My answers to Wausau Pilot questions March 22

 

Name, age and current occupation: 

Ken Charneski semi-retired

What skills or experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position? 

Many years of business and life experience. I have been effective as a Village trustee for the past 5 years at advocating the best interests of the taxpayers. I have done the same as chairman of several committees, and currently chairman of the Administrative Policy Committee, Kowalski Road Interchange Ad-hoc Committee, and the Redevelopment Authority.

Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve?

At a fundamental level, I saw a problem with the Village Board, and particularly the Village President, taking their direction from the Village Administrator, instead of the other way around. In effect, it looked to me that with very few exceptions the Village was being run by an un-elected Village Administrator and other staff viewed as the "authority" by the Board. The Administrator and staff controlled the information that the Board received and provided the recommended action, and for the most part the Board approval was simply a formality.

I saw this as a violation of those Board members' oath of office and a short-circuiting of the representative form of free government. Since I was first elected in 2018, I challenged that paradigm and eventually turned the tide to where the Board actively examines and discusses issues more thoroughly now.

Can you explain the primary role of this position?

First and foremost, the president should set a tone of integrity and competence in Village operations. That would include dealing directly and decisively with village issues. There are always some people who won't be happy with a particular decision, but that fact cannot excuse can-kicking wishy-washiness in the elected leadership.

For example, tap water quality has been an issue for many years, but with no action to solve the problem. A water treatment system was proposed for the 2018 budget at $1.5 million, but there was no backbone to pull the trigger on that project. Mr. Voll made the motion to skip that project. Now, after the State has forced the Village to act, the price tag has more than doubled, and the water bills will do almost the same.

There are numerous other examples of issues big and small that have cost the village money and/or caused great disruption, because there just is no response or leadership from the current president.

The president should maintain peace and good order in the Village. Even-handed enforcement of ordinances is a big responsibility, as well as a duty. Accountability is very important, and an absolute ban on insider special treatment should be observed. In the next year, we will need the president who will decisively clean up the fallout of years of administrative mismanagement. I have seen no such initiative from the current president in that regard.

What does a village president do?

If you're talking about the current president, I'd say he does none of the above. He's a nice guy to talk to, and he conducts a decent meeting, but that's about it. He is said to be non-confrontational, but to me, that is a code word for avoiding dealing with hard issues.

What is the biggest challenge that Kronenwetter faces today, and how will you tackle it?

Given the administrative melt-down of 2022 and the scorched-earth left behind, I believe the big issue is to get the new staff organized and operating in a well-designed and efficient environment. As Administrative Policy Committee chairman, I have already been working on that goal with a great committee. We have scheduled lots of special meetings, developing and updating numerous policies, creating a new Employee Handbook, increased wages to market level, and recommending new, efficiency-enhancing technologies to the Board.

What is the best way to address differences of opinion between trustees and the administration?

Communication, obviously. I would generally ask for clarification or information on a perceived issue to avoid misunderstanding, then inform them of the issue as it appears to me. If there is a disagreement or lack of resolution, then refer the matter to the president, and when we get no response from him, then to the Board. The problem in the past has been a lack of effort by the president to do anything about anything.

How can village officials be more accessible to the community?

I have made it a point to always be accessible, whether in person, by phone, or email. I put public notices on social media informing people when and where I will be if I am out and about at an event, or out to eat, inviting interested people to stop by to talk.

I had an e-newsletter for a time, but didn't have the time to keep it up. I currently post articles from time to time at www.kencharneski.com, to help inform residents. Nextdoor doesn't seem to work, due to their annoying censorship.

Could you support a board decision you did not personally favor?

Yes, of course. There is no choice but to do so. However, if the decision is important enough or grievous enough to the taxpayer, it can be brought back to the Board with new information, in the hopes of correcting the original error. 

Why or why not?

How can the village balance the need to provide quality services to residents with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden?

We are doing so now. The refinancing of the debt that I initiated 2 years ago, has cut hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary interest from the Village expenses. Our current mill rate is 3.45, and all services are up to par.

What are your thoughts on the current budget for Kronenwetter? Are there areas for improvement?

This gets back to the reorganization of the Village Operations as described above. Under the adverse circumstances that we have had, it looks like we are doing OK. Depending on how this election turns out, we will either be well on the road to being an efficient operation, of be bogged down in indecisive mediocrity.

What is your vision for the future of Kronenwetter?

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you? I ignore politics as much as possible to focus on getting the Village on the road to normalcy. I've been putting in many, many extra hours to achieve this goal.