By Kris Leonhardt/League of Women Voters of the Stevens Point Area

STEVENS POINT – On Feb. 21, city of Stevens Point voters will narrow a field of three mayoral candidates down to two during its primary election.

The League of Women Voters reached out to the three candidates to learn more about them and why they are running

Following are their responses:

Meleesa Johnson

Please share a brief biography of your education, background and life experiences that qualify you to take a leadership role as mayor of Stevens Point:

Dropping out of high school in 1973, I thought opportunity faded away.  In 2000,  my college degree in hand,I knew every opportunity lay before me.  The low-wage jobs of those 27 years taught me to persevere and get by with little.  The love of my children and granddaughter gave me the fuel to move past countless setbacks. Those 27 years have woven dogged determination, empathy and compassion into all that I do in my professional life and in service to my community. 

A UW-Green Bay degree in environmental policy and planning taught me to think broadly and in terms of systems.  No single issue or problem exists in a world of its own; those issues and problems exist in a world where personalities, financial challenges and competing priorities frequently run at odds with finding simple solutions. 

For nearly two decades I have created, deployed and managed waste and recycling services for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites.  From recycling education to food waste management to landfill disposal, I have employed sound environmental and engineering standards to manage over 3.4 million tons of waste which generated revenues of over $100 million. Working with colleagues from around the state recycling community, we successfully advocated to preserve the Recycling Law and brought millions of state dollars to local government for recycling programs.

Blending these experiences, knowledge, training, and education, I have served my community for decades.  I led the Plover Whiting School PTO to successfully raise funds for the old kindergarten playground.  Serving on the United Way Allocation Cabinet, I enjoyed collaborating with community leaders as we meticulously evaluated funding requests. My partnership with two neighbors resulted in the Friends of Emerson Park and that park’s revitalization. 

While on county board I served as ambassador from the board to the Legislature, advocating on behalf of Portage County citizens.   As alderperson and council president I took seriously my charge to represent all voices, not just the loudest or ones with the most resources. 

Leadership isn’t easy. I will be forever grateful for several great mentors that taught me that leadership is about humility and building capacity in others. Leading effectively isn’t always being right or being the loudest.  One mentor, Mike, from Lighthouse Leadership, taught me that leadership is about elegant courage and “living values during good and tough times.”  I hope I honor those mentors in all that I do.

Why are you running for this office and what do you hope to accomplish:

I decided to run for mayor because I have a vision of our community as it can be.  I grew up in this area and love Stevens Point.  As much as I love my hometown, I know that just as with everything else in our world, to flourish it needs to grow and evolve. 

Right now, some current leaders fail to imagine an even better Stevens Point. In their minds, our city’s best days have already come and gone, and the only way to ‘improve’ is to regress to those old ways and norms, benefitting only the same people who have always enjoyed being the top dogs. Such a lack of foresight would result in stagnation and decay of our beloved city. 

Key to my leadership vision will be a comprehensive evaluation of how to define economic and community development. We need to blend our various committees and commissions to create a Community and Economic Development Authority with one shared purpose.  A shared vision ensures the greatest collaboration and best use of resources. As part of this, current development tax incentive practices need to be evaluated for their costs versus benefits, including an independent third-party review of financial paperwork.

As mayor I would continue my work on developing a collaborative, interlocking system of support for our neighbors in crisis. We cannot have robust economic development if our neighbors are sleeping on the street or families are living in fear of eviction.  Homelessness and housing insecurity impact everyone.  Recently I brought numerous service agencies and charities together to explore what “wrap around care”(like Wausau’s Community Partners Campus) could look like for the Stevens Point area. Participants responded overwhelmingly that we need a connective entity integrating all working to bring people from crisis to stability.

In 2005, I served on the city’s Eco-Municipality Taskforce.  Goal 3 of the Green Building and Energy section had the city leading the way in reducing carbon emissions.  In order to set the standard for businesses, citizens, and other communities, we need to clean up our own carbon emissions.  While city staff have implemented a wide range of energy-saving measures, we need a benchmark to measure those savings.

What are the top three issues facing the city of Stevens Point and how would you approach addressing them:

The issues facing Stevens Point are the same for any other municipality.  Retaining a talented city workforce, maintaining infrastructure, homelessness/poverty, growth that doesn’t unduly hamstring future generations, levy cap restrictions and tax rate management are consistent across jurisdictions.

I have already outlined my plan to tackle housing insecurity/homelessness and related challenges.  Added to this would be an emphasis to use the current federal Housing and Urban Development allotment of low-income housing to address the current gap in housing affordability.

Budget development and its related tax levy/tax rate result from an established process, much of it prescribed by statute and in staff meetings.  What is currently missing in this process is priority setting by Council, the legislative body, and input by the public.  Greater involvement may not change budget amount or the tax rate, but having the public participate in priority setting creates buy-in to create success.  As well, I would seek out regional and local economic and financial experts to be advisors to the office of the mayor. 

