<p>Milwaukee County Supervisor Willie Johnson Jr. and Bria Grant are vying to represent District 13 on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. The general election will be held on Tuesday, April 3. (Not sure you live in District 13? Verify your voter registration and district in the <a href=\"https://vpa.wi.gov/\" target=\"_blank\">Voter Public Access</a> database.)<br /><br />Here are Grant\'s and Johnson\'s answers to the Shepherd\'s candidate questionnaire: </p> <p><strong>BRIA GRANT<br /><br />Website</strong>: <a href=\"http://briagrant.com/\" target=\"_blank\">briagrant.com</a><br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Tell us a bit about your background to introduce yourself to the Shepherd readers. <br /><strong><br />Grant:</strong> I have lived in Milwaukee for more than 25 years. During my early ages my family included two parents who did their best to instill good morals and values. During that time I attended Auer Avenue on 24th and Burleigh and Benjamin Franklin on 23rd and Nash Elementary schools. I attended Jackie Robinson middle and John Marshall high school. As I got older I began to drift away from that which I was taught eventually I found myself caught with the wrong crowd and exposed to a negative lifestyle.<br /><br />I got my act together graduating from Milwaukee Spectrum, an alternative high school, in 2001, attending Rust College in Holly Springs, Miss., and graduating with a bachelor's in Human Service degree from Springfield College in 2007 as a single mother in Milwaukee. I have utilized this degree serving those who suffer drug addictions, dysfunctional families and criminogenic behaviors. I have worked with agencies such as Career Youth Development, Social Development Commission, Wisconsin Community Services, faith-based organizations and group homes to develop and implement programs and treatment. <br /><br />My husband is a journeymen painter and I am the proud mother of two daughters ages one and eight. <br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>Where are you currently employed?<br /> <br /><strong>Grant: </strong>ATTIC Correctional Services as a substance abuse counselor.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> Why are you running for office?<br /><br /><strong>Grant: </strong>As a parent and a member of the 13th District, I want to be a part of implementing change. My life experience and education has inspired me to address some of our county's plaguing issues. Over the past years Milwaukee has been highlighted for its increasing African American male unemployment rate, infant mortality rate, listed 9th for poverty in the country and glamorized as one of the “drunkest” cities. Whitefish Bay, on the other hand, is an exemplary community, one that if duplicated would place us next to Houston, Tex., as the most prosperous area in the county. These are not the things that I desire Milwaukee County to be recognized as which is why my ultimate goal is to change that. <br /><br />There needs to be a restoration of confidence in those who represent the community and possess the best interest of those whom they serve in mind. Milwaukee communities have suffered tremendously in the areas of economics, education and morals and values.<br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>What are the top three issues that you want to address? <br /><br /><strong>Grant:</strong> Economic/community development, stabilize Milwaukee County Transit, collaboration and cooperation.<br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>How would you deal with them?<br /><br /><strong>Grant: </strong>The goal of economic/community development should be to conserve and improve the physical, economic, cultural and social conditions and opportunities a community affords its residents. <br /><br />I believe, like with most things education is the key to economic development. This means educating potential developers and entrepreneurs about Milwaukee County's goals, vision and assistance that may be available for them to carry out their mission. Additionally, offering a high performing educational system throughout Milwaukee County that will attract those developers who desire to obtain long-term employees.<br /><br />Encouraging efficient land use management that conserves limited resources and promotes sustainable development and supporting partnerships among the public, private, and non-profit sectors would help promote community development.<br /><br />Milwaukee County Transit has had a decline in ridership since 2006, which has been analyzed to be due to unemployment, while at the same time the cost to operate has increased, making it difficult to maintain the same level of services. Safety concerns make addressing these issues even more difficult. I support the Milwaukee police department's presence on MCTS during peak hours until an alternative is identified, if this will secure riders. <br /><br />There are a number of alternative options when exploring funding sources to consider which will generate the revenue needed to maintain current services and offset additional cost of services such as additional security and specialized training for drivers.<br /><br />As a counselor I understand the importance of collaboration and cooperation if there is to be a healthy relationship between anyone or anything. I have learned that in building relationships it is important to meet people or things where they are and address them accordingly. <br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>How would you make Milwaukee and specifically, this district more attractive to businesses and residents? <br /><br /><strong>Grant:</strong> I believe that the first step in creating an attractive environment is to visualize a theme for the area. By analyzing the district, constituents, a remembering the goals a desire district for both business and resident can be achieved. There are a number of gifts and talents that lie within the 13th District. Whitefish Bay, Riverwest, Halyard Park and Brewer's Hill are just a few communities where residents have done an excellent job in their persistence to maintain properties, encourage growth and a cohesive neighborhood.<br /><br />Such communities would be awesome partners in the assistance of maintaining the Milwaukee County Parks in the area.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How would you boost revenues and/or cut spending? <br /><strong><br />Grant: </strong>I truly believe that identifying a dedicated funding source would be a tremendous help to some of our current fiscal issues. Revenue generated could help lower the property levies and create fund new or help sustain existing projects. In 1996, 1/10 of a cent sales tax went toward the $310 million of the $400 million Miller Park project, which is expected to end between 2016 and 2018. This sales tax was hardly felt by most consumers. Although this was a five-county split, it generated good revenue. I would also encourage leasing county space.<br /><br />Concerning spending, it's important to identify duplicate services. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> What sets you apart from your opponent? <br /><br /><strong>Grant:</strong> Obvious distinctions include age and gender, I am a 29-year-old female and my opponent is a 60-year-old male, which in some cases maybe the cause for the difference behavior. Although he may vote in favor of what may be considered “right,” he appears to lack the motivation and extroverted personality needed to lead the 13th District, which is extremely diverse, to a higher quality of living. According to my research, he has not demonstrated the progressive or aggressive leadership need to be proactive concerning county issues in the past 11 years in has been on the board.