A Time of Transformation for Wauwatosa

Hello there. I am a candidate for Mayor of Wauwatosa.

The Chamber of Commerce and Patch sponsored a Mayoral Candidate Forum last Monday. We were given two minutes for an opening statement, and I really fumbled it.

I wanted my opening statement to be a crisp description of the primary contributions we need from our next mayor. This blog is what I would have said in the opening statement had I not been so regulated by the timekeeper – (and, had I not been so nervous...).

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to stand for this office and a pleasure to be part of this community.

I come bearing difficult news. I apologize for being negative, but in this election I think we need to have a really adult conversation about the difficulties we face.

The purpose of City Government is to deliver services that are not very sexy but are critical to our quality of life and the vlue of our property. Clean water, a sewer system, accessible and plowed streets, garbage pickup, 24-hour police patrol and three-minute emergency response time, a great library and more.

Here is the problem: Five years of 0 percent increase in our tax base plus legislation that limits our ability to raise taxes plus a decrease in state and federal aid creates a forecast of flat revenue at least through the next mayoral term, so that we face difficult choices as early as the next budget cycle a few months from now. The problem becomes more severe every year thereafter.

The city administrator and I agree: This not just a typical budget problem. It is an extraordinary adversity that, I believe, calls for extraordinary innovation.

 We have three options:

 1) Capitulate to layoffs and service cutbacks,

 2) Come to citizens by referendum to raise taxes more than the legislation allows or,

 3) Roll up our sleeves and undertake a fundamental transformation of the way Wauwatosa operates and learn to do more with less to preserve the high quality of our services.

I run for this office to pursue the third option and to exhaust all opportunities there before discussing the other two options. City government must undergo a transformation similar to that undertaken by most American businesses during their times of crisis.

This transformation will be complicated, will be met with resistance and so will require a commitment and intense involvement from the top leadership of the city, including the mayor.

In the case of this mayoral candidate, I think it will help matters that during my career I have led such a transformation in an organization similar in size to our city government and achieved success.

It is that experience and six years as a very hardworking and studious Alderman that causes me to run hard for mayor.

I look forward to your questions.

Alderman Pete Donegan

Candidate for Mayor, 2012