Voters in the village of Wrights-town have the choice of four candidates for three positions on the village board in Wrightstown on April 2.
Incumbents Terry Schaueble and Dan Segerstrom are running for re-election. Julie Sigmund was appointed last year to fill an unexpired term, and Ryan Roebke would be a newcomer to the board if elected.
Ryan Roebke
Occupation: Construction Project Manager
Education: Honor graduate for five-year steamfitter apprenticeship, numerous public safety classes through local technical colleges.
What areas do you feel the village is strong in, and which areas need improvement? Our strengths are in public safety, public and private education, along with quality utilities and parks. An area for improvement is our relationship with the school board and Town of Wrightstown. Decisions made by the village board directly affect our neighbors and partners in education. Growth must be done with the chain reactions in mind.
Why are you interested in serving on the village board? I am a sixth generation Roebke to call Wrightstown home. I feel it is my duty to ensure not only current residents, but also future generations have the same pride that I do of where I grew up and call home. I want to ensure that our village is growing at a manageable rate, and that we continue to be an attractive place for business and families to thrive. Next, I intend to see we are financially responsible with our tax dollars. Lastly, I want to continue or expand services without additional financial burden to the taxpayers.
What sets you apart from your opponents? Do you have education or experience in a field relevant to the village’s operations? As a project manager, for a local mechanical contractor, I am constantly tasked with completing challenging projects with set budgets. This experience allows me to look outside the box, be fiscally conservative and deliver results time and time again. Also, being a 15-year member of the fire department and first responder group, I know the challenges that we face today and what future challenges are to come. This is firsthand knowledge that none of the other candidates have. I will not let my home, and where I plan to raise my children, be anything but a wonderful place to live.
Among the issues that the village is currently facing, which ones interest you the most and why? Being located between Green Bay and the Fox Valley has its advantages and disadvantages. Driving down Highway U, one can see the growth first hand. Growth can also bring negatives. I have been a part of numerous medical/fire calls involving overdoses and criminal activity in Wrightstown and surrounding areas. My passion is public safety. It is my mission to squeeze everything we can out of our tax dollars to make sure our emergency services have what they need to keep this community safe.
Terry Schaeuble
Occupation: retired P.E./English teacher and Athletic Director (33 years at Wrightstown High School)
Education: graduated from Wrightstown High School in 1972; UW-Oshkosh 1976
What areas do you feel the village is strong in, and which areas need improvement? We have an outstanding staff with our village administrator’s office, police department, and DPW. We are strong in promoting village growth and community events. Our school system is very well-respected. I feel we show great transparency in our bi-monthly board meetings and administering village policies. Areas needing improvement: Infrastructures such roads constantly need to be maintained and upgraded. As a board we are continually trying to tackle high property taxes and lessen the burden on taxpayers. The once-solid relationship between the village board and school board needs to be restored.
Why are you interested in serving on the village board? My father was village president. I’ve served the community as an educator and a coach for nearly 50 years. Our family has always been very active in village affairs. I consider it my civic duty as a trustee to work for the betterment of Wrightstown. I have a vested interest because it’s my hometown.
What sets you apart from your opponents? Do you have education or experience in a field relevant to the village’s operations? I have 10 years of experience as a trustee. I have served as chairman of the village planning commission for the last six years. I am the only current trustee who is native to Wrightstown. I know the village, its history, its people. I don’t speak much at meetings. I never learned anything by talking. I am an attentive listener who makes sound decisions.
Among the issues that the village is currently facing, which ones interest you the most and why? I am excited about the rejuvenation of the historic downtown district. There is currently great interest in that area and its growth will greatly benefit our village. Development in other areas of the village such as the Royal St. Patrick subdivision, the Highway U corridor, and I-41 expansion are fascinating projects that will directly affect our village’s growth. I believe we are on the cusp of great things in Wrightstown.
