Election Preview: Shorewood Village Board

Three candidates are vying for two seats on Shorewood Village Board in the April 2 election.

Incumbent Patrick Linnane, and newcomers Tammy Bockhorst and Paul Zovic are running for the 3-year term on the board. (Click on link for biographical information on each candidate). The salary is $1,000 annually.

To provide residents with the most information about the election, Patch asked the candidates their views on the key issues facing the village. Here, in their own words, are the candidates' answers to those questions.

I love our community and I’m a qualified leader who brings people together to solve complicated problems. Last October, when I heard Trustee Eckman --our only female board member --was considering retiring I decided to bring my expertise, leadership style, and collaborative approach to the Board. I like to solve problems, not just talk about them. That's why I worked on the Conservation Committee to organize the Green Bag campaign in Shorewood, taught at the college level for 12 years and recently, started my own IT & PR consulting business. I will work for sustainable growth consistent with Shorewood’s values.

Shorewood: a great place to live, work and play. In 1988 my wife, Joanne, and I bought our Shorewood home. We came for the great neighborhoods, excellent schools, and the diverse and engaged residents. I am an accomplished consultant with substantial experience as a business owner, I’ve served nearly eleven years as an elected official dedicated to public service, and I am deeply committed to maintaining Shorewood’s quality of life, tradition of excellence, and financial sustainability. I bring significant business, technical and management experience built on effective listening and communication skills, a system-based thinking approach and a solid decision-making history.

We are navigating fiscal restraints created by the economy and state legislation. We must balance revenue limits with our responsibility of providing quality services to our residents. My experience in government, education and finance are instrumental to understanding the problem. My experience in business, community organizing, public relations and technology will help us identify creative, collaborative, and unique ways to deal with the new challenges. As we continue to take care of our aging sewers and structures, we need to work equally hard at upgrading and re-evaluating our strategic plan to ensure in all areas we practice smart, sustainable growth.

Improvements to and ongoing maintenance of our aging infrastructure is our most significant challenge. We must complete the design and construction of improvements to alleviate street flooding and protect homes from back-ups: the value of our properties, our ability to sell/develop properties, and our quality of life depend on sound, affordable solutions. We also have roads, alleys, sidewalks and parking facilities needing care and thoughtful attention. Our infrastructure needs also include information technologies, communications, and shared-service options. I have worked with other municipalities on public works projects and in this regard and am uniquely qualified to serve as Village Trustee. 

Shorewood has a long-range financial plan and a vision plan that guide our budget process. We also have an active CDA that attracts new businesses. Unfortunately the short-sighted levy freeze prevents us from making common-sense adjustments for inflation. To balance our budget we must either increase our tax revenue - via development, higher fees, or special assessments for capital improvements - or reduce services & staff. This creates a very limiting scenario, thus we must proactively collaborate with our school and business district and seek opportunities with similar communities to consolidate or advocate for local control using input from residents.

We are fortunate; we have a great location, wonderful amenities, amazing neighbors and neighborhoods, excellent schools, sound local governance, and great services – all of which contribute to a quality of life that makes Shorewood an extraordinary place. Balancing the costs and benefits of Village services is vital to our continued success; we must continually search for ways to work smarter, spend less, and minimize the tax burden. My experience as a businessman coupled with my extensive School Board experience with levy limits and declining State aide is unique and will serve the community and Village Board very well.

Consolidation is a significant change and a somewhat irreversible step. Prudence is called for. We have experienced lower costs and increased services with our consolidated health department. We are still evaluating the merger with the Northshore Fire Department, and thus far we’ve heard positive feedback from our officers on the new Northshore Dispatch Center. However, regarding police consolidation, there are many unanswered questions, and we must take the time to get the answers we need. In any merger situation Shorewood must be assured equal voice in all matters that impact public safety, service delivery, decision-making, and protocol.

Shared services make sense and represent a critical link to our financial sustainability. Shorewood has successful experience with consolidation and shared services – most notably for fire & rescue services (since 1994) and health services (since 2010) - and we need to look further. While we should not underestimate the importance of a strong, visible, active professional police force, we must, as costs continue to climb and funding pressures increase, deliberately and comprehensively look at police department consolidation. In addition to that option, we must continually and creatively evaluate all other cost saving opportunities and any and all operational efficiencies available.

We have many opportunities to identify proactive, environmentally sound solutions that bring good PR to our village. First we address perceived demand and educate, inform, and listen to our residents for solutions. From there we work with UWM, the Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Commision, and the Conservation Committee to identify sustainable solutions that promote walking and biking for those who are able, and ensure we have parking spots for visitors and those that need to drive. And we must consider measures to ease the parking burden in some neighborhoods. I am committed to following through on these things as a trustee.

Parking is a multi-faceted challenge requiring a multi-faceted approach. I’ve met with homeowners, renters, visitors, business owners, students, and police and I’ve seen that the challenges vary across the Village, that one size does not fit all and that the challenges change over time. Some even liken parking solutions to the “whack-a-mole” game. As such, our approach must acknowledge and address those varied challenges. First, we must recommit to rigorous enforcement of the existing ordinances and restrictions. Only then can we realistically evaluate the combinations of additional restrictions, fee-based permitting, and other creative approaches - engaging all stakeholders in ongoing and continual conversations.

Our greatest asset in our village is our people. Increased, innovative communications with and between residents will ensure our decisions are proactive, inclusive, and make sense for the community. Increased promotion and digital marketing beyond Milwaukee will help attract future residents and business customers. These initiatives play to my strengths, expertise, and passions. As a board leader I will hold regular community hours with residents, lead an initiative between the school and village boards to ensure we collaborate and share services and programs whenever possible, and work tirelessly to protect our community as we continue to practice smart, sustainable growth.

I bring a commitment to listen, to be creative and to work collaboratively to solve the challenges that our Village faces today and in the days ahead. Many things in Shorewood are working well and we are benefiting from leaders that have been thoughtful, respectful and mindful of the many interests that must be served while balancing the myriad dimensions of local governance. We are fortunate that to a certain extent, the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” adage applies to our community. At the same time, I feel very strongly that we cannot rest on our laurels and that vigilance and forward vision is of paramount importance. We must look hard and deep for creative ways to serve all residents, conserve increasingly scarce dollars and preserve our quality of life.