Two vie for county judge seat
By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
The ballot for the April 7 election will have contested races for not only Village of Walworth trustee and president seats, but also the Branch 3 Walworth County Circuit Court Judge.
Village of Walworth seats
In the Village of Walworth, four candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for the three seats up for election on the Village of Walworth Board.
Incumbents Rick Novak, Dennis Vanderbloemen, and Todd Watters all filed papers signifying their bid for re-election earlier this year. In addition, a fourth candidate, Thomas Connelly, Jr., filed papers with the village clerk.
Connelly, 40, of 917 William St., said the biggest catalyst for him seeking a position on the board is the Highway 14 maintenance project, which he said should have been completed this year. “But instead, we now have a reconstruction project that potentially won’t even begin until 2020,” he said via email.
“Twice the amount of people that typically vote in a spring election in the Village of Walworth signed a petition against reconfiguring the square and the flow of traffic, but the board is moving forward anyway.”
Novak, 65 of 211 Knoll Rd., has been a trustee for two years, serving previously for 13 years. Novak said he would like to continue to service the community as a common sense candidate.
Watters, 254 Cotton Grass Ln., said he looks to continue the work he’s been doing the past 13 years on the board, using his strong financial background to contribute to the moderate and conservative growth of the village.
“That’s one of my strong points,” he said. “I feel that it can really add value and make a difference on the board and to the village in that capacity.”
As for Highway 14, Watters said he thinks a good amount of education has gone into it and while he feels it’s a good topic for discussion, he thinks there isn’t necessarily a lot of flexibility from the state’s perspective.
Village president
As for Village of Walworth president, incumbent David Rasmussed and the newly appointed Walworth Joint #1 School District Administrator Mary Ann Kahl will both be choices on Tuesday’s ballot.
Rasmussen, who is a lifelong area resident, said in a letter to voters during his tenure on the board, he’s pursued policies designed to control growth to ensure the village can welcome new residents without sacrificing the conditions that draw them in the first place. He noted the village has only increased its mill rate by a total of 5.2 percent over the past five years while expanding its services and replacing infrastructure.
Additionally, he said during his time on the board it has minimized long-term borrowings, even with the library purchase.
For the upcoming year, Rasmussen said projects that need to be addressed include sale of the prior library site, financing for street reconstructions and the removal of trucks from Beloit Street through the construction of a new industrial access road, just to name a few.
Kahl, also a lifelong resident, said.
Branch 3 Circuit Judge
As for the Walworth County Branch 3 Circuit Court Judge, two names will appear on Tuesday’s ballot.
Kristine Drettwan, 47, and John Peterson, 46, are both running for the Branch 3 seat, focusing on family, juvenile and probate court.
Drettwan has served as an assistant district attorney, beginning in 1996, and court commissioner in Walworth County, beginning in 2005. Drettwan was appointed to the seat by Gov. Scott Walker in January 2014 after the retirement of former Branch 3 Circuit Court Judge John Race. Peterson has served as the municipal judge in the Village of Walworth since 2008 and has additionally been a private sector attorney for 15 years.
Where to vote
The polls are open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, at the Walworth Village Hall, 227 N. Main St.
For those not living within the Village of Walworth, more information on where and when to vote is available at myvote.wi.gov.
So what did Mary Ann Kahl have to say? Any response was not shown in this article.