WAUKESHA – In advance of the April 1 election, the University of Wisconsin student Diversity Club is sponsoring a forum for candidates running for Waukesha County supervisor to meet and discuss issues. It will be held on the UW-Waukesha campus, 1500 N. University Dr., Waukesha, in Northview Hall, Room 133 on Monday, March 24, from 6-9 p.m. The public is invited, and parking is free in all lots.

UW-Waukesha Diversity Club president Melissa Dunn, Hartford, will introduce the sponsors, and Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas, an alumnus of UW-Waukesha, will offer opening remarks. The forum is being organized jointly by UW-Waukesha and Waukesha County UW-Extension.

Each of the candidates in a contested race will be allowed one minute for an introductory statement before the questioning begins. UW-Waukesha political science faculty Joe Foy and Margaret Hankenson will direct the questions, followed by 30-second closing statements by each participant. Then the floor will be open to the audience, and eight candidates running unopposed will be available for comment as well.

Candidates received a set of 12 questions for which to prepare comments. They will be posed randomly. Submitted by students and community members, they cover issues of growth, preservation of green space, economic development, decriminalization of marijuana, violent crime rates, County Board relationships with other government bodies, quality of county mental health facilities, higher education in the county and tax dollars used to support it, questions of shared government services and water conservation, and finally the growing diversity of the population.

With the County Board being reduced from 35 to 25 members, some district boundaries now overlap. Ten of the races are contested, and 10 of those candidates agreed to participate. Another eight running unopposed will take part in the meet-and-greet following the formal questioning. Candidates in contested races:

David Falstad, Oconomowoc, District 1

John Thompson, Pewaukee, District 2

Jim Heinrich, Brookfield, District 9

Fritz Ruf, Pewaukee, District 11

James Hilden, Waukesha, District 11

Rick Stevens, Hartland, District 13

Roger Patton, Waukesha, District 19

Steven Wimmer, Waukesha, District 19

Paul Scheuble, New Berlin, District 22

William Mitchell, Waukesha, District 24

            Attending but unopposed:

County Board Chair James Dwyer, Menomonee Falls, District 4      

Patricia Haukohl, Brookfield, District 7

David Swan, Pewaukee, District 10

Peter Wolff, Waukesha, District 12

Bonnie Morris, Dousman, District 14

Duane Paulson, Waukesha, District 16

Jean Tortomasi, Waukesha, District 17

Kathleen Cummings, Waukesha, District 18

UW-Waukesha has the largest enrollment among the 13 freshman-sophomore University of Wisconsin Colleges campuses, offering associate of arts & science degrees and the best start on a college degree and unlimited career opportunities. For information about programs, admission or financial aid, contact the Student Services office at 888-2UW-WAUK (888-289-9285) or visit the Web at waukesha.uwc.edu.

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