Posted: Jan. 26, 2010

Residents grilled Brookfield mayoral candidates David Marcello, Steve Ponto and Jeff Speaker about their stances on everything from city spending to roundabouts and freeway interchanges during candidate forums held in the past week.

Candidate Thomas Schellinger did not take part, citing scheduling conflicts.

City voters will select two of the men during the primary election Feb. 16, sending the top vote-getters on to the general election April 6.

The mayor serves a four-year term and will earn $99,149 a year through 2012, with 2 percent increases scheduled in 2013 and 2014.

I-94 interchange a hot topic

A number of topics overlapped between the two forums, one sponsored by the Concerned Calhoun Community neighborhood group and one by Brookfield-Elm Grove NOW and the Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce.

The potential Interstate 94 interchange on Calhoun Road was one of the hot-button transportation issues that came up both evenings.

The city has set aside about $800,000 in its five-year capital budget to pay for a study of the feasibility of building an interchange between Moorland and Barker Roads. While the state has announced no specific plans for another interchange, Calhoun Road is widely considered a potential location.

Cautioning that any talks are preliminary and nothing has been decided or even studied, Ponto said "no one at this point is for a Calhoun interchange," but added that he supports additional study. He said the other parties that could benefit from an interchange - New Berlin, Elm Grove and others - should chip in for some of the cost.

Speaker, who is running for his third term as mayor, said he didn't support an interchange during his two other bids for the office. Still, he said, he supports study of an interchange because he wanted the city's decision-makers to have as much information as possible.

Marcello said he is concerned about the potential project, which is thought to be years off - if it ever gets built - because any interchange would directly affect a residential neighborhood.

Candidates address spending

Another issue that came up at both forums was that of city spending.

Speaker said the city is always working at a balance to keep taxes in check while maintaining the city's high level of services. He said staff levels at the city have dropped by the equivalent of about 11 full-time employees since he was elected, and that the pinch the city and other local governments are feeling right now is "not an expense problem, it's a revenue problem."

Money from investments, permits and other sources has decreased sharply, forcing governments to adapt, he said.

Ponto said two ways to find cost savings would be to reduce staffing or establish cooperative agreements with other municipalities for servicees like fire protection. He said the city has long been a leader in intergovernmental cooperation, citing the important role Brookfield played in creating Waukesha County's consolidated dispatch center.

He also said it's important for other taxing bodies - specifically the Elmbrook School District - to keep spending in check, since they are responsible for a large portion of residents' tax bills.

Marcello said a low tax structure is vital to Brookfield's success.

He also said working with the school district, Waukesha County Technical College and other entities would be a good way to streamline services and reduce spending.

Full-time vs. part-time mayor?

At the Concerned Calhoun Community neighborhood group forum, the candidates were asked whether they supported a part-time mayor/full-time city administrator form of leadership or the current full-time mayor and no city administrator model.

Marcello said the city should study the issue of whether a full-time or part-time mayor is preferable and argued that the city already has a full-time mayor and full-time administrator in place with Dean Marquardt serving as Brookfield's director of administration.

Ponto said the city has had a full-time mayor since its inception more than 50 years ago, "and overall, it's done very well." If he was elected mayor, the alderman said, his extended experience in government service would reduce his need for staff support.

Speaker said an administrator does not have the same level of commitment to the city that a full-time elected mayor would. Plus, people are looking for a "CEO-type" to lead their local government.

"City administrators are a jack of all trades and a master of none," he said.

Roundabouts gain interest

At the Brookfield-Elm Grove NOW and Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce forum, the candidates were asked for their take on roundabouts.

Waukesha County has plans to build a roundabout at Barker Road and North Avenue this summer, eight years after a similar proposal by the city was shot down due to opposition from residents and elected officials.

The state in recent years has taken over responsibility of the two roadways.

Marcello said he supports the use of roundabouts in appropriate situations and locations around the city, but admitted there's a bit of a learning curve for motorists when it comes to roundabouts.

Speaker, who opposed the roundabout during his first election campaign, said public support has shifted on the use of roundabouts. In a 2002 survey, about 70 percent of residents were opposed to a roundabout at Barker and North, but that number has dropped to about 40 percent now.

Ponto said the issue of roundabouts sparked a lot of debate eight years ago, but the public opinion has shifted. He said the city needs to look at how the Barker/North roundabout performs to see if it's a worthwhile endeavor in other parts of the city.

"It will be I think an improvement to that intersection," he said.

FYI

WHAT: Mayoral forum sponsored by the East Central Branch of the

Waukesha County Republican Party

WHEN: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4

WHERE: City Hall, 2000 N. Calhoun Road