ELECTiON: WAUSAU CITY COUNCIL
A CHANGING COUNCIL Nine seats on Wausau City Council are contested for the April 7 election, which could mean nine new faces representing the city
This spring’s elections could see one of the biggest Wausau City Council shifts in some time. With nine contested races on the ballot April 7, there will be at least three new faces on the city council for sure and as many as nine. New council members will face the ongoing issue with Wausau Center, development on Riverlife and addressing the city’s homeless population and transit concerns, among other things. This is who is running and a little about them.
District 1
Southeast neighborhood, west of Grand Ave.
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Pat Peckham, incumbent. Retired newspaper reporter/editor Peckham, 71, first ran for city council in 2016 after decades of interest in local government and is seeking his third term in office. Peckham says in the short term, while he thinks the city is handling tax incentives (TIF, or Tax Increment Finance, Districts) correctly, he wants to see a discussion about how the city has and will use such incentives in the future. His top priority is encouraging developers to focus on housing aimed at more modest incomes. One thing Peckham says he wishes the council would have done differently is delayed the city street light project to allow time to find more sustainable alternatives. Peckham points to his accessibility to constituents, including prompt returning of emails and phone calls, and regular district 1 meetings, as reasons voters should choose him.
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Christopher Norfleet, challenger. President for the local advocacy group People for the Power of Love Norfleet, 53, is running because he says citizens, developers and diverse communities don’t have a social infrastructure to represent all. Norfleet wants city leaders to look at decisions through a matrix of transit, housing and wages. He wants to emphasize strong leadership, economic development and quality of life. That includes addressing discrepancies between minority populations. He says the black community is four times more likely to live in poverty in Wausau. Norfleet feels that city leaders offered too much incentives toward the Wausau Center development, and doesn’t think return on investment was taken into consideration enough. Norfleet says if voters want to see a change in city hall, they should vote for him, the first black aldermanic candidate in Wausau’s history.
District 2
Southeast/central side, mostly east of Grand Ave.
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Michael Martens, incumbent. Self-employed owner of online marketing company Martens, first elected to the city council in 2018, is seeking his second term. Martens, 50, sees the top three issues as types of infrastructure: 1) the city needs to make up for all the deferred maintenance it put off; 2) city debt is high, but manageable, citing the city’s plan to pay off 80% of the current debt load within 10 years; 3) affordable housing, now that the city has attracted a lot of market rate housing, Martens wants to see affordable options prioritized through federal, state and local incentives. Martens wants to make sure the character of neighborhoods is maintained. He points to the city missing an opportunity to move two historic homes and the removal of part of the historic wall at Athletic Park. Martens touts his record on the council and experience as an entrepreneur, along with his dedication to research and engaging his constituents.
District 3
Tiffany Rodriguez-Lee, challenger. Grants and Outcomes Director for Boys and Girls Club of the Wausau Area Rodriguez-Lee, a 28-year-old working parent and grad student, is running because she says she doesn’t see herself represented on the council and wants new ideas and new faces in Wausau government. She wants to see city debt tackled as a priority, and says developing a strategic plan is a good step toward that. She wants to see a better vetting process to ensure money is being spent wisely, and wants to see better city communication and transparency. And she wants to see Wausau become more welcoming and inclusive of diverse populations. Rodriguez-Lee says she would have sought more environmental testing in the Thomas Street neighborhood, and disagreed with a parking ramp loitering ordinance that she says targeted the homeless. She plans to hold constituent meetings prior to city council meetings where her constituents can voice their concerns.
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Central area along both sides of Wisconsin River, roughly between Chellis Street and Bridge
David Nutting, incumbent. Senior Internal Service Technician, E.O. Johnson Nutting has served for 12 years on the city council and is running again to continue promoting Wausau’s downtown and serving his constituents. Nutting, 62, says his top priority is the restoration of older rentals and single-family homes, especially in working class neighborhoods where some of the housing stock is older. Nutting’s top priorities also include upgrading the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which includes bringing it into compliance with new DNR regulations, and the redevelopment of the mall by the Wausau Opportunity Zone group. Nutting said there was nothing he disagreed with in this past term that the council did. Nutting touts his experience and longevity in the area as key factors in why voters should choose him.
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Tom Kilian, challenger. Owner of Kilian Integrated Marketing Kilian, 41, came into the public light advocating for environmental concerns in the Thomas Street neighborhood and he feels the district needs someone who truly represents their needs and interests. Giving them that representation is one of Kilian’s key priorities, along with changing fiscal policy to represent people and not subsidizing luxury developments while one in four people in Wausau live in poverty. And he wants to see a shift away from a focus on acquiring new residents while neglecting the residents who are already here. Kilian points to prior councils acting on poorly vetted information, particularly with the Thomas Street redesign, a deal with CBL to move Younkers from one anchor store to another, and the Riverlife Development under Mike Frantz. He says citizen input has been ignored on those issues and he wants to change that.