<br /><br /><br /><strong>WILLIE JOHNSON, JR.</strong><br /><br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>Tell us a bit about your background to introduce yourself to the Shepherd readers. <br /><br /><strong>Johnson:</strong> I am currently employed by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors as the elected District 13 County Supervisor.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Why are you running for office?<br /><br /><strong>Johnson: </strong>I am running for the office to continue to advocate for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs), minority and women owned firms so they may receive contracts with local and state governments, to support efforts to create economic development opportunities, to fight on behalf of union workers and preserve county jobs for the provision of needed county government services. Further, I will speak to ensure that county departments and divisions have the accounting and fiscal positions necessary to proficiently manage the financial resources budgeted to them. For years I have listened to reasons why some departments and divisions have consistently experienced quarterly and eventually annual deficits and have concluded more financially related positions are essential. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What are your top issues and how would you deal with them?<br /><br /><strong>Johnson:</strong> As the County Board Judiciary, Safety and General Services Chairman, I have been an Executive Committee member of the Milwaukee County Community Justice Council since its inception five years ago. The Council seeks to coordinate criminal justice resources in the Milwaukee County community through intergovernmental cooperation and input from nonprofit agencies and citizens. I am a member of the Evidence Based Decision Making Team of the Milwaukee County Community Justice Council, which has received technical assistance funding from the National Institute of Corrections as Milwaukee County is one of three jurisdictions in the county to be awarded such funding. I want to be reelected so I may help to bring to fruition the Team\'s goals to implement universal screening, crisis intervention team training for law enforcement members, deferred prosecution agreements/diversion services, and dosage based sentencing to reduce the number of inmates in the area\'s local jail facilities. <br /><br />I have served on the County Board Economic and Community Development Committee most of the twelve years I have been in office and have voted for Milwaukee County Research Park projects as a MCRP board member. I am the author of the Park East Redevelopment Compact resolution which provides that minority and women owned firms participate as construction contractors and subcontractors, that professional services contracts have a DBE goal of 17%, and that prevailing wages be paid to minority labor and women workers who work on Park East construction projects. <br /><br />Due to my advocacy for DBE firms and workers over many years, the Milwaukee County Community Business Development Partners Office named me their "2011 Small Business Champion"; in 2008 I and others received the "Civil Rights Partnership Award" from the Federal Highway Agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation by achieving a DBE dollar goal of 20% on the $800 million cost for the design and construction of the Marquette Interchange Project. I continue to serve Milwaukee County residents as the WISDOT Southeast Highways/194 Corridor DBE Labor Subcommittee Co-chair. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How would you make Milwaukee Countyand specifically, this districtmore attractive to businesses and residents?<br /><br /><strong>Johnson: </strong>Annually I receive requests to write support letters for housing developers who have applied to the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development for low income tax credits to bolster financial packages for the construction of apartments and scattered single family homes for the elderly, disabled, and low income residents in the 13th District. As a Economic and Community Committee member, I have voted for countywide agencies and 13th District organizations to be awarded federal Community Development Block Grant funds for capital improvement projects and salaries for specific projects identified by applying nonprofits. I will continue to support the use of county resources for the funding of viable projects proposed by businesses and developers seeking to build in the 13th District. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How would you boost revenues and/or cut spending?<br /><br /><strong>Johnson:</strong> I will vote for small sales tax increases for the dedicated funding for increasing parks revenues, transit revenues, and emergency services revenues; I have voted for a wheel tax, a measure that was not approved by the Milwaukee County Board. I believe the creation of enough accounting and fiscal positions in county departments will lead to the efficient managing of budgeted funds. Also, as was stated earlier, I think the measures identified by the Evidence Based Decision Making Team of the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Council will be cost saving. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What are your views of Gov. Walker\'s changes to collective bargaining, specifically their affect on county employees and the county\'s budget? Have the changes helped or hurt local governments? Should public safety employees have been included in all of the changes?<br /><strong><br />Johnson:</strong> I am against Governor Walker\'s and the Legislature\'s enacting the Budget Repair Bill, which became Act 10 in 2011. I believe collective bargaining should be a right of those who want to organize themselves to negotiate wages and benefits with their employers, particularly those individuals who work for local and state governments. Act 10\'s provisions appeared to encourage County Executive Abele to dramatically propose increases in employees\' health care premium co-pays and deductibles. During the fall\'s 2012 county budget hearings, my colleagues were not interested in passing amendments to restore HMO services, which would have cost $8 million. Act 10\'s enactment provided less shared revenue, less community aid funding, and less youth aids funding for Milwaukee County. Public Safety employees should have been included in the collective bargaining changes; to wit, the Milwaukee County Sheriff Deputies Association negotiated in good faith in December 2011 to offer contractual concessions so many deputies\' jobs could be saved. <br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>What sets you apart from your opponent?<br /><strong><br />Johnson:</strong> I have 24-plus years of experience in county government, including almost twelve years as an elected County Supervisor. <br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>Who has endorsed you?<br /><br /><strong>Johnson:</strong> This election season I have been endorsed by District Council 48, AFSCME; the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and other Health Professionals, Service Employees International Union; and Project Equality.<br /><br /><br /> </p>
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