Mohr, Pribyl square off for Little Suamico town chairman

Incumbent town board members face challengers
By: 
NEW Media Staff

A longtime town board member and retired home inspector and an Extension community development educator are on the April 4 ballot for Little Suamico town chairman.

Incumbent Town Chairman Elmer Ragen is stepping down. Supervisor David Pribyl and political newcomer Dale Mohr survived a February primary election and will face each other in next week’s election. Mohr was the top vote getter in February.

Pribyl is also running to retain his seat as a town supervisor. If he were elected to both positions, the town board would appoint someone to fill the position.

He and fellow incumbent Supervisor Doug Allen are being challenged by former Oconto County Board Supervisor Liz Paape and former Oconto Falls School Board member Tracey Krumrei.

Pribyl and his wife, Carol, built their home in Little Suamico and moved into the community in 1996. He joined the Little Suamico Fire Department at that time and spent more than 18 years with the department, 14 years as assistant chief. He took the initiative to apply for the department’s first FEMA Firefighters grant of $61,000 for turnout gear in 2001, and obtained more grants in ensuing years. He has been elected to the Town Board since 2003.

Mohr and his wife, who raised three daughters, moved to the town about five years ago, but he is well known around the county in his role as an educator with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. He holds a master’s degree in land use planning with a focus on building neighborhood consensus around critical issues.

This is Mohr’s first bid for elected government office, but notes that in his job he works with town boards, city councils, and village boards as well as tribal boards on a number of concerns, most recently in developing a community response to the 1,000-acre solar field proposal in the Town of Morgan.

Pribyl and Mohr responded to a questionnaire sent by NEW Media.

What made you decide to run for town chairman?

Mohr: I’ve worked closely with each of the 23 towns, within our county, as well as the cities and villages to address key concerns each has had from controlling highway billboards to solar fields and from groundwater protection to park planning. I enjoy helping communities better themselves through organizing and working together to design solutions to a community problem. That’s what I do, help my neighbors.

I am a consensus builder, a primary role of the position of chairman. Being a relatively new person to the town, I see all of its potential and charm which brought my family to the community.

Pribyl: I was elected town supervisor in 2003 to the present. I wanted to be involved in the decision-making as the town population grew from 3,800 to over 5,500. As in most decisions there are pros and cons. I will always vote for the people’s constitutional rights.

What do you see as the top challenges/issues facing the Town Board during the upcoming term?

Mohr: Many of our roads are hitting their end of life cycle and will need replacing. This is very costly and cannot be done all at once. A plan will need to be in place to not only pay for the roads but to deal with the roads we can’t get to for some time.

Utilizing the supervisor positions more extensively while not solely relying on the chairman to do all the heavy lifting. Diversify the roles.

Our growing subdivisions will need greater planning and oversight. Identifying greater standards for the developments is going to be key to addressing the many dead ends, high traffic speeds, road conditions and access issues.

Pribyl: Little Suamico, by ordinance, follows county zoning. If someone applies for a zone change, or a land use change and it is in compliance with the law and it’s safe for the neighborhood, I have no problem with that.

I will address the people’s speed limit concerns, updating some town ordinances, and bring back public comment to our meeting agendas but only with order and decorum.

Why do you think you are the best candidate for this position?

Mohr: Desiring to help my neighbors is my core value. Seeing the whole town as my neighbor makes me want the best for it. Decades of working closely with town governments has taught me much (the good, bad and ugly) and I will rely upon those experiences as chair.

My skills include overseeing budgets, acquiring $1 million in grants, designing strategies to complex town issues while being an attentive listener, treating everyone respectfully, being accountable using common sense and not losing my temper. As a volunteer firefighter, an Army veteran, a school parent representative, a church volunteer I know I was born to serve my neighbors and there is my passion for chairman.

Pribyl: In the last 12 years or so, we built a big $5,500,000 fire station addition , $750,000 new town hall, and just ordered and paid for a $730,000 fire truck. The town of Little Suamico is in great financial condition, with zero debt. I just introduced a ordinance for a five-person Town Board in the 2024 spring election, and it passed. This will allow the town board to have more input and discretion and to have working committees.

I am running for both chairman and supervisor. If I would win both positions the newly elected board, along with the clerk would appoint someone as supervisor. I am somewhat impressed with the new candidates for town board. I would like to appoint them to the Planning Commission.

I would like this to continue and be a part of the new town board.