Voters will decide hotly debated races in Tuesday’s election
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Education issues, both locally and regionally, take top billing for Burlington area voters in next Tuesday’s spring election.
The race for two available seats on the Board of Education for the Burlington Area School District has generated what is – at least in recent history – an unprecedented mobilization of voters into two camps.
Although the election is non-partisan, the candidates and their supporters have found themselves aligned in two groups – one behind candidates Julie Koldeway and Norma Miller and the other behind Larry Anderson and Jim Bousman.
Anderson is the lone incumbent in the race having served multiple terms on the School Board. Koldeway, who is the wife of current School Board member Roger Koldeway, is making her first run for public office, as are Bousman and Miller. (A separate story on the candidates appears elsewhere in this edition).
Supporters on both sides of the School Board election have called it high-stakes race in which the outcome will have long-term ramifications for local schools and the community at large.
Gateway referendum
The other issue on the ballot with significant local ramifications is the Gateway Technical College referendum seeking authorization to borrow $49 million to fund a program expansion and facilities upgrade plan at the college’s campuses in Elkhorn, Kenosha and Racine.
If approved, the funding proposal would cost taxpayers in the three-county area $9.73 for each $100,000 of property value annually over a 20-year period.
What they would get in return are updated facilities and new and expanded academic programs designed to meets the workforce needs of area businesses.
Supporters have said the proposal is crucial to the local economy because it’s customized to the local labor force and gives students the training they need to get jobs close to home.
Opponents have said the tax impact is too great on residents who have been left reeling by the recession of several years ago.
An in-depth explanation of Gateway’s proposal can be found online at www.myracinecounty.com.
Supreme court race
Two statewide races are also on Tuesday’s ballot – for state Supreme Court justice and for state superintendent of schools.
Of the two, the Supreme Court justice race has garnered the most attention. Although the race is non-partisan, conservatives have largely supported incumbent Pat Roggensack and liberals have aligned with challenger Ed Fallone, a Marquette University law professor.
In the race for state superintendent, incumbent Tony Evers is challenged by Don Pridemore.
Also on the ballot
Here’s a breakdown, by community, of the other local offices that will appear on the ballot.
• City of Burlington – All four seats up for election on the City Council will be filled without opposition. In Districts 1 and 2, incumbents Robert Prailes and Peter Hintz, respectively, are seeking a return to office. In District 3, Jon Schultz II is running without an opponent to replace Steve Rauch, who did not seek re-election. In District 4, Todd Bauman is unopposed in his bid to replace Katie Simenson, who did not seek another term.
• Town of Burlington – Town Chairman Ralph Rice and Supervisors Tyson Fettes (No. 1) and Richard Isaacson (No. 2) are seeking additional terms without challengers.
• Town of Dover – All three Town Board seats up for election feature challenges. Incumbent Town Chairman Thomas Lembcke faces a challenge from Mario Lena. Incumbent Supervisor Mike Shenkenberg is challenged by Deborah Krogh for the No. 1 Town Board seat, and Sam Stratton faces Larry Neau for the No. 2 seat.
• Town of Lyons – A race for the town treasurer’s seat is the only contested office on the ballot in Lyons. Newcomers Linda Skiles and Bonnie Allegretti are in competition to replace Geri Henningfield, who did not seek another term. Town Chairwoman Joy Bartelson, Supervisors Douglas Day and William Henningfield, and Clerk Karla Hill are all unopposed in their bids for re-election.
• Village of Rochester – A slate of incumbents, including Chairman Paul Beere and Trustees Ed Chart, Mike Weinkauf and Gary Beck, are unopposed in their bids for re-election.
• Town of Spring Prairie – There is a race for the clerk position with Eloise Simons challenging incumbent Debbie Collins. The rest of the town slate – Chairman Don Henningfield and Supervisors Tom Bolfert and Donald Trimberger – are seeking their second terms without opposition.
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