To run or not to run

When I first ran for the Waunakee Village Board in 2018, it was on a bit of a whim. Some might think it was due to the proposed T.Wall development on Main Street. But in reality, I had engaged in communications with then clerk Julie Helt about running, even before the "Stop Terrence Wall's Downtown Waunakee, Wisconsin Luxury Apartment Complex" petition was created on December 14, 2017. Running for a seat on the village board was not driven by a single project, a dislike for specific programs or financing options, or even any dislike for the existing board members. It was simply about giving voters a choice.

For numerous years prior to the 2018 election, there were three village board seats up for election each year, and typically, there were three people running for those seats. That doesn't mean that the people running weren't quality candidates. They were. But with three people running for three seats, voters didn't really have a choice. So I threw my hat in the ring.

That was the same mindset that I've run with each time, whether as an incumbent, or as an outsider. My preference is always to have more candidates than there are seats. And I know that means that some people won't get elected. And I might be - and was - one of them. Twice. But in the process, the voters of Waunakee had a choice, and were hopefully able to select the people they felt could best represent them on the village board at that time. At a minimum, I hope every voter felt that they had a voice in the election.

So that brings me to the upcoming 2024 spring election. Again, there will be three seats up for election. Those seats are currently filled by myself, Nila Frye, and Erin Moran. Of course, I don't know what the other two incumbents will choose to do - run, or step away. And in fact, even I don't know what direction I'll take. I've been encouraged to run by numerous leaders across our community. That's certainly flattering. At the same time, I have to consider my overall committments to make sure I don't burn the candle at both ends, or end up short changing myself, my family, my career, the residents of the village, or anyone else with whom I engage.

December 1, 2023 is the first day that nomination papers can be circulated for village board seats. January 2, 2024 is the last. That gives me up to ten and a half weeks to decide where to go from here. Although some decisions can be agonized over for months, or even years, this won't be one of them. I expect to announce a direction prior to December 1.

A new way to meet the candidate

The April 2, 2024 election is a little over over 90 days away. Certainly there are many people who already know me, there is a lot of information available online with a simple Google Search , my LinkedIn profile is kept up-to-date , and my voting record is available to anyone who wants to look . But the truth remains - one of the best ways to really get to know someone is to sit down and have an actual conversation. My initial thought was to schedule a handful of events where people could just drop in. I may still hold some of those events - dates/times/locations TBD. Of course the biggest problem with any drop-in event is actually having people show up. If I were handing out hundred dollar bills, I'm confident that a lot of people would show up. But lets be honest - talking local politics doesn't have the same draw as cash. And I hope the moral and legal problems with handing out cash to voters while running for office are pretty obvious! So I...

It's all set!

The village web site has been updated, and the 5pm deadline on January 2, 2024 has passed. As such, we now know the four candidates competing for the three village board seats in the April 2, 2024 election. The official listing is available at https://www.vil.waunakee.wi.us/1131/April-2-2024-Spring-Election . The process now allows a short window to challenge nomination signatures. Typically, candidates get extra signatures to ensure that if some are disqualified, they still have sufficient signatures to remain on the ballot, so the challenge period is rarely utilized. There will be no primary election this year as that is only triggered when there are more than two candidates per seat - or in this case, more than six total. A random drawing will be held in the upcoming weeks to determine ballot position. Beyond that, it's just a matter of each candidate sharing their views. With more than three candidates, it's likely that the Waunakee Area Chamber of Commerce ...

Ballot Order Determined

At 8am on Monday morning, January 8, the clerk, a couple of village staff members, and myself (as an observer) gathered at village hall to determine the order of names on the ballot. The names were drawn at random, and the order is as follows: Brian Wallace Nila Frye Erin Moran Joe Zitzelsberger The theory has often been that being first on a ballot provides an advantage to the person listed in that position. In a scenario where there are four people running for three seats, such as in this election, I suspect that advantage is minimal at best. My hope is that the voters of Waunakee look at the candidates - their positions, their voting records, their attendance records, and even the preparation that they put forth for each meeting, and then mark their selections appropriately on the ballot.

Joe4Waunakee

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