No competitive races are lined up for three seats on the Shawano Common Council, three seats on the Shawano School Board and the Shawano mayor’s post.
The deadline of Jan. 6 passed with no challengers for any of the seats, and there is also one seat on the school board with no one running. This was after Mike Musolff filed a notice of non-candidacy, reporting that his duties as police chief no longer afford him sufficient time to perform his duties on the board.
That leaves Tim Renard and John Arens running opposed for new board terms. If a write-in candidate does not vie for the vacant seat, the school board will need to fill the position itself once the new term of the board begins in the spring. Any write-in candidate would need to live in the towns of Wescott or Washington.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bruce Milavitz will be elected to his fourth term with no opposition. Aldermen Jim Hauer, Jack Young and John Hoeffs also have a clear run for new terms unless write-ins emerge.
The city pays the same expenses for elections whether there is opposition or not, said City Clerk Lesley Nemetz, due to county, state and school district elections happening at the same time.
“It doesn’t affect the city’s finances either way,” she said.
Nemetz said that residents should be checking their voter eligibility, especially if they have not voted in several years. She recommends using the My Vote Wisconsin website, myvotewi.gov, to check and make sure their registration hasn’t lapsed or, if they’ve moved since the last election they voted in, checking to make sure their home address is current.
“They should make sure that they’re registered to vote ahead of time,” Nemetz said. “We will have absentee voting ahead of time for those two weeks prior if people want to do that. We just want to be sure they have all their ducks in a row and are registered ahead of time so they don’t have to wait for extra time in line on Election Day.”
The spring general election is April 6, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. City of Shawano residents will cast their ballots at City Hall, 127 S. Sawyer St., Shawano.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