Finally, the city cannot serve the people without a skilled workforce.  While pay and benefit are a critical part of the equation, a recent Forbes article indicates that “intangibles benefits are arguably more important because they help employees feel empowered and motivated to perform.”  This would start with a culture survey and employee-run action teams exploring how best to recruit and retain workers and build a positive work culture.

Craig Tesch

Please share a brief biography of your education, background and life experiences that qualify you to take a leadership role as mayor of Stevens Point:

I was born in a small town in southeast Wisconsin. Upon graduating from high school, I joined the Marine Corps, serving two tours in Vietnam in infantry and security as a fire team leader. I am a disabled veteran and a purple heart recipient. My first tour, I was shot in the knee while point on patrol. 

When I got out of the service, I worked my way through school through work study and foundry along with the GI bill. I earned a BBA from UW-Whitewater with majors in Accounting and Finance, and an emphasis in Computers; and later an MBA from UW-Oshkosh at age 44. I moved here in 1975 and first worked as a manager in systems accounting at Sentry Insurance for 11 years, then ran my own business for 33 years. I am a CPA and Certified Financial Planner, and did taxes and financial planning.  During that time, I also bought and coordinated the renovation of commercial buildings which I rented out and/or sold.

I will be married to my wife Susan for 50 years this August. We have been residents of Stevens Point for 48 of those years. We have one daughter who graduated from UWSP.

Why are you running for this office and what do you hope to accomplish:

I am running for Mayor because we need to do better for the people of Stevens Point. My experience with local government has not been a good one. I felt unheard, saw other citizens being treated the same way and decided there has to be a change.   Then, the more I looked into it, the worse it got.  “We can do better!” 

As your next mayor, I will:

1. Provide better notification to people affected by projects and city activities. The mayor is chairman of the City Planning Commission and Board of Public Works, where projects are first introduced, yet people are not being made aware of them until they reach the common council for final vote (and sometimes not even then). The initial meeting with AECom on the Business 51 Project was attended by just two people.  Obviously, the word did not get out!

2. Ensure people are listened to when they go before the common council. You’re given your 3 minutes, you sit down and the council puts you on pay-no-mind. No discussion, they just go off on their own tangent. Speakers feel very disrespected.  Listening is not just looking at the person, it’s absorbing and considering what they have to say. The mayor presides over council meetings. As your mayor, I will ensure they get their due consideration.

3. Support 4 lanes for Business 51. My first two days of securing endorsements, I walked the southern and then northern sections of Business 51. Everyone, with the exception of two people, wanted 4 lanes.  The survey of the general population bears this out. Unfortunately, I remember only one person speaking before the council from the residential central portion so I would get together with the people that live in that section to solicit their feelings. We should be listening to what the people want.

4. Honor the overwhelming majority – no bike lanes on Business 51. In talking to people while securing my nomination, most said they did not bicycle on Business 51. Too busy. I would instead work with bicycle groups to set up a network of safe bicycle routes in less-busy areas throughout the city and make it more conducive to being a family activity. Then I will get out my Trek Hybrid and bike along with them.

5. On day one, declare a homelessness emergency and call for a special public meeting to discuss solutions as a community. Something must be done and, up to now, under the current mayor and president of the common council, nothing has!

6. Work with citizens, business owners and students to fix parking issues and expand parking services.  Parking rules should work for us, not be a hindrance to us.

7. Petition for term limits. Two terms for mayor and four terms for city council. We should prevent people from becoming professional politicians and reinvigorate these positions every so often with new people with fresh ideas. 

What are the top three issues facing the city of Stevens Point and how would you approach addressing them:

The top issues facing Stevens Point today are:

1. City government is not working with the people. As I said in Objectives 1 and 2, first, the people affected by projects are not being notified early enough in the process. The mayor is chairman of the city planning commission and Board of Public Works. I will make sure they are brought on board.  Then, when they are notified, no one listens to them. They live and/or work here! I will ensure what they have to say is listened to.

2. Business 51. My objectives 3 and 4. The city-wide survey and the majority of constituents appearing before the council say the people want 4 lanes and no bike lanes but the council has continued to insist on two lanes with a left turn lane. The stakeholders (the business and land owners along the route) must be given a voice. I would give representatives of each section a seat at the table with AECom, with myself as chair, and work toward reaching a compromise.

3. The homeless. Objective 5. It’s become a major problem, especially downtown, yet, under the current mayor and president of the common council, nothing has been done. I have been exposed to this in my own family plus my daughter is a case manager for Salvation Army.  There is a series of steps to be taken but those steps must involve the community. I would declare a homelessness emergency and call for a special public meeting to discuss solutions as a community.

