City, town and School Board seats to appear on April ballot
By Jason Arndt
Staff writer
Area residents looking to serve on local government bodies and area school boards could start launching their bids for candidacy on Tuesday this week.
According to local officials, Dec. 1 was the first day candidates were allowed to circulate nomination papers with a 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, deadline to submit final paperwork.
If more than two candidates file to seek any single seat – or more than double the available at-large seats – a primary election will be held on Feb. 16 to narrow the field for the April 6 Spring Election.
Locally, there are four aldermanic seats in the City of Burlington as well as two supervisory posts and the chairperson position on the Town of Burlington Board up for re-election. There are two seats on the ballot for the Burlington Area School District Board of Education.
People seeking office must live in the municipality they wish to represent and must be at least 18 years old.
Prospective candidates should contact the clerk in the municipality they desire to serve for the needed materials to declare candidacy.
Additional information for candidates is also available online from the Wisconsin Elections Commission at elections.wi.gov.
Four city seats open
In the City of Burlington, Common Council members up for re-election are Susan Kott, Bob Grandi, Jon E. Schultz II and Todd Bauman, according to City Clerk Diahnn Halbach.
Halbach, as of Tuesday, said there haven’t been any official announcements from any of the current seat holders on whether they plan to seek re-election.
Kott, of District 1, has served on the Common Council since 2017 while Grandi in District 2 has been part of the part of the Common Council for five years.
Schultz, of District 3, who serves as Council President, earned first election in 2013, as did Bauman from District 4.
Halbach said total compensation for the two-year term is $3,600 annually.
Halbach, meanwhile, said the number of the signatures required for an alderperson elected to a district is 20-40 and must be obtained from within their district.
The city and town of Burlington both require three forms, including a registration statement, declaration of candidacy and nomination papers.
Completed forms in the city must be submitted to Halbach by Jan. 5.
Contact Halbach for more information at 262-342-1171 or [email protected].
Resident announces candidacy
Bill Smitz, a longtime Burlington resident, announced his candidacy for the Fourth District in a Nov. 30 press release.
The release, which indicated Bauman would not seek re-election, touted his service to the community as a reason for why people should consider him for the seat.
“I’ve enjoyed serving our community over the past decade in various roles in Burlington and when friends encouraged me to consider running for City Council, I seriously considered it and believe I can be a good representative of our community”
Smitz, according to the release, is married with three children who are enrolled in the Burlington Area School District.
He has served on the Burlington Police and Fire Commission and currently holds a post on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Smitz has also been involved in the Burlington Rotary Club, attends St. Charles Church and formerly managed Veteran’s Terrace.
“Burlington has so many fantastic assets to offer our residents” Smitz said. “We have safe neighborhoods, involved residents and a strong, generous business community. Burlington needs to keep our focus on balancing the need for growing our local economy with maintaining our small-town charm.”
Two seats on School Board
The seats currently held by Taylor Wishau and Diane Wood on the Burlington Area School District Board of Education are up for election this spring.
Wishau, who was first elected in 2018, submitted a statement of non-candidacy last month but said this week he has changed his mind and will run again in 2021. (A story in this week’s edition of the Burlington Standard Press was printed before Wishau announced his decision to run again).
Wood, who was appointed in 2019 to fill a vacancy, will face her first election if she decides to run.
The seats, which carry three-year terms, do not come with annual compensation.
Prospective candidates for the two seats must complete a campaign finance registration statement, declaration of candidacy form, and have to reside in BASD boundaries for at least 28 days at the time of filing.
Forms can be submitted to BASD, 100 N. Kane St., during normal business hours.
Town of Burlington
The Burlington Town Board, meanwhile, has Chairman Ralph Rice, Supervisor No. 1 Steve Swantz and Supervisor No. 2 Ric Isaacson up for re-election.
In 2009, Rice earned election as chairman while Isaacson notched the supervisory post. Both have been re-elected since.
Swantz, meanwhile, assumed to the other position in 2020 to fill the final year of the term vacated by Tyson Fettes.
Total compensation for the chairman position is $7,500 annually while each supervisor earns $5,000.
For further information, contact Burlington Town Clerk Jeanne Rennie at 262-763-3070 or [email protected].
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