Incumbent Nancy Eggleston will face challenger Al Haga for the District 15 seat on the Portage County Board in the April 7 election.
County Board supervisors serve two-year terms.
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The Stevens Point Journal asked each of the candidates to address important issues in the district and why they are running for the position.
Nancy Eggleston
Municipal residence: Plover
Age: 70
Occupation and education: I have a bachelor’s degree in biology from UW-Stevens Point. I graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago MidAmerica Public Health Leadership Institute, and the UW-LaFollette School of Public Affairs Women in Government Leadership Program. I began my career in Portage County government. I then worked for Wood County, retiring as the environmental health and communicable disease supervisor.
Relevant experience: I am currently on the County Board and am running for reelection. I am an active member of four committees: Exec/Operations Committee, Space and Properties Committee, Ag and Extension Committee and Health Care Center Committee. Prior to this I had 40 years of county government work with 20+ years of supervisory experience. I worked for 30+ years in environmental health. I collaborated with many county departments and state and federal agencies and their associated codes and regulations. I am past president of the Wisconsin Public Health Association and a member of the Northeast Wisconsin Incident Management team.
Campaign website/Facebook page: Nancy Eggleston for District 15 Supervisor on Facebook
Al Haga
Municipal residence: Village of Plover
Age: 63
Occupation and education: Retired
Relevant experience: County Board supervisor for 16 years, board chairman for 6 years, current Village of Plover trustee, past Wisconsin County’s Board of Director
Campaign website/Facebook page: N/A
Why are you running for office?
Eggleston: I have the skills and experience needed to help the County Board continue to work together, move forward and function effectively. In the past two years I have worked hard on each committee, welcoming citizen input. My 40 years of county government work prepared me to be a strong leader, fiscally responsible in decision-making, accountable to the public and in tune with their needs. I work collaboratively with others, look to future needs and utilize available resources to get things done.
Haga: I am not pleased with the way our county government has been run these past two years. Lack of transparency and trying to rush things without proper time for public input, as well as government overreach.
What makes you the better candidate in this race?
Eggleston: In the past, citizen input was not respected or sought out. I believe county leaders must listen to residents and provide feedback on issues discussed. If there are misconceptions or misunderstanding of policy either on the part of the public or fellow board members, I am willing to work with department staff to help clarify the messaging on the policy or procedure that was developed with the best interests of Portage County citizens in mind. Hard decisions need to be made and I am willing to make them to help Portage County move forward.
Haga: In the past I was fair and listened. Agendas had as much information as we could so folks know what the meeting was about. I held people accountable. I was County Board chair during three natural disasters. Services were not interrupted and funds were available to municipalities. I thought outside the box to come up with ways to inform the County Board about mental health and child abuse. We had the first closed door session for the whole board after a board meeting.
What is the most pressing issue facing the Portage County Board and how would you address it?
Eggleston: The jail project is moving forward and the courthouse remodel will follow. Most pressing now is providing courthouse and courtroom security. We cannot wait for the jail to be completed before addressing these issues. We must provide a safe space for courthouse visitors and workers. Single-point entry is a start, followed by safer courtrooms. I voted for the recently-approved single-point entry work. Whereby the county will seek a contract with a security business and obtain the screening hardware. I will support these measures as they come through committees and the County Board for approval.
Haga: Government overreach. We have had a lot of turnover on the County Board and we will see a lot more in this coming election April 7 because so many said that they are not running again. Some people run for two years and say I don’t want to do this anymore. Portage County has a $130 million budget, you want people with experience overseeing it. I have 16 years of experience, four years as finance chair, all of that will be a great resource.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues and how would you address them?
Eggleston: Homeowners are concerned about their taxes and the cost of the new jail. I explained that to keep costs down, borrowing will occur in stages of the project, not all at once. I voted to approve this. Many homeowners are concerned about safe drinking water; some board members are reluctant to address this. I supported the wellhead protection ordinance changes in my committee and will again support the improvements on the County Board floor. Residents are still upset about the sale of the Health Care Center. I voted against the sale.
Haga: High taxes. I find myself educating folks that the large part of your tax bill is for schools. We had two or three big school referendums and now we are seeing the increase on our tax bills. I remind them elections have consequences. My opponent has voted on the last two major issues in Portage County and the results of her vote would raise taxes more.
How will you balance providing essential services with rising concerns of affordability and cost of living?
Eggleston: We need to identify those services absolutely essential to Portage County. Funding can be prioritized to those services most needed by our citizens. The Portage County strategic plan outlines goals and priorities over the next three years. This can guide decisions on which priorities to fund and how to control costs. Following prioritization, it is important to determine available revenue. Besides revenue from taxes, state and federal grants, user fees, collaborative partnerships with private entities, and joint service agreements with our neighbors can keep the cost of living down.
Haga: First two years as board chair I got 10 committees to vote to dissolve themselves. This saved tens of thousands of dollars every year. I will continue to find ways to save tax dollars.
How will you work to address infrastructure and water quality needs in the county?
Eggleston: Reduced state aid and tight levy limits stress the county’s ability to cover road repairs. Professional organizations can lobby for increased transportation aid. Infrastructure can be covered by user fees, state/federal grants, anticipated solar farm income and taxes after other sources are exhausted. To improve water quality, we need to support farmers taking measures to reduce impacts to groundwater. Farmer-led initiatives are key to getting ahead of groundwater concerns. We are fortunate to have groundwater and land management specialists on staff, at UW-Stevens Point and in the community who can guide us to methods to preserve safe drinking water.
Haga: I would continue to work with local agriculture leaders and educators to find best practices as well as new ways of doing things with different processes or equipment.
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Meet the 2 candidates running for Portage County Board District 15
Reporting by Erik Pfantz, Stevens Point Journal / Stevens Point Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
