By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The Banner reached out to all of the candidates for Common Council in the April 5 election, offering them the opportunity to share with our readers their background, what they feel they would bring (or already bring) to the Council, reasons for running, what they believe should be primary goals for the city, etc. Responses were received from the two candidates for an at-large seat: incumbent James Allen and challenger Chuck Mills, and from the lone candidate for Aldermanic District 4, Jill Gerber. Those responses are published below. Lukas Schreiber (Aldermanic District 2) did not provide a statement.

Another useful source of perspectives is the candidate forum that was sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The video may be viewed here. Finally, the candidates were also given the opportunity to provide responses on vote411.org.

Jill Gerber, Candidate for Council Aldermanic District 4

Name: Jill Gerber
Address: 234 S Pleasant St
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Law from UW-Whitewater
Occupation: Data and Special Programs Assistant within the College of Education and Human Services at UW-Whitewater
Email: jgerber1026@gmail.com

What are your reasons for seeking this position?
My interest in Common Council developed from working within municipal agencies for over 17 years. I was the executive assistant to the City Manager for the City of Whitewater from 2015-2019 where I was able to see first-hand the ins and outs of each department within the City and how important it is that employees work together to achieve goals.

I feel local government needs to be more efficient in researching projects and more transparent with the citizens so we can be a service to the community and not make our citizens feel like they are getting less for their tax dollars.

As mentioned earlier, I have worked in the public sector for years, not for the money, but because I enjoy feeling like I am making a difference and helping citizens. I enjoy volunterring and being a part of a team that works a project from the start to the finish. Key word being “finish.”

What are the primary goals of the City?

One of the most pressing issues facing the City is getting emergency medical treatment in a timely manner. Whitewater Fire Inc. for years has been facing difficulties in staffing, recruiting, and responding to calls for service. In 2021, EMS had 1,620 calls for service with 272 being a 2nd call. Usually at 1,000 calls for service full-time paramedics are added to the staffing. Not only does Whitewater have a high call volume, but the priority of the calls is also much higher. Currently, we are waiting for a paramedic to respond from other jurisdictions which is causing excess delay time for critical service.

By adding a full-time EMS department under the City of Whitewater, citizens would have a paramedic available to respond on each call for service and receive more advanced medical treatment.

The City of Whitewater has a high population of citizens over the age of 55. Given the higher level of service from a paramedic, comes a reduction in mortality rate. I believe we need to provide better emergency medical care and service to the citizens of Whitewater.

Another pending issue is the City’s housing stock. The City has very few homes that are within the $200,000-$400,000 range that are in type A condition. With a large city population under age 25 and over 55, we are not attracting or retaining homeowners after age 25.

Other issues include: the need for more new businesses, improvements to the Whitewater Aquatic Center and Cravath Lakefront building, more collaboration with the public schools and the university, improved transparency with citizens, and updated City marketing to make Whitewater a destination.

Additional Comments:

If elected to Common Council as your Aldermanic District 4 representative, I look forward to working hard for the citizens, and listening to your questions and thoughts about city government.

I am very interested in working towards a more transparent government and getting accurate information to the citizens. I want to see more developers and business owners being marketed to build and expand in Whitewater. I would love to see our Downtown district flourish with more marketing to the students, citizens and surrounding communities, which will help grow our housing stock.

I believe we will need to spend money on adding full-time paramedics to our EMS staff to improve service and response time. I am a strong supporter of our first responders, including police, fire and EMS. We need our first responders to ensure Whitewater remains a safe place to live, work, and play.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me through my Facebook site, the Nextdoor app, or by email, jgerber1026@gmail.com.

James Allen, Candidate for Council Member at Large

I’m Jim Allen

I was born at Fort Memorial Hospital and have been an integral part of the Whitewater community since. From participating in boy scouts to working the Whitewater Gazette route to assisting at my father’s local garage and gas station, I’ve been able to see Whitewater transform into such a wonderful place to live, work, and play. I am a proud Whitewater Whippet and UW-Whitewater Warhawk. While in middle school, my confirmation class at the Methodist Church started the United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF), which is open to students of any denomination. Later on, I became the manager at Randy’s Restaurant Banquets and Brewery for 17 years, later taking on a job at the University as catering director. I chaired the Whitewater Fourth of July committee, keeping the event free for all. My other prominent positions have been on the Whitewater Community Development Board, on the Birge Fountain Restoration Committee, on the Whitewater Tourism Committee, on the Police and Fire Commission, and on the Public Works committee and the City Finance Committee. 

I will bring a local and logical sense of thinking to the common council and I use my background in business to guide the City of Whitewater on its budget. My main focus is on what the city needs and how to pay for those needs without raising taxes. With inflation and the consumer price index rising higher each day, this is placing pressure on everyone, especially those with fixed incomes. This city needs to be challenged to find ways to provide our current levels of service to the taxpayer when our revenues do not stretch as far. Next fall will most likely see a referendum re-organizing our EMS service and volunteer fire department. These changes will come with significant costs and I will make sure these decisions are made with a steady watch on the budget while continuing my support of department members.

I want to see Whitewater grow and I want to see new businesses choose Whitewater and as a place for new families to settle down, while retaining the businesses that we have. I want us to incentivise housing development for families with a wide-range of incomes and I want to support our library, with the city’s need for additional meeting space. I will continue supporting our downtown efforts and our senior center, as well as support our police department who we all count on to provide us with safe neighborhoods. I will assure you that this will be done in a financially responsible way.

Please consider voting for me to continue representing you at the polls on April 5th.

Chuck Mills, Candidate for Council Member at Large

Hello to everyone in Whitewater. My name is Chuck Mills. I am the owner of Mills Automotive on the east side of town. I may have towed your vehicle or changed your oil or rented you a U-Haul at some point. I am running for the at-large seat on the Whitewater City Council. My wife Jean and I moved to Whitewater from Milwaukee thirty years ago. We live on Whiton Street. My goal is to represent all Whitewater residents. I would like to work together with the rest of the city council to bring our Main Street back to the economic success of the past. I have a goal to bring jobs to our commercial park. I also feel our Whitewater’s infrastructure is in need of attention. I feel Whitewater’s priorities should be to finish current projects before we take on new ones. I do not believe in mandates. I believe mandates are a violation of our precious Constitution. I am a proponent of our EMS, Fire, and Police Departments. I spent many years helping with our 4th of July committee. The result of this is the current and continued success of Whitewater’s 4th of July celebrations. Starting a business (Mills Automotive) and raising my three beloved children with my wife Jean has been my life’s work. Whitewater is our home. Now is my time to serve. Please feel free to contact me with your questions, concerns, and ideas so together we can move Whitewater forward. I would love to hear from everyone. I can be reached at millsautomotive@yahoo.com or by phone 262-473-8901. Thank you so much. Chuck Mills