Council member Jane Lang becomes third candidate for Neenah mayor, likely leading to a February primary

NEENAH - Common Council member Jane Lang, whose family roots date to some of Neenah's founders, announced Monday she will run for mayor in the April election.

Lang, 57, is a lifelong Neenah resident and executive director of the Neenah Historical Society. She has served on the council since 2014 and is the chair of the Landmarks Commission, vice chair of the Plan Commission and Public Services and Safety Committee and a member of the Business Improvement District Board and Neenah Arts Council.

“I have gained valuable experience and amassed knowledge about the inner workings of municipalities during my time on the city council and want to take that knowledge and use it to guide the city forward," Lang said. "I have been and will continue to be focused on making Neenah a great place for all to live and work.”

Lang is the third candidate in the race. Kelly Behrmann and Brian Borchardt also are vying to succeed Mayor Dean Kaufert, who is not seeking reelection.

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Lang's roots run deep in Neenah. Her great-great-grandfather was Harvey Latimer Kimberly, who in 1848, along with his brother John Robbins Kimberly, built the Kimberly Double House on Wisconsin Avenue. Her great-grandfather Daniel Lucius Kimberly served as Neenah mayor in 1877. Helen Kimberly Stuart, granddaughter of John Robbins Kimberly, was the first woman to run for Neenah mayor in 1932.

"That's part of what motivates me is my long family history here and wanting to continue that tradition of public service to the community," Lang told The Post-Crescent.

Lang has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in organizational behavior from the University of Illinois.

Under her leadership, the Neenah Historical Society won multiple honors for its exhibits, including an American Association for State and Local History award of excellence for “Take Cover Neenah! Backyard Family Fallout Shelters in Cold War America.” She oversees the Neenah cemetery walks and the annual Inter-Tribal Pow Wow at Shattuck Park.

If elected mayor, Lang said she would work to continue business development in the city and to increase parking in the central business district. City officials have identified the Blue Lot on South Church Street as a potential site for a second parking ramp and are in discussions with the owner of the property, First Presbyterian Church.

"That is a top priority for me," Lang said of additional parking.

Nomination papers for Neenah mayor are due Jan. 4. If Lang, Behrmann and Borchardt all file their papers, a primary election would be held Feb. 15 to narrow the field to two candidates. The general election will be held April 5.

The 2022 salary for Neenah mayor is $81,628.

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Neenah council member Jane Lang becomes third candidate for mayor