Voters in Twin Lakes will be able to cast a ballot in a contested election for village trustee in the April 6 election.
Appearing on the ballot will be incumbents Sharon Bower, Kevin Fitzgerald, Aaron Karow and challenger Bob Wagner. Three seats will be filled and voters can vote for up to three candidates.
Candidates were sent identical questionnaires. Below are their answers as they sent them in:
Sharon L Bower — Age: No answer given. Education: North Chicago Community High School. Occupation: Retired. Previous elected/appointed public office: Held office since 2005.
Kevin Fitzgerald — Age: 61. Education: High School graduate. Occupation: Restaurant owner. Previous elected/appointed public office: Current Village Trustee.
Aaron Karow — Age: 44. Education: Grade School – Randall; High School – Wilmot; College – University of Wisconsin Platteville (BS – Civil Engineering); Continuing Education for maintaining Professional Engineer License. Occupation: Civil Engineer. Previous elected/appointed public office: Village of Twin Lakes – Trustee for 16 years (2005 – Present),
Bob Wagner — Age: 61 years old. Education: Some college. Occupation: Master clockmaker/owner Wagner clock; USAF vet. Previous elected/appointed public office: No previous political office.
1.) Why are you the best choice for Twin Lakes trustee?
Bower — I am always available to answer question for anyone as I said before have been on the Village Board since 2005 and believe I have achieved great knowledge of how the Village runs. Also since I have been on the Village board we have only increased its tax rate .56%. We as a board have accomplished many things.
Fitzgerald — Having grown up in Twin Lakes, I have a passion for this Village and it’s future and I want to help guide it as it continues to grow.
Karow — I am a lifelong resident of and fourth generation living in the Twin Lakes area, including being a Village Trustee for 16 years. I believe the purpose of government is to serve the people and that active participation is required to manage, preserve and improve our community character. As a civil engineer and former volunteer firefighter, I enjoy serving our residents by using my abilities and skills to help make good decisions on being fiscally conservative, protecting our lakes, maintaining and improving our infrastructure, and providing quality emergency and law enforcement services. I am very passionate about maintaining and improving the quality of our lakes, community services and development. I evaluate issues based on my experience, common sense, lessons learned and being a “good neighbor”. This allows me to ask good questions, challenge designs and make good decisions to increase resiliency and enhance our infrastructure and services. My decisions weigh heavy on preserving and improving our quality of life while maintaining freedoms.
Wagner — I have many business experiences over the years. It is time for me to do this. There are many hard decisions to make in this position and they always have to be made from the people’s interests and be cost effective. I do that.
2.) What do you see as the chief issues facing Twin Lakes and how do you feel they should be addressed?
Bower — Oversee the building of our new Village Hall and community Center. This would be done by working with our contractor. Oversee required sewer plant expansions and upgrades. Make sure that the engineer is checking so that it is done to the DNR standards.Support local business and new housing developments. Shopping at the stores that we have in our Village. Checking to see that the new developments are following are Village codes. Hold the line on taxes. I can continue my work holding the village fiscally accountable and consistently vote to keep village spending with limits of our budget.
Fitzgerald — Being ready for the next wave of development and making sure the Village is financially protected and the projects are an enhancement to the Village. Fixing the spillway! Lake Elizabeth will be lined with boulders if we don’t make a adjustment soon.
Karow — There are many issues that the Village of Twin Lakes faces on a regular basis, however currently there are a few that are the more pressing.
The quality and usage of the lakes will be a high priority each year as use
increases and development pressures increase on the highly desirable
lake front areas. Finding and maintaining a balance in our decisions is key
to preserving the quality of our lakes. Another area of concern is the elevated presence of illegal drugs within our community. The effectiveness of our law enforcement group is key to diminishing the presence of and deterring the influx of illegal drugs and activities. Lastly, we are starting two major construction projects this year and it is important to monitor each project closely and ensure our staff and consultants are engaged with proper oversight of these improvements. First is the new village hall and community center that we have been working on over the past several years to provide our residents with a space to use and enjoy. I am most excited for the new village hall and community center that will be a prominent fixture in Twin Lakes for our residents to use for generations to come. Secondly, are improvements to the wastewater treatment plant and sewer lift station upgrades to improve the wastewater treatment efficiency, reduce sludge handling costs and increase system reliability and resiliency.
Wagner — If elected in whatever area I am assigned to be a trustee over. It’s all about saving taxpayers money and doing the best job possible for the town. Thanks for reading!
