Contested races for mayor set in Oconto, Oconto Falls
OCONTO – Voters will choose among multiple candidates to be mayors in Oconto and Oconto Falls in the April 5 spring election.
The deadline to get on the ballot was Tuesday, but the deadline to file to enter the Oconto City Council race was extended three days to 5 p.m. Friday, after an incumbent filed a declaration of noncandidacy after the Dec. 24 deadline.
City of Oconto
Patrick Trepanier, Cliff Martin and John Panetti have filed to run to become Oconto mayor, being vacated by Lloyd Heier, who chose not to run for reelection after three terms.
Trepanier, 63, is semi-retired and has owned Claire’s Insulation Service for 37 years. He said he’s running “because of my love of the city. … I care about what happens in Oconto.”
Trepanier has previously served on the city’s Industrial Development Committee and the Police and Fire Commission. He also serves as Exalted Ruler — the executive officer — of the Oconto Elks Lodge, and has chaired the annual Oconto Fly-in since the organization took it over several years ago.
Martin, 70, is a semi-retired paper industry consultant. He has served on the Police and Fire Commission for six years, and is currently the panel’s chairperson.
With that experience, Martin said he feels he has some knowledge about city government some of the other candidates don’t.
“I can offer my years of experience in the business world and continue to help move the city forward,” he said.
John Panetti, 68, is owner and president of Kaukauna-based Team Industries, which also operates plants in Oconto Falls and Port Arthur, Texas.
He said he was running due to his love for the community.
“I’d always thought a lot about Oconto, and I thought I would bring a business background to help the community grow,” he said. “I think it has great potential … more potential I’ve seen I’m my lifetime.”
Meanwhile, the only incumbent running again for the City Council is Al Schreiber, who has served nearly three decades on the council.
Joining him on the ballot as of Jan. 5 were Allen Mehlberg, Steve Stock and former alderperson John Wittkopf. On Friday, Patsy Bake also filed her nomination papers.
Two other residents had filed declarations of candidacy but didn't return their nomination papers to get on the ballot.
Choosing not to run again are incumbents Roger Reed, Kim Bronikowski and Dean Reed. Roger Reed is completing his sixth term, while Bronikowski and Dean Reed were first elected in 2016.
City of Oconto Falls
Incumbent Mayor Brad Rice is being challenged by former council member Kevin Rusch.
Rice, 75, is seeking his sixth term as mayor. He was an alderperson for the previous nine years.
“I’m just hoping to keep the city running on a good keel,” Rice said.
Rice, who retired in 2014 after 37 years at Peterson Ford in Oconto Falls, ran unopposed in the last four municipal elections.
Rusch, 59, has operated K.W. Rusch, an Oconto Falls trucking company, since 1987. He said he was running because “I think change is good.”
“I have some ideas that I’d like to promote the city with, thinking outside the box,” he said.
Rusch has served on the council for 14 years over three periods. He was first elected in April 2006 to represent District 3, then resigned in May 2013 because he moved. He was appointed the following month to fill a vacancy in District 2. He was elected to a full term in that seat in April 2015, but he resigned in August 2016. He ran again and was elected in the 2017 and 2019 spring elections, but chose not to run last year.
No one filed to oppose the three incumbent council members running for reelection this year: Jeff McDonald in District 1, Marty Coopman in District 2 and Tim Holman in District 3.
McDonald was appointed to the council in the spring of 2019 and elected to his first full term in 2020. Coopman has served since 1999, while Holman is seeking his third term.
City of Gillett
Mayor Joshua McCarthy is unopposed in his bid for reelection to a second term. He was appointed to the post in the fall of 2019 after first joining the council in 2017.
Three people are seeking three seats on the council: Marie Blaser in Ward 1, who has served on the council since 2014; newcomer Jonathan Gildemeister in Ward 2; and Nanette Mohr in Ward 3, who’s been on the council since 1991.
Ward 2 incumbent Sandra Hubbard, who is completing two terms, was unable to gather enough signatures on nomination papers due to illness, but has indicated she wants to run as a write in, according to City Clerk Chelsea Anderson.
Village of Lena
Three candidates are running for the three seats on the Village Board.
Incumbents Linda Hinds and Craig LeFebre are seeking reelection. They have served as trustees for 10 years and 33 years, respectively.
Judy Patenaude, who didn’t run again last spring after 12 years on the board, has also filed to return to the board.
Not seeking reelection is Pauline Borchert, who was appointed to fill the remaining term of Larry Belongia, who resigned Feb. 1, 2021.
Village of Suring
Three candidates are running for three seats on the Village Board.
Incumbents Randy Schuettpelz and Jacob School are being joined on the ballot by newcomer Richard Kramp.
Schuettpelz has been on the board since 1987. School was appointed last year to replace John Fredenburgh, who resigned one year into his first term.
David Kuchenbecker, who was elected in 2018, decided to not run again.
Note: This story was updated to include information from the Village of Suring, and updated information from the City of Oconto and the City of Gillett.
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Contact Kent Tempus at (920) 354-6075 or ktempus@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Contested races for mayor set in Oconto, Oconto Falls
