veteran who also is seeking his first bid to public office.

County Board

All 25 seats of the Portage County Board of Supervisors are up for election this year. Seven incumbents filed for noncandidacy: Marion “Bud Flood, District 6; Dan Dobratz, District 7; Larry Sipiorski, District 8; Bo DeDeker, District 9; Don Butkowski, District 12; Phil Idsvoog, District 16; and Jerry Walters, District 17.

Candidates are:

District 1 – Incumbent Vinnie Miresse is running unopposed.

District 2 – Incumbent Chris Doubek is running unopposed.

District 3 – Incumbent Meleesa Johnson is running unopposed.

District 4 – Incumbent David Medin is running unopposed.

District 5 – Incumbent Julie Morrow is running unopposed.

District 6 – Candidate Mildred Neville is running unopposed.

District 7 – Candidate Dave Ladick is running unopposed.

District 8 – Candidate Joan M. Honl is running unopposed.

District 9 – Candidate Andrew Boden will face candidate Ntxhais “Chai” Moua.

District 10 – Incumbent Bob Gifford is running unopposed.

District 11 – Incumbent Stan Potocki is running unopposed.

District 12 – Candidate Mike Splinter is running unopposed.

District 13 – Incumbent Donald Jankowski faces candidate James A. Carpenter.

District 14 – Incumbent James Gifford is running unopposed.

District 15 – Incumbent Allen Haga Jr. is running unopposed.

District 16 – open.

District 17 – Candidate Dennis Raabe is running unopposed.

District 18 – Incumbent Larry Raikowski is running unopposed.

District 19 – Incumbent Dale O’Brien is being challenged by Melinda I. Osterberg.

District 20 – Ron Becker is challenging incumbent Charles Gussel.

District 21 – Tim Corcoran is challenging incumbent Jeanne Dodge.

District 22 – Incumbent Matt Jacowski is being challenged by Justin Isherwood.

District 23 –Incumbent Barry Jacowski is running unopposed.

District 24 – Incumbent Gerry Zastrow is running unopposed.

District 25 – Incumbent James Zdroik and challenger Anne Abbott will face off after securing slots through the primary election.

Stevens Point

The even-numbered district seats on the Stevens Point Common Council are up for election this year:

District 2 – Incumbent David Shorr is running unopposed.

District 4 – Incumbent Heidi Oberstadt is running unopposed.

District 6 – Incumbent Jeremy Slowinski is running unopposed.

District 8 – Lynn Schulist secured a spot against incumbent Cathy Dugan.

District 10 – Incumbent Mike Phillips is running unopposed.

School Boards

Stevens Point

There are four candidates for three at-large positions who have filed papers for the Stevens Point Area Public School Board of Education.

Incumbents Meg Erler, Judy Rannow and Mike Wade and candidate Alexander Kochanowski will face off for the three seats, which each run for three years.

Tomorrow River School District

Two current board members are running for re-election to the two at-large seats: Bob Stuczynski and Kelly Loken.

Almond-Bancroft School District

The town of Almond post and village of Almond seat on the Almond-Bancroft School District Board are up for election. Incumbent Debbie Bradley filed for the village of Almond seat to run unopposed and candidate Brad Garner filed for the town of Almond position, also running unopposed. Town of Almond incumbent Roy Danforth filed for noncandidacy. All terms will be for three years.

Rosholt

Two people are also seeking one position on the Rosholt Board of Education. Incumbent Shawn Cychosz will be challenged by Gerald Trzebiatowski.

Villages

Almond: Incumbents Kurt Olson, Spence Bunders are running for re-election with three seats open.

Amherst: Incumbents Jim Stephani, Bob Rausch and Rick Daniels are seeking re-election to the three open seats.

Park Ridge: Incumbent Randy Busch and candidates Steve Menzel and Christine Neidlein are running for two open seats. Tuesday, March 27, resident Charmian Fournier filed paperwork to be a write-in candidate.

Plover: Incumbent Andrew Timm is running unopposed for Ward 1; Orville Damrau is being challenged by Steven Ransbottomfor Ward 2; and incumbent Al Tessman is running unopposed for Ward 3.

Whiting: Three village trustee positions are for two-year terms. Incumbent Andrew Kruit is the only person who filed papers to run. Incumbents William “Bill” Horvath and Richard Marquard filed for noncandidacy.

Information for the villages of Amherst Junction, Junction City, Nelsonville and Rosholt were not available at press time.

Towns

Two towns in Portage County require nomination papers, the towns of Hull and Plover, while all the rest hold caucuses for candidates.

Hull: Two positions are open on town of Hull Board, and three people have filed papers: Incumbent Dave Wilz, and candidates John Koshnick and Matt Johnson.Incumbent Rick Stautz did not seek re-election.

Plover: The town of Plover has two candidates for two trustee positions. They are incumbent Joe Firkus and candidate Dennis O’Brien. Jim Rowe will not seek re-election.

Information for the towns of Carson, Dewey, Eau Pleine, Grant, Linwood, Pine Grove and Sharon were not available at press time.