Thursday, March 29, 2012
Before Tuesday's election for the 4th aldermanic district, incumbent Ald. Buck Jurken and challenger Cathy Wolfla discuss their views on development, communication and a proposed mosque.
Challenging incumbent Ald. Buck Jurken to represent the city's 4th district, Cathy Wolfla said she wants to facilitate more communication with residents, while Jurken said he's already effectively representing his constituents with his 1 1/2 years on the Common Council. "I just want to do a good job for my constituents; I’m very in touch with them and I listen to them," Jurken said. "I tell them what’s going on and get their input." Wolfla said she would use more social media options to facilitate communication, possibly including a blog about issues concerning the 4th district, or expanding an email list she's already begun for her campaign. She said she's heard complaints that the information available on the city website is hard to …
Monday, March 19, 2012
Jeff McCarthy, vice president and account director with Meyer & Wallis, has been recommended for the 3rd District aldermanic seat formerly held by the late Jim Garvens.
A vice president of a local advertising agency has been recommended for appointment to the 3rd District aldermanic seat vacated after the death of longtime Ald. Jim Garvens. Jeff McCarthy, vice president and account director at Meyer & Wallis, received the unanimous backing of the city's Legislative and Licensing Committee, which interviewed McCarthy and three other applicants last week. The Common Council will vote on the recommendation Tuesday night. The other applicants were former Ald. Jack Shaw, Gary Olsen and Albert Van Lith. McCarthy said he was "honored and humbled" to be recommended. "Having grown up in Brookfield and now choosing to raise my own children here, I am excited to give back to the community I call home," he said in an…
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Starting on Dec. 1, interested candidates can begin circulating nomination papers to run for school board, alderman, municipal judge and town supervisor.
- ELECTIONS
- Lisa Sink
-
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Want to be one of the seven votes on the Elmbrook School Board? Inspired to work in public service (and get paid)? Time to run for local office is coming up, with Dec. 1 the first day interested candidates can start circulating nomination papers. Papers are due Jan. 3 to get on the April 3 ballot. Incumbents who choose not to run must announce that decision by filing a declaration of non-candidacy by Dec. 27. Eight city aldermanic seats, a municipal judge and two town supervisory seats also are up for election. Here are the seats with the incumbent elected officials and links on all you need to know to run for office: Candidate forms and filing information (3-year terms) At-Large Seat: Meg Wartman Area IV Seat: Jean Lambert Packets to …
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Because the state's biennial budget cut the total taxes Elmbrook Schools can collect, district taxpayers will see savings.
- GOVERNMENT
- Lisa Sink
-
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The state budget's 5.5 percent cut in public schools' revenue authority will save the owner of the average valued home in Brookfield about $220 in property taxes, the city's finance director said Tuesday. Because the Elmbrook School District receives the vast majority of its revenue from taxes, the state's 5.5 percent lowering of school revenue caps actually translated to a 7.2 percent cut in the taxes collected by Elmbrook. On December property tax bills, Elmbrook will levy a total of about $59.6 million, down about 7.2 percent from the approximately $64.2 million in taxes collected the previous year, according to figures city Finance Director Robert Scott supplied to Brookfield aldermen Tuesday. Aldermen unanimously approved the 2012 …
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
R.A. Smith National plans to erect a small turbine atop its office building; the city may create turbine rules.
- GOVERNMENT
- Lisa Sink
-
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
A small rooftop wind turbine can be erected on R.A. Smith National's office building on Blue Mound Road, aldermen decided Tuesday night. The Common Council voted 11-1, with Alderman Gerald Mellone opposed, to approve the turbine on a 16-foot mast on the three-story building at 16745 W. Blue Mound Rd. Mellone asked that the city's Plan Commission draft rules and regulations for wind and alternative energy system requests. After aldermen and local residents raised concerns about the turbine, Mayor Steve Ponto cast a rare vote to break a tie at the last council meeting to tabled the company's request until more information was available. R.A. Smith has said the system will not be visible by most neighboring residents and will be quiet with a …
43.036844
-88.121295
16745 W Bluemound Rd, Brookfield, WI
Location of wind turbine
/articles/aldermen-approve-wind-turbine-on-blue-mound-road
/locations/5525858
Friday, September 30, 2011
Mayor Steve Ponto is recommending the city's property tax rate increase by 5 cents per $1,000 in assessed home value.
