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Candidates for April 1 elections: Eau Claire City Council
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: News
Brandon Buchanan
Brandon Buchanan was first elected to the City Council in 2006 at the age of 23, and is the youngest person to serve on council in Eau Claire's history.
Buchanan graduated from UW-Eau Claire in December of 2005 with a double major in economics and political science.
He can still be found on campus helping to coach Eau Claire's award winning forensics team and meeting with Student Senate to stay up-to-date with critical student issues, such as help keep the music therapy program at the university.
On Council, Buchanan has been the lead advocate for sustainability legislation that would make Eau Claire a green city.
He is also a major advocate for mass transit and has fought to preserve evening bus service. Buchanan wants Eau Claire to explore city-wide wireless Internet as well.
Scott Gunem
Scott Gunem was born in Eau Claire and grew up in Osseo. He has a B.S., Honors, from UW-Stevens Point, an M.B.A. from UW-Whitewater, and a J.D. from Creighton University.
Gunem and his family moved from Nebraska to Eau Claire six years ago. In Nebraska, he served as assistant Attorney General. He also has taught at the college level in Wisconsin and Japan. Gunem currently works for a local property management firm.
Gunem believes local government must share more information with city residents and permit greater resident involvement in decision-making processes to achieve change.
Gunem believes relations between elected officials and university administration have been less than ideal. He thinks we must continue to break down "town vs. gown" barriers.
Finally, Gunem thinks city and county residents have not been given the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue concerning the jail plan and locating a new jail outside of the city is feasible and represents the will of the people.
Thomas Vue
Thomas Vue is a long-time Eau Claire resident. Vue is married and has four kids ranging in ages from 18 to 25. Vue graduated from UW-Stout with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering. He currently works for the State Department of Workforce Development.
Vue is currently serving his fourth term on the City Council and is seeking a fifth with hopes to continue providing quality of life for the citizens of Eau Claire.
Vue also hopes to promote downtown Eau Claire, attract professional businesses to the area and hopes to work toward consolidating service arrangements with neighboring towns and villages.
Jackie Pavelski
Jackie Pavelski has been a resident of Eau Claire for 45 years. She went to school at UW-Eau Claire as a non-traditional student and received a degree in Health Care Administration. Pavelski spent 20 years in health care and is currently retired.
With declining state shared revenue for cities and revenue caps, cities are experiencing a continued and growing budget crisis. Pavelski believes it is and will be a challenge to sustain services currently provided. She also feels declining property values will exacerbate the problem even more, and feels it is imperative that to define fiscal strategies to meet the growing needs of the city.
In order to provide good paying jobs, Pavelski wants to encourage economic growth. She thinks it is necessary to work with both public and private economic development partners to efficiently and effectively address these concerns.
She believes that defining priorities, goals and objectives will be critical in achieving the teamwork that will be needed to create a vision that will result in true collaboration and what is in the best interest of our community.
Larry Balow
Larry Balow is a life long resident of Eau Claire, graduating from Memorial High School, attending Chippewa Valley Technical College, marrying wife Nancy in 1963 and having three children and five grandchildren.
Balow served on the Eau Claire City Council from 1996 to 1999 and was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly 68th district in 1999 until 2004.
With the state controlling revenue and setting a tax levy limit, it becomes very difficult for the city to make up budget short-falls. As a former Eau Claire firefighter, Balow knows how essential it is to protect core city services. The city will have to prioritize its nonessential services, giving preference to those that can secure funding beyond city money.
Kerry Kincaid
Kerry Kincaid is currently the City Council vice president. She is serving her second term on the Council and is running for a third. Kincaid also serves on the Affirmative Action Council and the economic policy committee.
Kincaid said she is very interested in economic and downtown development of the area and feels her recent experience will pay off in her next term if elected.
She also voted against the city smoking ban ordinance because she felt it was "inherently unfair."
She also is a supporter of the creation of a civic center in the city independent of existing arenas or convention centers.
Brandon Buchanan was first elected to the City Council in 2006 at the age of 23, and is the youngest person to serve on council in Eau Claire's history.
Buchanan graduated from UW-Eau Claire in December of 2005 with a double major in economics and political science.
He can still be found on campus helping to coach Eau Claire's award winning forensics team and meeting with Student Senate to stay up-to-date with critical student issues, such as help keep the music therapy program at the university.
On Council, Buchanan has been the lead advocate for sustainability legislation that would make Eau Claire a green city.
