Candidate for City Council District 4: Brian Schanen
I am seeking re-election on April 7 to the Whitewater Common Council representing District 4 on the city’s west side because of my deep love for this community. If re-elected, I am committed to addressing affordability, expanding business opportunities, and ensuring transparency in local government.
Growing up I was involved in Boy Scouts, earned the highest rank of Eagle Scout, and helped my dad on his hobby farm. I learned the importance of honesty, respect, hard work, civic engagement, and servant leadership. These are values that I live every day, that I bring to my campaign and are central to my work on council.
My wife Heather and I met as students at UW-Whitewater and quickly fell in love with the community. While the university brought us here, it was the people, businesses, and events that made us stay. We are avid supporters of local businesses, events, and organizations – a Friday night fish fry at Rick’s, a Sunday morning breakfast at Jessica’s, a birthday at Fanatico’s, Tuesday trivia at Beer Here, a 4th of July on Cravath lakefront, Kiwanis Pancake Day, Cars & Coffee in the Kettle Moraine, the Fire Department pancake breakfast, a movie at Cinemas of Whitewater, busy restaurants after a Warhawk or Whippet win (among many, many other things) these experiences aren’t small, they are what makes Whitewater special.
As your council representative, I prioritize listening to residents, asking questions, and digging into the details. Whether it’s a small neighborhood concern or a long-term city plan, I work to ensure decisions are thoughtful, informed, and in the best interest of our community. I strongly support our residents, city staff, and our fire, EMS, and police departments.
First Term Accomplishments
Over my first term representing Whitewater’s west side meaningful progress has been made.
• Expanded owner-occupied housing, with over 50 new units well underway
• Strengthened programs to rehabilitate aging homes and convert rentals back to owner-occupied housing
• Supported business growth in the business park, with multiple developments in progress
• Expanded business retention visits citywide, helping support projects like a major expansion at Lavelle
• Increased access to healthcare through a partnership with Edgerton Hospital that brought an urgent care into the city. Since then, Edgerton Hospital has also opened a new pain clinic here.
• Improved transparency by reducing closed sessions, increasing public notice visibility via social media, and expanding lake committee participation
Vision for a Second Term
Affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing our community. I am focused on responsible budgeting and easing the property tax burden for residents.
At the March 17 Council meeting, I introduced a series of ideas to improve accountability and control spending, including:
• Placing limits on when the city can go to referendum
• Capping the level of city debt
• Making better use of funds as the result of tax increment districts to help all residents.
• Increasing transparency when it comes to the number of city employees
• Other ideas can be seen in the council agenda item
If re-elected, I will work to move these ideas forward immediately, along with strengthening our ethics code to increase accountability.
As a member of the Finance Committee, I am also advocating for a clearer and more strategic approach to capital planning—ensuring we can maintain our roads, lakes, and parks while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.
Supporting local businesses is another key priority. I want to simplify processes like permitting and licensing so business owners can focus on growth. For example, I believe we should streamline duplicative approval processes that currently require multiple committees to review the same items.
We must continue building on the momentum in our business park by attracting high-quality employers that create good-paying jobs without overburdening city resources.
I will continue to be an advocate for owner-occupied housing, the lakes, and local healthcare.
I have more information on my priorities on my Facebook Page.
Voting Information
If you live on the west side of Whitewater (wards 6-8), I respectfully ask for your vote on April 7.
In-person absentee voting at the Municipal Building begins March 24 and is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through April 2, and until 5:00 p.m. on April 3.
For full voting details, and to see what is on your ballot please visit myvote.wi.gov.
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Brian Schanen. The Whitewater Banner welcomes a submission to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com from Common Council, School Board or Town Board candidates for the city and nearby towns.