Brookfield Mayor Steven Ponto presented a $63.8 million budget for 2012 on Thursday, with a 1.8 percent increase in general fund spending and a 0.92 percent increase in the total property taxes collected for city government. The tax levy increase is just under the state allowable levy limit of 1 percent based on new city construction and growth. The tax rate would increase by 5 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. Ponto acknowledged the economic challenges the city faced for 2012 but described the budget as continuing “the City’s long-standing tradition of balancing financial responsibility, with providing premier quality public services for our citizens. The mayor's budget was introduced during a special Finance Committee meeting Thursday …
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Mayor Steve Ponto cast a deciding vote breaking a 7-all tie to table a request by RA Smith National to erect a rooftop wind turbine.
- GOVERNMENT
- Lisa Sink
-
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
After some neighbors and aldermen raised concerns about a rooftop wind turbine proposed on a Blue Mound Road office, the mayor broke a rare tie vote to table the request for more study. Freshly reappointed to the aldermanic seat she resigned in July to apply for the city clerk's job, Ald. Lisa Mellone made a motion to table the request by RA Smith National, 16745 W. Blue Mound Rd. Aldermen voted 7-7 to table the issue, forcing Mayor Steve Ponto to cast the deciding vote. Ponto said it would be prudent to answer concerns raised by the city's first wind turbine request. Voting to table were aldermen Ron Balzer, Chris Blackburn, Renee Lowerr, Gerald Mellone, Lisa Mellone, Bob Reddin and Dan Sutton. City Community Development Director Dan Ertl…
43.036844
-88.121295
16745 W Bluemound Rd, Brookfield, WI
/articles/mayor-tables-wind-turbine-decision-to-address-concerns
/locations/5410828
Sunday, September 18, 2011
This week's Brookfield news and events also include Elmbrook School financial discussions and bids on a new water tower.
Brookfield Patch offers a glimpse of what's happening in local news and events this week: Elmbrook School District financial issues: The School Board's Finance and Operations Committee will review a variety of issues, including school closure analysis next steps, sick time and post-retirement employee benefits, lease issues with the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, district administration building options and more (see agenda). The meeting is open to the public and starts at 4:15 p.m. Monday at district offices, 13780 Hope Street. New city clerk and appointing an alderman: The Common Council will introduce the new city clerk, Kelly Michaels, and vote on a recommendation to appoint Lisa Mellone back to ther aldemranic seat she …
Friday, September 9, 2011
Having a union contract in place before Act 10 became law does not protect employees from making pension contributions, say Brookfield leaders who will seek ruling on their interpretation.
- GOVERNMENT
- Lisa Sink
-
Friday, September 9, 2011
In a move that could impact public employees across the state, Brookfield city officials want to start deducting pension contributions and stop collecting dues from union employees before their current contracts expire, based on a provision tucked in those contracts. The city plans to seek a ruling from the state that could strip away a commonly held belief among union members: that having a contract in place before Act 10 became law exempted those employees from the sweeping changes until their contracts expire. Some local governments and school districts passed new contracts before the state Supreme Court ruled the collective bargaining law was in effect. Some of those new contracts required pension contributions; others did not. "I …
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Shawn Conaway, a third candidate who applied for a vacant seat, withdrew his name due to grad school conflicts with city meetings.
- GOVERNMENT
- Lisa Sink
-
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
An applicant for an open aldermanic seat has withdrawn his candidacy, saying his graduate school classes conflict with city meeting times. Shawn Conaway sent the city a letter withdrawing as a candidate for the Common Council seat that became available when Lisa Mellone stepped down in July to apply for the Brookfield city clerk position. He is pursuing his masters in business administration degree and has class Tuesday nights, which is when the council and some committees meet. Mellone was not chosen as city clerk and is seeking her job back, but she will have to persuade aldermen she is a better choice than Tom Schellinger. Schellinger has applied for the seat which he formerly held, until Mellone defeated him to take it. The council's …
Big Pete
11:33 pm on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Yippee if I own a $335,000 house I get enough to buy another gun. Who cares if they closed my neighborhood school and my kids have to ride the bus past the school they went to for 4 years. That's a cool $18 a month. Well worth it my kids are spoiled anyways. more ›