County District 4 supervisor faces challenge

Voters in Shawano County Board District 4 will choose April 5 between an experienced incumbent seeking re-election and a newcomer offering to bring new ideas to county government.

Incumbent Michael McClelland is seeking his third term on the County Board and is being challenged by Aimee Zeinert.

District 4 includes a central portion of the city of Shawano, covering city wards 7 and 8.

The Shawano Leader posed three questions to each of the candidates. Here are their responses:

Why are you interested in serving on the Shawano County Board?

McClelland: “Efficient use of our tax dollars and your right to have a voice in local government was — and still is — my motivation for running for this position. We have faced obvious choices, either raise taxes or make government run more efficiently. As your representative, I stand on my record of working to reduce non-essential expenditures and tax increases.”

Zeinert: “I want to give back to this community. I think we need some fresh views and opinions in our local government. I can be a fair and honest voice for my constituents.”

What is your opinion of the county’s current budget and the property tax levy?

McClelland: “The state sets the levy limits for property taxes. We need to change the philosophy on the County Board that the budget is OK when it meets the state maximum limits. I have always tried to make sure that our tax dollars are spent wisely, and to reduce expenses in each budget for all the departments.”

Zeinert: “Although I am new to the budget process, I understand that Shawano County is very prudent in how it spends money. I will meet with the finance director and get a broader view of the current as well as past budgets. I would look into areas that have been cut and how that has equated into services lost. No one wants their taxes raised but nobody wants to lose services that serve a great need.”

If you could change one thing about Shawano County government what would it be?

McClelland: “The County Board has gone through a lot of good changes. We have a new county administrative coordinator, new jail administrator and a new chief deputy in the sheriff’s department. If I could change one thing, it would be the County Board meeting times. I have supported all County Board meetings to be in the evenings so that the taxpayers could attend. For more information, www.michaeltmcclelland.com.”

Zeinert: “The changes I would really like to make would be within the County Board itself. I would like to change the meeting times to all evening meetings. I feel the morning meetings really limit people from being able to participate. I would like to see residents that want to attend meetings have that opportunity. It also limits the people from being able to run for positions on the board.”