Brookfield 4th Aldermanic District

Buck Jurken

Age: 58

Job: senior vice president, PSA North America

Education: Marquette University School of Business

Contact: (262) 789-7445

Are there ways the city can maintain and perpetuate the success of its schools with limited resources?

There are ways the city and School Board can and do cooperate to keep our district No. 1 in the state. The city has loaned money to the School Board at low interest rates to help out when needed. The city is also working with the board to find areas that shared services would be appropriate. One such area might be to help maintain School Board vehicles at the highway department garage. The city has and will always work closely with the School Board to keep our schools No. 1 and keep Brookfield a great place to live.

How would you propose maintaining and attracting business without compromising the quality of life for Brookfield residents and families?

The best way to maintain and attract businesses is with a business-friendly atmosphere. We need to keep Brookfield's taxes low but continue to support the superior services that our great city offers. Brookfield is a destination for shopping in the region and that will continually recruit new and exciting retailers to our city.

What is the best way to fund capital projects on an annual basis?

I feel that the best way to fund any project is the way we currently fund them, that is by using cash or municipal bonds. Our AAA rating with Moody's is one of the best assets the city has had since 1999. The city aldermen are very fortunate to have information presented to them, from the experts on the city staff, to make the correct decisions relating to how to fund a project.

Cathy Wolfla

Age: 46

Job: CEO of the Wolfla Household and community volunteer

Education: degree in Economics, Indiana University

Contact: (262) 565-7494

Are there ways the city can maintain and perpetuate the success of its schools with limited resources?

I believe that the Common Council could work closer with the School Board in promoting the city of Brookfield. Good schools attract strong students, and strong students expect a high-level education. With competitive school districts all around us, our entire community must understand the value of public education and how it can enhance our city. I would suggest starting a community volunteer program with our public schools. With the combined efforts of the School Board and the council, we could create a citizen volunteer base to enhance our schools, as well as our city.

How would you propose maintaining and attracting business without compromising the quality of life for Brookfield residents and families?

My new favorite word: Communication. The residents in our community need to know what is going on at the Common Council level and with development in the city of Brookfield. With proper education, the use of social media to make it easy to find answers and involvement in the decision-making process, a sense of "ownership" will be created. When people have pride in their community and feel informed, they will support development going into new space and filling vacant areas.

What is the best way to fund capital projects on an annual basis?

Taxes. With today's economic situation, partnerships with private entities are few and far between. I am open to listening to what the residents think about bond issues and "specialty taxes," but ultimately, we must balance what we can have with what we can afford to pay.