City District 8 candidates Leek and Shuda sound off
Metro Wire Staff
Voters head to the polls on April 5 to decide the outcome of several races including the Stevens Point Common Council, also known as the City Council. Six of the Council’s 11 seats are up for grabs, all even-numbered District seats as well as District 1, which was filled by appointment due to a resignation. All contests have two competitors except for District 6, which has one candidate running unopposed.
The spring election is on April 5. Voters can register, and check their registration status, at myvote.wi.gov.
In Stevens Point District 8, incumbent Thomas Leek is being challenged by Dean Shuda.
Questions by the Stevens Point Area League of Women Voters. Verbatim answers from both candidates follow:
What life experiences have you had that make you the better candidate for City Council?
Dean Shuda
First, I am a life-long resident of Portage County with over 40 years of living in Stevens Point and the past 11 in District 8. I have represented Stevens Point in coaching the American Legion Post #6 to a state championship. I have also coached at UWSP Women’s Softball team for six years including winning the National Championship. I have worked for the city as a school playground leader as a teenager, and have operated and worked a small business since 1985. I also have volunteered my time over the years to a number of organizations including Special Olympics, Stevens Point schools, St. Michaels Hospital, and various civic groups. The teams I coached, the boards I have served on, and the business I operated have included many hours of planning, the gathering of information to make the process work better and more efficient. I would also need to assure that the process was implemented properly and worked to make it successful to its conclusion.
Thomas Leek
I know the Stevens Point community from a variety of perspectives. Most importantly, I am a parent to children growing up here, so I know it is a wonderful place to raise a family. Stevens Point provides a great mix of high-quality education, recreation, employment, and business opportunities and I want to contribute to making Stevens Point a place for young people, families, and the elderly to stay. Furthermore, for ten years, I organized a program that brought German students to Stevens Point for a month of homestays with families. I learned a lot about Stevens Point from the families I got to know and from introducing students to the community. My experience as District 8 Alder has likewise taught me about the workings of city government and brought me in closer contact with a wider variety of neighbors. This experience, the learning process, and the closer contact with neighbors all mean a lot to me and I will take this into a second term.
What would you like to accomplish as a member of the City Council this term?
Dean Shuda
I personally do not have an agenda. With that being said, I would like to make a concerted effort to communicate with the community and have the constituents truly know we are working for them without an individual or group agenda. While doing this, I would like to work towards having the people of Stevens Point think and know we are making every effort to make their tax dollars have value in growing the community, to better the lives of all those who live here.
Thomas Leek
City Council has accomplished much these past two years. Among other projects, we have kept the North Side Yard and former Kmart projects going during the pandemic, made plans for the former convent, and finally determined what to do with the Fox Theater. I want to build on this success, which would include working to find an occupant for the old Shopko building downtown and the Walmart building on Highway 10. I also want to see projects through to firmer ground that have started during my tenure. Naturally, this includes beginning construction on the Plover River Crossing and coming to a consensus on the reconstruction of Business 51.
How will you inform your district’s residents about important issues and upcoming votes before they are voted on?
Dean Shuda
I plan on implementing a District 8 Facebook page and an email list to keep people up to date if they wish to be involved. I want to keep an open-door policy for the people of my district to discuss their worries and needs. I want those in my district to know who their representative is and how to reach me if needed. From my door-to-door activity, many are not aware of who represents them currently.
Thomas Leek
The best means of informing residents about important issues with a potential impact on the community is through face-to-face informational meetings with an option to attend virtually via Zoom. We experienced stretches of time during the pandemic when face-to-face meetings were off the table, but we have started having these meetings again and I have attended each one involving District 8 during my term as alder. I have also published in local media and I maintain a Facebook page for communicating with the public. I will keep up all of these in my next term. Additionally, I always respond to emails sent to [email protected] and to phone calls.
When the electorate is strongly divided on an issue, what decision-making process will you employ to help you decide how you will vote?
Dean Shuda
I must take into account what the constituents within my District want or why they don’t want something. When a divided opinion exists, I would feel it is my duty to decide for the benefit of the many over those of a few. If it is truly divided, I must make a judgment on my experience of living in the District for 30 years and the information that is provided.
Thomas Leek
The decision-making process, results, and responsibility are what matter most in democratic governance. Voters should get what they ask for, but in case the voters are evenly divided, the next step is due diligence: research, consulting experts, and working with city staff. Stevens Point is blessed with an excellent team of city officials and employees offering great advice on engineering, finances, and legal issues. It is better to achieve consensus around difficult decisions, but the nature of majoritarian decision-making is that not everyone always gets everything they want. Nevertheless, the job of an alder is not complicated. It involves consultation, listening, researching, and coming to a decision. Alders who can make effective, timely, and informed decisions are vital to city government.
What is your stance on the proposal to require a binding referendum on all municipally financed (in whole or in part) public roadway or transportation project requiring a city capital expenditure of $1,000,000.00 or more?
Dean Shuda
I feel it is unfortunate that it came to this. Those who worked to get the signatures and got the referendum on the ballot had no option but to do this according to the legal counsel they received. The only option open to them at that point from the council was to do just what they did, they even were challenged to do so by a sitting alder. Do I see this as a permanent solution? No, I see this referendum as a temporary solution to finding a better way to complete the church street project. From what I have been informed, this if voted for in August, can be changed again with a vote in a future election. In no way do I see this as a permanent solution for Stevens Point road projects.
Thomas Leek
Hard cases make bad law. This referendum grew out of opposition to the reconstruction plans of Business 51, yet the referendum would apply to all transportation expenditures. It makes no sense to delay or deny transportation projects unrelated to Business 51 when city government is in a better position to negotiate solutions between stakeholders and the transportation needs of the community. Road repair in Stevens Point moves forward according to a system based on need. Replacing that with a vote on every significant transportation line item would do a great disservice to neighborhoods in need of new roads, not to mention the adverse effects it may have on other forms of transportation. Business 51 and the utilities underneath the road need replacement. Stalling that and other projects will not change this fact. I encourage residents of Stevens Point to vote no on the referendum.
How do you see the role of the Affirmative Action/Fair Housing committee fitting with your vision of Stevens Point in the next 5 years?
Dean Shuda
It’s my understanding that at the time I was asked this question, the committee had not met, so a detailed vision has not been communicated. I’d be happy to respond after they have defined the long-term vision and direction for the committee. Having read Chapter 27 of the Fair Housing Code for Stevens Point it is clear that Stevens Point has the power to enforce equal opportunity in housing for all citizens of the city.
Thomas Leek
This City Council has done a good job of authorizing new housing construction. But much of this is relatively expensive housing, with the exception of the Berkshire and former convent. We can do more to make housing available to all income levels in the city. I look forward to hearing from the Fair Housing Committee on what they have in mind.