He is also a major advocate for mass transit and has fought to preserve evening bus service. Buchanan wants Eau Claire to explore city-wide wireless Internet as well.
Scott Gunem
Scott Gunem was born in Eau Claire and grew up in Osseo. He has a B.S., Honors, from UW-Stevens Point, an M.B.A. from UW-Whitewater, and a J.D. from Creighton University.
Gunem and his family moved from Nebraska to Eau Claire six years ago. In Nebraska, he served as assistant Attorney General. He also has taught at the college level in Wisconsin and Japan. Gunem currently works for a local property management firm.
Gunem believes local government must share more information with city residents and permit greater resident involvement in decision-making processes to achieve change.
Gunem believes relations between elected officials and university administration have been less than ideal. He thinks we must continue to break down "town vs. gown" barriers.
Finally, Gunem thinks city and county residents have not been given the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue concerning the jail plan and locating a new jail outside of the city is feasible and represents the will of the people.
Thomas Vue
Thomas Vue is a long-time Eau Claire resident. Vue is married and has four kids ranging in ages from 18 to 25. Vue graduated from UW-Stout with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering. He currently works for the State Department of Workforce Development.
Vue is currently serving his fourth term on the City Council and is seeking a fifth with hopes to continue providing quality of life for the citizens of Eau Claire.
Vue also hopes to promote downtown Eau Claire, attract professional businesses to the area and hopes to work toward consolidating service arrangements with neighboring towns and villages.
Jackie Pavelski
Jackie Pavelski has been a resident of Eau Claire for 45 years. She went to school at UW-Eau Claire as a non-traditional student and received a degree in Health Care Administration. Pavelski spent 20 years in health care and is currently retired.
With declining state shared revenue for cities and revenue caps, cities are experiencing a continued and growing budget crisis. Pavelski believes it is and will be a challenge to sustain services currently provided. She also feels declining property values will exacerbate the problem even more, and feels it is imperative that to define fiscal strategies to meet the growing needs of the city.
In order to provide good paying jobs, Pavelski wants to encourage economic growth. She thinks it is necessary to work with both public and private economic development partners to efficiently and effectively address these concerns.
She believes that defining priorities, goals and objectives will be critical in achieving the teamwork that will be needed to create a vision that will result in true collaboration and what is in the best interest of our community.
Larry Balow
Larry Balow is a life long resident of Eau Claire, graduating from Memorial High School, attending Chippewa Valley Technical College, marrying wife Nancy in 1963 and having three children and five grandchildren.
Balow served on the Eau Claire City Council from 1996 to 1999 and was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly 68th district in 1999 until 2004.
With the state controlling revenue and setting a tax levy limit, it becomes very difficult for the city to make up budget short-falls. As a former Eau Claire firefighter, Balow knows how essential it is to protect core city services. The city will have to prioritize its nonessential services, giving preference to those that can secure funding beyond city money.
Kerry Kincaid
Kerry Kincaid is currently the City Council vice president. She is serving her second term on the Council and is running for a third. Kincaid also serves on the Affirmative Action Council and the economic policy committee.
Kincaid said she is very interested in economic and downtown development of the area and feels her recent experience will pay off in her next term if elected.
She also voted against the city smoking ban ordinance because she felt it was "inherently unfair."
She also is a supporter of the creation of a civic center in the city independent of existing arenas or convention centers.
- Also on the ballot:
- Gary G. Gibson
- Will Fantle
- Howard Ludwigson
- Stella Pagonis
- Roger H. Hahn
- Richard Ziemann
- Ronald B. Erickson
- Bruce Willett
- Gordon C. Steinhauer
- Michel Sultan
- Ray L. Henning
- Colleen A. Bates
- Eric Zeegers
- Kathleen Clark
- Jean D. Schlieve
- Maureen T. Slauson
- Joel L. Mikelson
- Gregg Moore
- James A. Dunning
- John Prince
- Donald Ellickson
- Roger C. Wold (registered write-in)
- Ardyth Duhatschek-Krause (registered write-in)
- Gerald L. Wilkie
- Sue Miller
- Ken Fulgione
- Robin J. Leary
- Mark J. Schmitt
- Gloria Christensen
- Ellery G. Jordahl
- Tami Schraufnage
- Paul A. Lokken, Sr.
- John B. DeRosier
- Edward (Ted) Barr
- Patrick L. LaVelle
Compiled by Nicole Strittmater.
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