Mayoral Candidates Outline Different Paths to Achieve Similar Goals

The three candidates vying to become Wauwatosa’s next mayor may agree on the major issues facing the city, but they part paths on how they would manage those issues should they advance in Tuesday’s primary and secure the job in the April 3 election. 

The major issues facing Wauwatosa were debated at a Feb. 13 mayoral forum. They include:

• balancing the need for fiscal austerity with a commitment to maintaining city services
• encouraging economic growth and development
• taking urgent action to address more than a decade of neglect of the city’s sewer infrastructure.

Peter Donegan, Kathy Ehley and John Pokrandt are running for a four-year term in a post that pays $30,000 annually.

John Pokrandt, the first to declare his candidacy, said he will bring a tough-minded, proactive approach to the job. Topping his to-do list: ensure projects such as the Burleigh Triangle retail development and Innovation Park uphold and deliver on their promises. 

Among his strengths, he said, is the fresh perspective of a political newcomer.

“I am very happy to be a candidate from outside the system,” Pokrandt said.

Pokrandt, 36, and his wife moved to Wauwatosa more than a decade ago, choosing Tosa as the place where they wanted to settle and raise a family. They now have two young children, ages 3 and 6, and he views a parntership between the city and the school district as critical to keeping Wauwatosa a desireable community of choice. 

“I am deeply invested in the community and I can look at things with fresh eyes and see opportunity where others see challenges,” Pokrandt said.

He was the only candidate to seize an opportunity to run against an incumbent mayor, declaring in October his plans to challenge then-Mayor Jill Didier. When Didier announced in early December that she would resign to take a job with Milwaukee County, three additional candidates emerged, although one, Jim Moldenhauer, later opted to run for the vacant 1st aldermanic district seat instead.

Ald. Peter Donegan and Kathy Ehley, executive director of the city’s Village Business Improvement District (BID), entered the race in December. Each cites their experience in working with the city, Donegan as an elected representative for six years and Ehley as liaison between city businesses and residents and city government. 

Donegan said his approach will be to apply his experience in transforming businesses and apply it to transforming city government.

Donegan said a critical task that will face the next mayor is working with city staff to begin drafting the city budget in July. He said his experience will allow him to hit the ground running, as he knows the city’s financial state and straits and he has business experience in managing turnarounds.

“The first order of business is to transform our organization and get it done better,” Donegan said. “I have done this before. I have been involved with the transformation of a company larger in size than city government, and we can get it done.”

As mayor, Donegan said he will work with city staff to “roll up our sleeves” and figure out how to do more with less. Although promoting economic development will be critical and a priority under his administration, he said, the increased tax revenue through such development “is a long time coming ... and our priority is getting through the next four years without denigrating our services.”

Selling the city, Donegan said, "will be the fun stuff," and as mayor he would provide the leadership "to inspire the development we want."

Donegan, 59, is married with two grown children.

Ehley said her approach as mayor would rely on bringing people together to find solutions, knowing that those solutions will require compromise. Topping her to-do list: allowing city staff to continue work on cost-cutting measures while preparing the city to be poised to rebound along with the economy.

“I want to be ready, when the economy does pick up, that we’re ready to run with it,” Ehley said.

She said marketing the city to new businesses is key not just to attract economic development, but to instill ongoing community pride.

“We do need to hone in on the budget and cost efficiencies,” Ehley said. “But we need someone with a willingness to talk to people and draw people together.”

Ehley is 64 with two grown children and two grandchildren.