We sent surveys to the three candidates that we believe are best suited for the job as the Mayor of Appleton. All three candidates replied to our survey and we shared their answers with you below!
Primary Election is Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Name: Eric J. Beach
Age: 42
Profession/Job – What
do/did you do for a living?
I retired from 21years active Army/WI National Guard service. I
currently run two Businesses in Appleton. Beach House LLC, which primarily
provides safe, clean and low-cost housing for 66 Appleton families, and
commercial space for two Appleton business. I also founded and run Free Market
Education LLC, which is a free to use education platform. Designed to foster
first hand knowledge and skill sharing. Think of it like Craigslist or Air BNB,
but for education. Downloadable on the App store. I also develop training
management programs (applicable to any industry or company).
Do you have prior
political experience? If so, what?
No; however military organizations operate in a remarkably similar
style, size and complexity. I served the bulk of my career at battalion level,
in key leadership positions. My experience in the military has provided me
experience In Maintenance activities and management systems, nearly every
aspect of Logistical systems procedures and application. I spent four years in
a MP unit. I was a unit administrator for numerous years working in the
planning, overview and execution of: Operations, HR, Training management,
Payroll, budget management, Information management, Unit newsletters…
What political party
do you most align with? Which direction
do you lean?
Republican, I lean right. I really liked Ron Paul though, he was a
smart well thought out person. So maybe a dash of libertarian.
In your opinion, what
do you believe the role of government should be?
Uphold laws, public safety, provide all the social services required by
the people, and encourage and collaborate with the organizations that provide
our social safety nets.
Why should voters
vote for you?
I am a leader, in the military the values of: loyalty, duty, respect,
selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage have been engrained
into me.
I have the most applicable experience of any candidate. In my 21 years
of Army service I took on my large roles and received numerous national and
state commendations. I was placed in critical roles and complex positions. I
excelled in areas of Logistics, Maintenance, Operations, Training. I have years
of experience in and played key roles in HR, Budget, Planning, Payroll, reporting,
evaluations, inspection programs, rating systems…
I have proven business success, and a vast portfolio outlining my
successes. I started and run my business with the resources I have at hand. I
work well with the “tools” available and make the most out of any situation I
find. There are endless opportunities out there, we just need to act on them.
I care profoundly for the individuals in my life. I tactfully engage
with people around me to get their best efforts, and reward them for their good
efforts. I don’t tolerate bad behavior.
In what situation
should taxes ever be raised?
Whenever the expected cost of services exceeds the expected cost of the
minimum amount of social services required.
What are you plans
for your municipality? Why are you running for office?
I will attempt to find the most cost-effective efforts for our staff. I
will eliminate wasteful practices. I will study all the ways we consume budget,
determine any alternative options for those expenses, and compare the different
possible courses of action. I will ensure the services provided are equitable
and the taxes collected are done so equitably. I will explore new possible revenue streams,
determine if they fit within our existing infrastructure(staff/equipment), and
if they have a greater economic impact than some of our current labor-intensive/low
payoff efforts. I will privatize city services when it is economically viable,
as long as it doesn’t adversely affect our ability to complete work for
ourselves.
I seek to expand library services (not necessarily a new library) and
education opportunities within the city. I hope to create internship programs,
and apprenticeship programs within the city and possibly solicit local business
to participate in such programs. All in an attempt to build the citizens
skill sets without taking people out of the workforce. My goal is to create
these for pay education/learning opportunities, while improving our
workforce...so hopefully their work output exceeds or matches their labor cost.
It’s just a goal, goals don’t always match reality.
I hope to engage people and business in order to create better housing
environments. Better managed, more affordable options. Not more of the same
down town developments that are not affordable. I would like to see more owner-occupied
rentals, but in reality, you can’t just make people good landlords or business
people.
I’m running for office because I am a leader. I can’t stand to complain
about a problem without offering a meaningful solution. I’m running because I
care about people and I see how hard it is to get by, much less ahead. I’m
running because I am the best person for this job right now.
_________________________________________________________
Name: Chad Doran
Age: 41
Tell us about
yourself!
My background is
in communications, a key skill that a mayor must possess. I have a degree in
journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and an advanced
certification in strategic planning from Texas Christian University.
