Special Election Today to Replace MKE County Supervisor Toni Clark

Was Toni Clark your Milwaukee County supervisor?

If so, then you can vote for her replacement todayeither Nikiya Harris or Wallace Whitein a special election.

Want to vote but you haven’t made up your mind yet?

Here’s some info:

NIKIYA HARRIS

Campaign website

Journal Sentinel coverage

The Milwaukee Drum coverage

The Shepherd asked Harris: How would you preserve the county’s core functions while being mindful of the property tax levy?

Harris said:

“I think it’s important to fund core services efficiently. If it’s done correctly there would not be a need to increase taxes. For example, I will look at programs that will decrease repeat offenders and also programs that will help to rehabilitate those offenders so that they re-enter society.”

The Shepherd asked Harris: Why should people vote for you?

“People should vote for me because I would be a fresh new voice on the board. I will fight for public transportation so people can have access to jobs as well as be a full-time representative who will have town hall meetings once a month so I can continue to stay engaged with the community and engage with the community and let them know what’s going on at the county level.”

WALLACE WHITE

Campaign Website

Milwaukee Journal coverage

Milwaukee Drum coverage

The Shepherd asked White: How would you preserve the county’s core functions while being mindful of the property tax levy?

White said:

“I think there are two areas we need to concentrate on. One is collaboration among governmental units in Milwaukee County and Wisconsin. I think there’s insufficient collaboration on the problems that affect all of us, across all lines. The Intergovernmental Council, the IGC, for example, I know the people who are involved, from the suburbs. [Collaborating] creates some synergies, some energy, you create the kind of cooperation that you can bring to bear on resources and can try to minimize costs. The second thing is the more aggressive pursuit of funding sources, particularly those things that are competitive. Grants that you get on a formula, everyone gets a piece of that. But competitive grants, trying to dig down and really go after those thingsthere are a lot of smart people in Milwaukee. We do a lot of studies but we don’t take it to the next level and try to use that information to bring in additional resources.”

The Shepherd asked White: Why should people vote for you?

“Because I have relationships that my opponent doesn’t have, relationships in the private sector, the public sector, those sorts of relationships will help the county take a collaborative approach. You have to have relationships. These were built over years, they’re based on trust. You can’t have instantaneous trust. It has to build over time. And all of my adult effort has been spent on helping other people.”