Election 2012: Village of North Hudson Candidate Profiles

Hudson Patch asked all the local candidates on the ballot in the April 3 election to provide some information about themselves. The following is the information submitted by North Hudson candidates with minor grammatical edits:

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TED HEAD

Current occupation: Senior Manager Registration and Compliance, Ecolab Law and Regulatory Affairs 

Experience:

• US Army Desert Storm Veteran
• Vice Chairman of the Cleveland County Local Emergency Planning Committee
• Chairman of the Regulatory Committee for the Chemical Producers and Distributors Association (CPDA)
• Administrative Committee for the Federal Endangered Species Task Force (FESTF)
• Member of the AHETF (Ag Handlers Exposure Task Force) Technical Committee
• Member of the Environmental Protection Agency Registration Review Committee (Federal Advisory Committee)
• Member of the Environmental Protection Agency Process Improvement Committee (Federal Advisory Committee)   

Why do you want to be a North Hudson Village Trustee?: This is very easy for me to answer - civic obligation.  I enjoy living in North Hudson and want to give back to the community.  As citizens, we can make a positive difference if we invest the time and energy to get involved.  We can maintain the integrity of the village and keep it a unique safe place to raise a family - your neighbor your voice.

What is the most important issue facing the Village of North Hudson and where do you stand on that issue?: I would consider fiscal responsibility as one of the most important issues for the Village of North Hudson. With a tough recovery from the recession and state aid being cut; it’s paramount that the village board continues to effectively manage the budget in order to maintain the quality of life we enjoy in North Hudson.

DARYL STANDAFER

Occupation: Retired Banker

Experience:

• Village of North Hudson Trustee, 3 years.
• St. Croix County Supervisor, 18 years. 
• Currently County Board Chair.

Why do you want to be a North Hudson Village Trustee?: We have financial challenges that require careful consideration. The expense of Village services is paid primarily by property taxes. Managing services without raising property taxes is my priority.

What is the most important issue facing the Village of North Hudson and where do you stand on that issue?: The most significant issue for North Hudson currently is the future of the police department.

As a cost reduction, the hours of coverage have been reduced to 8.5 per day. The other hours are covered by the Sheriff’s department. The Board of Trustees recently voted to reduce the force by one officer by the end of the year. The budget for the police department is over one-third of the total village budget.
We are fortunate to have good officers and an excellent chief, but the small department is unable to gain any economy of scale. We should give serious consideration to a merger of the North Hudson Police Department and the City of Hudson Police Department. A merger would save money, provide better coverage, and more cost-effective law enforcement.

STAN WEKKIN

Current occupation: I have been a 3M Company employee for 29 years; present position is Occupational Health and Safety Technologist

Experience: I was on the board of Trustees in the late 90s and was elected again in 2010. I have served on the Board of Directors for the New Richmond Golf Course, the Hudson Rod and Gun Club, and North Hudson Pepper Fest.

Why do you want to be a North Hudson Village Trustee?: I believe the most important government bodies are at the local level. As a life-long resident of the Hudson/North Hudson (28 years in North Hudson) I have witnessed the good and not-so-good evolution of the area. I will to try an ensure the development and spending at the local level is "good evolution" and will do my best to be a good steward of the residents’ tax dollars.

What is the most important issue facing the Village of North Hudson and where do you stand on that issue?: Taxes and the fiscally responsible spending of them, is the most important issue to me. In North Hudson (and all throughout Wisconsin) we have many residents who are on fixed incomes, we have many residents who have lost their job due to the present economy, and we have those of us whom are lucky enough to still have jobs. All of us find it more and more difficult to make ends meet, fighting the rising costs of everything. I want to work to separate the  "nice to haves" (non-essentials) from the "need to haves"(police, fire, roads, etc.) goods and services. Budgets at all levels of government must make the hard choices and fund "need to haves," not the "nice to haves." I believe the Village Board has done a good job of watching spending; municipal budgets are much like family budgets, there is always room for improvement. The challenge at the municipal level is the perception as to what each member of the board and village residents see as a need or a nice. In the present economy the "nice to haves" must be put on hold until the economy and revenues recover. I don’t believe many of us (no one I know) want a tax increase, we need to determine the level we fund the needs, to meet the expectations of the taxpayers we represent, which will help each of us to keep more of what we earn and continue to live in the village and in Wisconsin.

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Hudson Patch Candidate Profiles

• Town of Hudson candidate profiles (coming Wednesday, March 28)
• City of Hudson candidate profiles (coming Thursday, March 29)
• Hudson School District candidate profiles (coming Friday, March 30)

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