Those are skills
I have put to use creating innovative programs that have drastically improved
our outreach and communication with our residents. I want to bring those
skills, knowledge and successful innovation to the mayor’s office.
My interest in
running is to continue serving our community as I do now. Appleton is home for
my family and I and I want it to stay the family-friendly, safe and affordable
community that it has always been.
My family and I
have called Appleton home since 2007. We’re Appleton residents of Calumet
County and love our neighborhood on the southeast side. My wife is a Dr., owns her own business and
for us this is home. We want it to be the place where our five children can
some day decide to stay if they choose.
Profession/Job – What
do/did you do for a living?
Prior to
starting with the City of Appleton in 2014, I worked in TV news for 14 years as
a photojournalist and reporter for stations in Green Bay, Davenport, IA and
Madison.
Do you have prior
political experience? If so, what?
I have no
prior political experience other than covering politicians as a reporter in my
former career and working with elected officials in my capacity with the City.
What political party
do you most align with? Which direction
do you lean?
The role of mayor is non-partisan. No one
cares about the political affiliation of who is collecting their trash, plowing
their street or patching potholes, we just expect it to be done. The mayor has
to do what is right for the community. I’ve shown where I stand on a range of
issues throughout the campaign. One thing I will note is that I am a fiscal
conservative who understands the expectations of our residents, because I speak
directly with them in a multitude of ways every day in my role with the City.
Low taxes and high-quality services don’t go
hand in hand, but we must be mindful that the spending that we do is on the
biggest priorities our residents expect us to be spending on.
In your opinion, what
do you believe the role of government should be?
Limited.
Government is rarely the best answer to solve problems. We lack the expertise
and should work to support our partner agencies and non-profits that specialize
in areas we do not. We can work together to be both fiscally responsible and
responsive to the needs of our community at the same time, if we realize that
our role is to focus on the core services of local government.
Why should voters
vote for you?
I am the only
candidate who has any experience working as part of the City staff here in
Appleton. I have been with the City for the last six years, working in the
mayor’s office and seeing day-to-day management of the City every day.
In my communications role, I work with all of our departments and staff every
day. I have the most knowledge about everything the City does and why. I have
created innovative programs that have earned Appleton national recognition and
drastically improved communication with our residents.
I have been named one of the 100 most influential people in local government in
the country for the last four years in a row. I also earned Appleton the
recognition as the most engaging and best overall local government on social
media in the country in 2018.
I’ve shown the ability to excel and innovate in my current role and will bring
those skills and vision to be the next mayor of Appleton as well.
In what situation
should taxes ever be raised?
I
don’t believe there are ever situations where taxes have to be raised. Taxes go
up because the costs of services or the demands for services increase. My focus
will be on making us as efficient as possible with the resources we have and
reprioritizing the budget to focus on the priorities our residents expect us to
focus on.
What are you plans
for your municipality? Why are you running for office?
My plans are
to ensure we are focused on the priorities and the core services of local
government our residents expect us to focus on. Our public safety departments
have unmet needs arising from rising drug use in our community, mental health
issues and facility needs specifically for the fire department. We also need to
put more emphasis and resources toward road reconstruction projects. We add as
many new miles of road as we replace each year and we’re falling behind and
asking our roads to last longer. I’ll work with our staff to find ways we can
reprioritize spending in our budget to focus on those issues.
Focusing on those key quality of life issues that affect all our residents,
regardless of what part of the City they live in is one of the reasons I am
running to replace Mayor Tim Hanna. Appleton is a family-friendly community
that has so much to offer everyone who calls it home and I want to ensure we
keep it the safe, affordable community that we all appreciate.
_________________________________________________________
Name: James E Clemons
Age: 62
Tell us about yourself!
I
have been a resident of Appleton my entire life. I come from a family of eight,
living just one block from City Park and Jacobs Meat Market. I am a graduate of
Appleton East and my wife of 32 years, Lisa, graduated from Appleton West. We
have raised two children, Tyler and McKenzie, that both graduated from Appleton
North and UW-Madison. The fifth member of the family is our golden retriever,
Otis.
