Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent
Clintonville voters will have decisions to make in Tuesday’s spring election, which includes three contested races for Common Council seats and one district with no declared candidates.
Three incumbents — Bill Zeinert in District 1, Phil Rath in District 2 and Mark Doornink in District 5 — decided not to seek re-election following a tumultuous year on the council.
In District 1, no one filed papers as a candidate, so an alderman could be elected on a write-in vote. If there are no write-ins, the council will need to appoint someone to the seat.
In District 2, former Alderman and Mayor Robert Gay, retired president of Wisconsin Gas Co., is running against Julie Stumbris, a logistics specialist and wife of Peter Stumbris, a former alderman.
In District 3, Amy Steenbock is seeking election to her first full term in office after being appointed last year to fill out the term of Jerry Jorgenson, who resigned. She is employed at Premier Community Bank. She is opposed by former Alderman Steve Kettenhoven, who works for Cabela’s.
In District 5, Brad Rokus faces Maggie Hintz-Polzin. Both are seeking their first elective office. Rokus is a water filtration plant manager in Oshkosh and resides in Clintonville, where he worked as waste water utility manager. Polzin is a sustainability coordinator at ThedaCare.
In District 4, incumbent Lois Bressette is running unopposed. She defeated Greg Rose in a recall election last fall.
The council’s annual reorganizational meeting will be held April 28. The newly elected council members will be sworn into office, and Mayor Judith Magee will make committee appointments.
The council’s controversies within the last year include the investigation of former City Administrator Lisa Kotter, ultimately spending more than $100,000 on the probe and subsequent departure agreement absolving her of any wrongdoing; a no-confidence vote against Magee and a probe into her actions; replacement of the former city attorney with a relative of two council members; and the first recall election in city history, successfully ousting Rose.
At one point, Magee took a mental health leave of absence, which she said was needed because of conflicts with council members.