Party chairs face off in County Board race

In the only contested Kewaunee County race in the April 5 election, Ron Heuer, chair of the county's Republican Party, will face Mary Ellen Dobbins, chair of the county's Democratic Party, according to election papers filed in the Kewaunee County clerk's office Tuesday.

Heuer currently serves as County Board chairman as a supervisor representing the 12th District-Town of West Kewaunee. Dobbins, who has lived in the county for more than 40 years, is a retired Green Bay teacher who lives in the district.

"There is more discord in the county than there used to be," Dobbins said. "I would like to see people listening and talking to each other."

Dobbins said that after having raised two children who attended Kewaunee High School, she is running to "give back to the community."   She said that she has been going door to door in her district to talk to her neighbors about their concerns regarding water issues, cuts in county services and other issues that the county is facing.

She said that she does not want the race to be built around party politics.

"One of the things that I am looking for in running is that people communicate more respectfully," she said.  She said that she will be attending county board and committee meetings over the next few months and talking with existing county board members to learn more about the county's major issues.

Heuer was elected County Board chairman by his fellow supervisors in 2014.  The board will vote at its April meeting on a new chairman. Heuer has helped the county to find additional funds to replace those lost by the closing of the Kewaunee Power station nuclear plant, but he has drawn fire for what critics say is a failure to find workable solutions to the county's groundwater contamination issues.

He also recently faced opposition for a proposal to have the county hire a lobbying group to ask the state Legislature to help fund a countywide biodigester at a time when county services and benefits for county workers have been cut. Heuer did not return calls seeking comment for this story.

In other races, Christopher Rasmussen will be running uncontested for the District 5 position left vacant by the retirement of County Supervisor Bob Garfinkel.

Donna M. Thomas will run uncontested in the open position left by the retirement of Kenneth Tebon in District 6, which includes Wards 1 and 2 in the village of Luxemburg.

In District 15, former county clerk Linda Teske has filed to run for the open position left by the retirement of Bruce Heidmann.  District 15 includes Wards 1 and 2 of the city of Algoma.  She also will run uncontested.

In all other districts, the county's incumbent supervisors have filed to run for another term and will run uncontested:  They include: Gerald Paape, Larry Kirchman, Charles R. Wagner, Robert A. Weidner, Dennis Cravillion, Douglas Doell, Scott Jahnke, Ron Paider, Linda Sinkula, John Pagel, Thomas Romdenne, Virginia Haske, Patrick Benes, Lee Luft, John Mastalir and Kaye E. Shillin.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press Gazette: Party chairs face off in County Board race