Community Activities:
Apple Creek YMCA Board of Directors
2019- Present
Apple Creek YMCA Finance Committee
2019- Present Appleton Alderperson, District 13
2004 – 2014
Appleton Alderperson, District 7
1994 – 2004
Appleton City Council President (Two
Terms)
Appleton North High School Booster Club
President
Ran Golf Tournament Fund raisers for Pop Warner Youth Football
AAU HIGH SCHOOL Men’s Basketball Coach
Ran Fund Raising Golf Tournament for Appleton North Booster Club
Appleton North Girls and Boys Basketball Club
High school and college sports official (master level basketball)
YMCA Youth basketball Coach
Profession/Job – What
do/did you do for a living?
I
am a Senior Account Executive Advocate Aurora Health Systems
Do you have prior
political experience? If so, what?
I
have had the privilege of serving on the City Council for twenty years, two
time council president as well as serving on all standing committees. Serving
on all and chairing most committees gives me a unique perspective on what your
elected representatives on the Common Council need and when they need it. The
Common Council controls all spending and they need accurate and timely information
in order to represent you, the taxpayer. With Appleton’s ongoing opportunities,
that experience is needed now more than ever. With the exception of one other
candidate serving a single term in 1990, no other candidate has ever held any
elected office, much less gone through this very unique and complex budget
process that I have gone through twenty times. There are several new council
members coming on in April due to additional experienced alderpersons not
seeking re-election, my leadership and experience will prove to be a valuable
asset.
What political party do
you most align with? Which direction do
you lean?
The
mayor of Appleton is a non-partisan position and I will do everything in my
power to keep it that way. We cannot afford to turn our back on any and all options
based on partisan political leanings. I continue to stand by my twenty-year
record on council as a successful non-partisan guardian of taxpayer dollars.
In your opinion, what
do you believe the role of government should be?
Local
government should provide its citizens with a safe environment to work, live,
and play. Provide a level playing field
for developers, workers and citizens to pursue their goals dreams and
objectives. Local government should have
adequately staffed and trained employees to provide services to citizens in an
efficient cost effective manner without negatively impacting the quality of
said services. Finally, local government should know when to get out of the way
and let the market forces determine success. Most of all we will treat developers
and citizens with the respect they deserve, always keep our word, and continue
to work toward a solution if possible or a definite timely decision if it just
can’t be done.
Why should voters vote
for you?
I
am a lifelong Appleton resident with a long history of community involvement
and the only candidate with the political leadership experience needed to guide
Appleton in a time when we need leadership and experience the most. There is
too much at stake for Appleton and our future. (see previous answers above) With
many very important issues regarding Appleton currently unresolved such as the
US Venture project, the library, traffic flow and parking downtown as well as continuing
to develop our industrial parks we need to grow our tax base and implement a
well thought out comprehensive plan. My experience will help get this done and
my dedication to public safety will help insure citizens feel safe in their
homes and out in public.
In what situation
should taxes ever be raised?
We
must look at all departments for necessary services and the most efficient way
to deliver such services all year and not just at budget time. With costs
continuing to rise on most goods and services and the cost of employees also
rising we must continue to grow our tax base to absorb cost increases without
raising the Appleton portion of your tax bill. The School District and Counties
make up the other portions and they share that role.
-
What are you plans for
your municipality? Why are you running for office?
We
must keep in mind those on fixed incomes when making spending decisions.
Common
Council must have all options available to them, a thorough debate and then
leave a trail for those that follow us as to what was discussed and why we made
the choices we made with the information available at the time. Our dedicated
employees are by far our most valuable assets. Our vision is to maintain
properly staffed and trained personnel especially Police and Fire. If we can
give this already great team the tools they need and deserve to achieve even
higher levels of productivity and efficiency we all benefit long term. A well-trained
and properly staffed workforce is the key to our continued growth and long-term
success attracting and maintaining the business and developments we need to thrive,
not just survive. Planned growth tempered with good judgment to increase our
tax base and still protect existing neighborhoods. Good neighbors make great
communities.I will not submit a budget that doesn’t address this. I would like
future generations to share the experience of growing up in a growing accepting
community, we owe it to them and I owe it to Appleton.