Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
District 22 Supervisor Jerry Erdmann will be the chairman of a clearly divided Shawano County Board of Supervisors for a third two-year term following Tuesday’s election of officers.
Erdmann defeated District 6 Supervisor Randy Young, of Shawano, 15-12. Before the vote, the two made their case on whether they believed the board had moved the county forward over the last two years.
“I think there’s a difference between saying you’re going to move the county forward and moving the county forward,” Young said. “I don’t think the County Board has done a lot in the last two years.”
He cited the lack of progress on an evidence storage facility as a key issue. County officials are looking for grant funding to pay for a standalone building next to the Huber Work Release Center.
“We’ve come up with a plan. We haven’t funded it, and it hasn’t gone away,” Young said.
Young also suggested the county needs a full-time administrative coordinator again, the board should be more active in collaborating with area tribes, and employee morale is at an all-time low.
“I think we need to put our trust back in our employees,” Young said. “They are our biggest asset.”
Erdmann, of Tigerton, said the board has moved forward as much as it could in lean financial times.
“Times are tough,” Erdmann said. “We’re still hearing from people countywide that say they’ve lost jobs, and they’re down to one income.”
Erdmann pointed out that funding for the county has steadily dropped over the last decade, and it can’t do as much as before. He vowed to continue moving things forward.
“I think we have a board here that does work,” Erdmann said. “It’s slow, but we’re moving forward.”
District 19 Supervisor Arlyn Tober, of Pella, will remain vice chairman for the board. He received 17 votes, to four for District 5 Supervisor Sandy Steinke, of Shawano, and three for Young and District 9 Supervisor Ken Capelle, of Cecil.