Dan Segerstrom
Occupation: Civil Engineer, Transportation Supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Education: B.S. Civil Engineering, UW-Platteville
What areas do you feel the village is strong in, and which areas need improvement? The village has great friendly staff that provide a wide variety of community services, most without extra fees or assessments. Our public works, police, fire and clerks’ office staff are some of the best in the state. As the community grows, we will need to find ways to continue to provide these great services without increasing village tax rates. The village must continue to find ways to balance our industrial, commercial and residential growth to keep the village portion of property taxes stable. We also need to improve our working relationship with other property tax entities and find ways to work together to keep our whole property tax base stable.
Why are you interested in serving on the village board? I feel my experience described in the next question adds value to the board and I want to do my part in making the village a great place to live.
What sets you apart from your opponents? Do you have education or experience in a field relevant to the village’s operations? With over 30 years of experience in civil engineering, I have extensive experience with several fields relevant to the village’s operations. My emphasis in college was on the environmental and municipal aspects of civil engineering and I worked 10 years in these fields when first graduated. This experience gave me firsthand knowledge in water, wastewater, stormwater and waste management services. For the past 20+ years, I have worked for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. This experience gives me extensive knowledge in managing the village’s roadway network and understanding of safety. I have worked very closely with over 20 local governments in my roles at the department. In doing so, I have seen what works well and what does not work well at the local government level.
Among the issues that the village is currently facing, which ones interest you the most and why? As noted in the first question, the village must continue to find ways to balance our industrial, commercial and residential growth and needs to create a positive working relationship with other taxing entities to stabilize our property tax base. Additionally, our public works department has done a great job finding more efficient ways to operate in the last decade and we need to have a solid plan to grow efficiently as the community grows. These are important to me because we have such a great community to live in and we need to make it affordable for people to join our community.
Julie Sigmund
Occupation: Homemaker
Education: Graduate of Mt. Whitney High School, Certificate of Completion for Business Administration from San Joaquin Valley College
What areas do you feel the village is strong in, and which areas need improvement? I feel the village is strong in connectivity and residential engagement. For a small community, the Village of Wrightstown has so much to offer to its residents and visitors alike. The community events are often correlated with or by other local organizations like WCSD, WABCA, Wrightstown Historical Society Inc., Brown County Dairy Promotions, Waterboard Warriors, Wrightstown Department of Public Works, Wrightstown Police Department, Wrightstown Fire Department and countless others. We are very fortunate to have that type of camaraderie in our community.
What areas do you feel the village is strong in, and which areas need improvement? A recent board meeting introduced a promising concept that, in my opinion, could effectively address communication gaps in our community. Ongoing discussions may involve the creation of a residents’ handbook and increased support through several social media platforms. Utilizing electronic notifications is essential to stay in sync with the busy lives of community members.
Why are you interested in serving on the village board? When my family moved to the village in 2019 we found ourselves really wanting to connect with and get to know our community, not just exist in it. As a newcomer to this tight-knit community, attending village board meetings has been a gateway into doing just that. The meetings not only provided me with a glimpse into the inner workings of local government but also provided me with a plethora of information about the community’s rich history, upcoming events, and ongoing initiatives. These meetings have been instrumental in helping me understand the values and aspirations of this great village. I felt compelled to contribute in a more significant way when the opportunity arose by fulfilling a board seat vacancy and followed the proper protocol to do so. I would love to continue to represent the residents, businesses and visitors of this thriving community.
What sets you apart from your opponents? Do you have education or experience in a field relevant to the village’s operations? Although I am fairly new to our community, my commitment to getting involved and actively participating in community events has been unwavering. I am committed to actively engaging with residents, local organizations, and businesses to better understand their needs and aspirations. I have the persistence and determination to see things through. I am dedicated to working tirelessly to ensure that the decisions made are in the best interests of the community. Residents can trust that I will approach the role with honesty, diligence and professionalism.
Among the issues that the village is currently facing, which ones interest you the most and why? The continued positive growth of our community is important to us all. It can be beneficial in many ways by creating more local businesses, new job opportunities, better roads, housing, parks, and much more. Ensuring that economic growth is done through thoughtful planning is a must in order to maintain that small-town feel and preserve the village’s heritage.