The April 6 ballot could look familiar to residents in the city of Brookfield's 1st Aldermanic District: The district's aldermanic candidates, Bill Carnell and Richard Brunner, are the same as in 2006.
But this time, Brunner is the challenger and Carnell the incumbent.
Carnell, formerly an operations supervisor at the Water Department, defeated Brunner, a two-term incumbent, by 11 votes in 2006.
Brunner said he's attempting to recapture the seat because of how much fun he had during his first go-round on the Common Council.
"I think it's because I know a lot about government … and I feel very comfortable doing that kind of work," he said.
Brunner is retired; he had been an assistant bursar at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Carnell said he wants to continue to help his district.
"I've always liked government service," he said. "It gives you a good feeling when you can accomplish something for the people in your district."
Aldermen serve four-year terms and are paid $9,911 annually.
Bill Carnell
Carnell said he is proud of his work on the Common Council, including helping to establish a sex offender residency ordinance in 2007 and keeping the city's budget in check.
"I'm very proud of what we've done in the last four years in terms of the tax rate," he said.
The city has reined in spending by using employees more efficiently and switching to money-saving health insurance plans, among other approaches.
Carnell also said he wants to improve the city's responsiveness to residents' complaints by creating a centralized complaints log in the city. Every time a resident submits a complaint, it would be reviewed by the mayor, the district's aldermen and the appropriate department head.
"We have to be more responsible to people who have complaints," he said.
But what sets him apart is his philosophical approach, he said, explaining that he supports the needs and interests of District 1 residents before looking at what will benefit the city as a whole.
For instance, Carnell was against moving Fire Station No. 2 from Lilly Road and Capitol Drive to Calhoun Road and Capitol because it was expected to increase response times for residents on the city's northeast side.
Richard Brunner
The biggest issue facing the city in the coming years will be development and redevelopment, Brunner said.
"We've got to do that right because that would be our main source of revenue in terms of property values," he said.
The city has generally done a good job controlling taxes and spending over the last four years, he said, but those people making Brookfield's budget "have to be very careful now during a recession.
"I think you always have to be vigilant in your spending and your future plans," he said. "The big-spending days are never going to be here again."
Brunner cited his experience on the council - especially his work on the stormwater commission that helped craft the stormwater ordinance - as one of his qualifications. The ordinance addresses a number of issues, including acceptable runoff rates, that Brunner had not been addressed previously.
"I think that was my biggest accomplishment," he said.
Brunner also said the city needs to look at exploring cooperation with local municipalities, which could be a boon for Brookfield's bottom line.
Based on the vote totals in the last two races he's run, he believes the district still supports him. He lost by less than 15 votes to Carnell in 2006, and by a little more than 100 votes to the other District 1 alderman, Dan Sutton, in 2008.
Bill Carnell (i)
AGE: 65
ADDRESS: 3360 Cardinal Drive
ELECTED OFFICE: Elmbrook School Board, 1985-93; alderman, since 2006
PHONE: (262) 781-1058
E-MAIL:williamcarnell@att.net
Richard Brunner
AGE: 70
ADDRESS: 2490 Princeton Road
ELECTED OFFICE: alderman, 1998-06
PHONE: (262) 782-4099
E-MAIL:rbrunner9@aol.com
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