Meet Cheryl Berdan, Candidate For Wauwatosa Mayor

WAUWATOSA, WI — Wisconsin's spring 2020 primary will be held Tuesday, Feb. 18, and Cheryl Berdan, will be on your ballot as one of three candidates for Wauwatosa mayor.

Berdan says she will leverage her public and private-sector experience for Wauwatosa residents.

"I support solid plans for development and redevelopment of our major commercial and industrial areas that protect and complement the unique characters of our neighborhoods and natural areas and facilitate growth in business opportunities that create jobs," she told Patch.

Though most Wauwatosa residents are happy in the community in which they live, Berdan says road quality is one of the issues she will focus on if elected.

"The condition and smooth operation of our roads and sewers have been, and will continue to be a priority for me," she told Patch.

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Election 2020: Who's On My Ballot In Wauwatosa

Name:

Cheryl A. Berdan

Age:

66

Hometown:

I was born in Milwaukee. I grew up 2 blocks from Wauwatosa and always considered myself part of this great community. I have lived in my home in Wauwatosa for 36 years where my late husband and I raised our 4 children.

Occupation:

Retired

Political experience:

I have served 11 years as 7th District Alderperson of Wauwatosa, including the last two terms as Common Council President. Prior to that I served 10 years on the Wauwatosa Civic Celebration Commission, producing the Annual Memorial Day Observance and chairing the Independence Day Parade.

I have extensive public and private sector professional experience, having worked for private sector companies for 26 years and Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin for 10 years. Consequently, I understand how the different government entities fit together and how to foster a working relationship between businesses and government.

I also have worked with the Milwaukee County Intergovernmental Cooperation Council for 10 years, composed of the mayors and village presidents of all 19 municipalities in Milwaukee County plus the County Executive, giving me a good network in the area.

Top issues in Wauwatosa and how I would approach them if elected:

According to the recent Citizen Survey completed by the City of Wauwatosa, 97 percent of Wauwatosa residents are very satisfied or satisfied with life in our city. That demonstrates that we are doing many things well for our citizens. Some areas highlighted in that survey that I would focus on as mayor would be:

• Planning and Management of Redevelopment: I support solid plans for development and redevelopment of our major commercial and industrial areas that protect and complement the unique characters of our neighborhoods and natural areas and facilitate growth in business opportunities that create jobs. Having been on the Common Council through the recovery of the Recession, we worked together to manage the inundation of development requests that were presented to the city, with an eye to grow our tax base and yet preserve what is special about Wauwatosa, namely our variety of neighborhoods and natural areas. I worked collaboratively with my colleagues to maintain a balance by listening to the distinct voices on all sides of the issues. The slogan for my campaign is "Finding Unity in Variety", which signifies that it takes everyone's input to create a product that represents all of us well. Wauwatosa's rapid recovery from the economic downturn was due in no small part to excellent financial management, and I will work to maintain the reputation we enjoy.

• City Maintenance: I support a strong schedule for our infrastructure maintenance and, as mayor, my budget would allocate resources dedicated to that service for our residents and visitors. The condition and smooth operation of our roads and sewers have been, and will continue to be a priority for me. I also will work to balance delivery of our essential services such as police and fire protection, public works, communication, financial management, health services and others by facilitating the various departments as they continue to collaborate to implement their ideas that create efficiencies and manage taxes.

An interesting fact about myself:

Between 4th grade and college graduation, I studied 8 foreign languages, gaining fluency in 5, and degrees in 2. These studies helped me to learn about various cultures and fueled my desire to get to know people who are different than I am.