Martin for Mayor

This was the 2020 campaign and those young gals
have grown up some since

Most of us should be aware that there's an election coming up around the corner. With the exception of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice, however, most of the candidates are running unopposed. 

For us locally that means that Ward 2 Alderman Trevor Dysland, whom I appointed last year when Earl Grover moved into Ward 1, is running as a candidate in a race he's certain to win. Same goes for Ward 4 Alderman Bryce Burdick whom I appointed in January following former Alderwoman Thea Hemple resignation from that post. John Banks and Bob Rogers have chosen not to run again for County Board Supervisor in Districts 1 and 3 ensuring that Mark Eby and Scott Bachowski are shoe-ins (don't worry, City Clerk Mark Eby will carry on with his day job). Barron County Circuit Court Judge Branch 3 Justice Maureen D Boyle and Chetek-Weyerhaeuser School Board Members Barbara Reisner and Kelly Olson are all on the ballot and also running unopposed. That leaves just one more candidate who is running in these uncontested races: me. I am currently running for my sixth term as Mayor of the City of Chetek.

First time

In 2016, I was elected for the first time as mayor. I had no ax to grind
nor any major issues I hoped to tackle. Honestly, I wasn't even sure what the job involved – or even if you got any kind of pay! (The mayor and the alderpersons are all paid a small stipend for their services but don't quit your day job). We've lived in Chetek, now, almost thirty-five years and if the past thirty-five years teaches me anything it's that if you get elected once as mayor, you're certain to serve at least two terms. Consider the following fun-facts of mayoral terms going back to 1982:

Irv Beuthling (1982-1993)

Shirley Webb (1993-1999)

John Banks (2000-2003)

Jerry Whitworth (2004-2006)

Diane Knowlton (2008-2013)

Mike Linton (2014-2015)

Jeff Martin (2016- )

If there are any outliers to the train of two-term mayors is that both female mayors served three terms, Irv Beuthling died half-way through his sixth term and toward the end of Mike Linton's first term he chose to move away. So it's usually “two and done” but in my case I've signed up to run again – for the sixth time. Why?

Why indeed? Well, for what it's worth, it's not because I crave power. If you want to have “power” don't run for mayor. By design, the structure of the governing body of our city ensures a strong council/weak mayor format. I don't set the agenda of regular council meetings as any council member can confer with the city clerk and add items to it. Unless the council members are deadlocked, I can't vote. And as far as council meetings go, more often than not the mayor is supposed to be like a referee on the field ensuring that the game is played fairly and with proper decorum. No, if you want get things done run for city council. Once elected, you can roll up your sleeves and go to it.

Then what do I get out of it and why do I choose to run again?

Easy. While born and raised in Milwaukee, attended high school in Madison and college in Chicago, at nearly 64 years of age I've now lived in Chetek longer than I've lived anywhere else in my life. After renting two years, we bought a 100 year-old five-bedroom home on Fifth Street and over the decades have remodeled all of it (a few rooms twice!) We raised our four children here who now as adults are well into their careers. In three and a half decades I've worn a lot of hats – from weekly reader at Roselawn to the chairman of the Facilities Improvement Committee that brought ten million dollars in new construction and remodeling to our school facilities back in 1999 to C-WHS Cross Country coach, to being one of the founders of the youth center known as The Garage where AutoZone now stands, to fifth term (and soon to be sixth term) mayor. Simply put, Chetek is our home and I love this town.

Okay, I had a hand in that one

As mayor, you can't really point to stuff and say, “I did that” or “that happened because of me” because, after all, as mayor you don't vote. (However, if you like the new Family Dollar and are glad you don't have to make another Wal-Mart run up to Rice Lake for supplies, you're welcome. I cast the deciding vote that rezoned that property from R-1 to C-1). But for the most part, the most I can say is that I've been a part of all the conversations that have occurred over the last ten years that have brought the new Waste Water Treatment Plant, the new Water Tower, the new 38 acre development on Knapp Street, the Sports Complex at Gotham Park, the remodel of Main Street Park, the new municipal parking lot on Moore Street, the new and improved docks on Stout Street, Knapp Street and City Dock, all improvements that your city council has made possible. If you ask me, that's pretty good for ten years worth of meetings and conversations to say nothing of being apart of the transitions when former City Clerk Carmen Newman and Public Works Director Dan Knapp retired.

So I'd like to keep on serving because there's more to do. I'd like to see the Swiderski development come to completion less than two years from now. There's more planning to be done for the rest of Gotham Park as well as figuring out the future of the band shelter as well as the plot of land where the former Waste Water Treatment Plant stood.

When a friend of mine from college-days heard that I was running unopposed for my sixth term he remarked, “The people of Chetek must know something and are happy that you want to continue to serve as mayor.” Well, I hope so. Nevertheless, I appreciate your ongoing vote of confidence as I seek to continue to serve the city we all call home. I love this town.

"I love this town!"