Mayoral field speaks on Shawano issues

The wide-open race to become Shawano’s next mayor took center stage Monday night, as all six candidates gathered for a lively exchange on issues ranging from job creation to tribal relations.

The forum at Shawano Community High School, in front of an audience of about 120 people, was the only scheduled event featuring all candidates before the primary Feb. 16 in which voters will narrow the field to two finalists.

The winner in the April 5 election will win a two-year term and will succeed Mayor Lorna Marquardt, who is stepping aside after 14 years in office.

The candidates are business owner Rich Belongia, plan commissioner Jeanne Cronce, business owner Kasey Hohn, retiree Jim Oberstein, former Alderman Brian Retzlaff, and current Alderwoman and Shawano County Supervisor Sandy Steinke.

Although the candidates did not always agree on issues during Monday’s forum, there were no harsh conflicts or personal attacks.

On the question of whether Shawano is headed in the right direction, Belongia joined others in calling for stronger city action to revive vacant commercial properties and generate new economic activity within the city.

Belongia said he would work to lure a YMCA or similar youth recreational center.

“We have a lot to improve on,” he said. “These steps should’ve been taken a long time ago.”

The 90-minute forum was sponsored by Wolf River Media, which publishes The Shawano Leader, the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce, Results Broadcasting/WTCH Radio and Shawano Community Education.

Candidates fielded questions from panelists Tim Ryan of the Leader and Brad Williams of WTCH, as well as audience questions read aloud by moderator Chuck Dallas.

Asked how they would promote a “buy local” attitude to support Shawano businesses, candidates acknowledged that the local marketplace is lacking in some products for which shoppers must go elsewhere, such as school supplies. All agreed that the city could do more to promote businesses that are here.

Oberstein called for city government itself to adopt a more ambitious “buy local” program to steer city purchases to hometown vendors whenever possible.

“We have to support these people,” he said. “We need to promote our local businesses.”

Oberstein also advocated conducting an economic summit to bring local industry together and guide the city on economic development.

Cronce added that new businesses would find Shawano a more attractive place to invest if they saw strong local consumer support for merchants and industries already operating here.

“If we don’t look carefully at what we already have, our businesses won’t grow,” she said.

In a far-reaching range of topics, the candidates generally agreed that Shawano’s mayor should aggressively promote the community, that the city should work to improve relations with Native American tribes, that government should use eminent domain sparingly to spur development, and that the city should look for ways to control tax increases.

Asked about the future of the former Shawano Medical Center property, most candidates advocated redeveloping the former hospital as some sort of community recreation center.

Steinke, however, said renovation could cost millions of dollars and that it might make more sense to demolish the old hospital and seek a developer interested in transforming the riverfront property into a hotel or resort.

“This is a great vacation area,” she said. “That is another option.”

The candidates spoke frequently about a need for the city to engage young people and keep them from leaving Shawano, either by improving job opportunities or addressing other quality-of-life issues.

Retzlaff advocated creating more job-training opportunities for young people to connect with local industry. That sort of step, Retzlaff said, could be necessary to keep young people here and avoid turning Shawano into a retirement community.

“Let’s give these kids a shot and keep them here,” he said.

Hohn, who is the youngest candidate at age 27, said the city should encourage young entrepreneurs and work to entice young people to remain in Shawano.

“We’ve been stuck in the past,” he said. “Let’s bring Shawano the future it deserves.”