Mike Wiza

Please share a brief biography of your education, background and life experiences that qualify you to take a leadership role as mayor of Stevens Point:

I’ve served as mayor for the last eight years, during which time we have seen record growth and tourism. We’ve moved Stevens Point forward making government more accessible with a radio station, live streaming meetings, push notifications for important topics and more. I have served in local government since 2005 and the board of directors for the convention and visitor bureau, business council, League of Wisconsin Municipalities and more.

Why are you running for this office and what do you hope to accomplish:

During my administration, we have already accomplished quite a lot to ensure our community is welcoming for everyone. We have steadily been adding parks, housing and jobs while minimizing tax increases. We have made great strides in allowing easier residential and commercial solar installation, alternative transportation infrastructure and creative energy solutions like our biogas generator and solar powered heat pumps. Looking forward, I intend to refocus on meeting our more challenging housing needs, quality and affordable childcare and continuing to update our outdated zoning codes to allow for more flexibility on alternative energy, reducing our carbon footprint. Ensuring everyone has a safe, accepting and supportive community is and will continue to be my top priority.

What are the top three issues facing the city of Stevens Point and how would you approach addressing them:

Affordable Housing

Adequate housing is a key to a successful community. If you ask someone what their ideal home is, you’ll get a wide variety of answers. One common thread is affordability. The challenge is finding the housing you want at a price you can afford.

My administration has been able to address some of those needs. The Berkshire provides senior housing near downtown and the Lincoln Center. The Reserve provides student housing that offers an alternative to dormitory living. The Fourth Avenue project, provides single family homes in a great neighborhood near parks. The market rate project on Division St will provide quality apartments for young professionals near our larger employers. The convent remodel will offer a quiet property for seniors who want to live with peers and enjoy common space for activities. These projects provide walkability to shopping and services and access to public transportation. We’re still working on projects that will help fill some gaps. Lower cost homes and apartments are challenging, but I’m working at state and federal levels to find solutions. This will be a focus of the next four years.

Employment Challenges and Opportunites

Before COVID hit, good employees were getting difficult to find. Now almost any employee is getting difficult to find. This creates challenges, but also opportunities. We’ve been working on a variety of things to help attract and retain our employee base. Quality of life is critical. We have great parks, live music, arts and many recreational opportunities. We’ve partnered with employers and educational institutions to create pathways for training that may seem non-traditional. Apprenticeship programs start in high school and grow from there. I worked to help create MSTC’s new AMETA Center, a world class facility drawing in students (and future employees) from all over the Midwest. Companies like Skyward and Sentry have recruitment/training programs to provide hands-on real world experience in technology careers. UWSP has also added pathways to degrees that are in-tune with today’s needs.

Our older population is retiring; it’s caused business models to shift. The City and other employers have been working on more flexibility with work hours, additional time off, and part-time options to help meet the needs of both employer and employee. With different ways to earn money from home, we’ve also provided options for high speed internet and public Wi-Fi.

We continue to work with existing companies like Delta Dental, Sentry Insurance, Point Brewery, Skyward, Lineage Logistics and Ki Mobility to help expand, but we’ve also been working with new businesses including Great Northern Distilling, The Opera House, Meier and more. Good paying jobs, affordable daycare and flexible schedules are going to be key to our continued economic success in the city. You’ll see some great things coming in 2023 and beyond.

Balancing a budget with minimal tax impact

Budgets are complicated and everyone has different priorities. We’ve worked hard to reduce our costs and provided our services as efficiently as possible. It’s only going to get tougher in the coming years.

Wisconsin has had levy limits in place since 2006. The law was designed to slow the rise of property taxes and reduce spending. Cities are only allowed to meet rising costs by the amount of net new construction. If we grow 2%, we can spend 2% more. If we don’t grow, we cannot keep up. I’m sure this seemed like a good concept in 2006, but it’s not working any more.

During my administration we have seen above average growth and even set a record in 2021. Our growth in 2022 was 2.52%, much better than the state average of 1.71%, but still well below the rate of inflation (nearly 9%). Now imagine you’re a city employee. We are only allowed to increase wages by that 2.52%. We are failing our greatest assets. We cut the 2023 operating budget to allow us to give our employees a 3% raise (still well short of inflation). The city still needs paper, envelopes, computers, and everything any company needs to function, but that all went up, so we will have to get by with less in 2023. Every city in Wisconsin has been doing this since 2006. It’s not sustainable.

I’m working to help change the parameters of those spending laws. This doesn’t happen locally, but at the state level. Working with legislators to reform the formula. Meeting with leaders from other municipalities to share our stories with those who can help and providing solutions to those in the state legislature to help us serve our communities better.

We’ve started by asking for bigger return of the taxes we all already pay into the state. It seems to be working as the Governor spoke about these in his state of the state address. The Governor has promised a return of our funds, but the legislature still needs to approve it. I intend to keep working on making that happen.