Improving village image key in race
Negativity, reactivity plague Germantown, candidates say
Germantown — Two candidates say they are running to improve the village's image in light of negative press, and the third said he thinks someone with a handle on current issues should fill the Village Board leadership position.
Charles Hargan, James Langer and Dean Wolter are vying to replace Village President Thomas Kempinski, who is stepping down in April.
The three-way race triggers a primary, which will be held Feb. 16. The two top vote-getters will advance to the April 6 election.
Charles Hargan
Hargan, who lost to Kempinski in 2007, had served on the board, first as a trustee then as village president, since 1986.
He said he decided to run again because of the negative press involving the village since Kempinski took office, including some legal trouble Kempinski was involved in.
The Washington County District Attorney's Office prosecuted Kempinski for six violations of state campaign finance laws in his campaign for village president. A judge ordered Kempinski to pay a fine for the offenses.
"I want to get some leadership back in there," Hargan said.
He said he wants to improve relations with neighboring communities and finish projects stalled since he was voted out of office, particularly the intersection of Donges Bay Road and Fond du Lac Avenue.
He said the village spent $1 million to widen Donges Bay east to the business park, move railroad tracks and purchase two properties while he was in office. The village never finished the intersection improvements.
"There are going to be more people coming through that intersection," Hargan said. "It needs to be taken care of."
He plans to investigate whether any tax-incremental financing funding is available to finish the project.
Another issue important to Hargan is keeping taxes as low as possible and not losing any services. The village needs someone who respects village employees and whom the village employees respect, he said.
"The Village Board is useless without the employees," he said, adding the board needs to trust them to do their jobs and not micro-manage.
James Langer
Langer served on the board as a trustee for six years, from 2003 to '09, when he lost his seat to trustee Daniel Wing.
Like Hargan, Kempinski's legal trouble also prompted Langer to take action.
"I talked about it a couple years ago when everything was coming down on president Kempinski," Langer said.
Langer, who was Kempinski's campaign treasurer, said he did not get all the information from Kempinski.
"I just want to do the best for the community," Langer said. "With my years on the board, I think people can see that."
His top issue is "bringing pride back to the village," he said.
Since Money Magazine named the village the 30th best place to live in 2007, Langer said, things have begun to change as he hears negative remarks in his travels as a truck driver. The negative remarks have been related to the village laying off staff and requiring furloughs last year.
"We need to build the positive side of Germantown back up again," he said.
If elected, he wants to review the budget to see if the village could reinstate any of the staff, he said.
Langer also wants to lure developments and businesses to the village, he said.
Langer also is a gubernatorial candidate, making a bid to replace Gov. Jim Doyle in November. He said he is equally committed to both races, and, if elected governor, one of his goals would be to work at the state level on behalf of the village to give back control.
Dean Wolter
The board appointed Wolter to serve the remainder of Kempinski's trustee term after Kempinski was elected village president in 2007. Wolter then won his seat in 2008.
He said he decided to run for village president because he thought someone with knowledge of current issues should take the leadership position.
His focus is on keeping costs controlled within the budget, but not reducing services.
"What we need to start looking at is what are the core services," he said, using fire and police protection, street maintenance, sewer and water, and garbage pickup as examples.
The village needs to consider increasing public safety funding in the future, he said. The village should look at the possibilities of moving to a full-time Fire Department and adding staff for the Police Department, he said.
"We need to look at how we can expand those areas, without it being a burden to taxpayers," he said.
Street maintenance is another village service important to Wolter.
"I've fought to get it back in (the budget), but now we need to fund it," he said. "We need to pay for the roads we have and not keep borrowing for them."
In budgeting, Wolter said the board needs to plan better.
"I would rather see a proactive board," he said, adding the board has been reactive in the past few years.
Related to the budget, Wolter said the village needs to look to increase revenue, particularly though luring developments, which will bring in revenue in fees and taxes. He said the village needs to be more pro-business, but development needs to be planned so one area doesn't negatively impact another.
If Wolter is elected village president, the board will have the option to appoint someone to fill his seat. The term expires in April 2011.
The village president serves a three-year term and earns $8,000 annually.
Charles Hargan
AGE: 68
ADDRESS: W169N11504 Biscayne Drive
PHONE: (262) 255-2381
E-MAIL: chargan@wi.rr.com
EDUCATION: high school diploma
YEARS IN VILLAGE: 26
FAMILY: widower twice, three children, three step-children, four grandchildren and six step-grandchildren
OCCUPATION: retired lithographer with W.A. Krueger
PAST EXPERIENCE: trustee from 1986-93, village president from 1993-2007
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: American Legion, Deutsch Heritage Foundation, Youth Futures, Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce, Christmas parade committee, Citizen of the Year in 2007, Grace Lutheran Church
James Langer
AGE: 51
ADDRESS: W165N11555 Abbey Court
PHONE: (414) 573-2671
E-MAIL: jdlanger@vzw.blackberry.net
EDUCATION: G.E.D. and firefighting training
YEARS IN VILLAGE: nine
FAMILY: married, six children
OCCUPATION: truck driver, USF Holland
PAST EXPERIENCE: trustee from 2003-09
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Kiwanis Club, Mai Fest volunteer, helped with completion of Survive Alive House
Dean Wolter
AGE: 49
ADDRESS: W169N10224 Larkspur Lane
PHONE: (262) 251-4825
E-MAIL: dwolter@wi.rr.com
EDUCATION: two years of college-level courses
YEARS IN VILLAGE: 18
FAMILY: married, two children - one at Kennedy Middle School
OCCUPATION: account executive, Image Systems
PAST EXPERIENCE: trustee since 2007, seat expires in 2011
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Leadership Germantown, Police Academy, Lutheran Church of the Prince of Peace committees and boards
At a glance
WHAT: Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce candidate forum
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Village Hall, W17001 Mequon Road
CONTACT: (262) 255-1812
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