An editor posted an article in the Dodge County Pionier this week, outlining the situation in Mayville.  We couldn’t have stated it better ourselves, so we’ll let the article say it for us…

(Reference:  Dodge County Pionier, Page 14, March 29, 2018) (online subscription required) (The first three paragraphs of the article have been omitted as they do not pertain to the School Board race.)

Experience vs. A New Path In This Year’s Election

“…In Mayville, the school board race is heated. There are six candidates fighting for three seats. Three incumbents are looking to maintain their seats, while three challengers look to overtake the board.

The theme of this year’s election in Mayville seems to be experience vs. a new path. The new path takes various forms in each race. Now citizens are left to determine whether a future full of what has already been demonstrated will be better than the unknown.

I, like many of you, received a single page political ad in my mailbox this week promoting the three challengers in the Mayville School Board election. The presence of three candidates on a single mailer illustrates to me what many have suspected all along, which is that they appear to be a united group, acting with a single set of views and agendas. I must admit, I was disappointed to see that.

This group appears to be highly focused on decisions made in the past, including the referendum which passed by a narrow margin last year and for which construction preparation is currently underway.

Individually, these candidates may be concerned citizens, truly looking to improve education within our schools. As a group, however, I fear they will be focused on the past and that mindset may delay progress and discourage collaboration within the board and with administration.

Elected school board members and alderperson seats are intended to be the voice of all  citizens within the areas they serve. They are intended to be liaisons between the constituents and the governmental body, bringing the suggestions and concerns of those they represent to the table, regardless of their personal agendas.

Government is at its best when representatives have varying opinions and experience, so that policies can be discussed, debated, revised and set in a fair and unbiased manner.

I have rarely missed a school board or city meeting for the past 14 months. It has become clear to me during that time that the dynamics within these governmental entities are undoubtedly set by those who fill the seats, and by how those individuals interact with each other.

The level of collaboration and cooperation which will be able to be achieved will be defined by those who win this election.

Evaluate each candidate individually and take the time to read the candidate profiles in the paper this week.

Remember that public service is hard, and that its far easier to judge from the passenger seat than from the driver’s seat.

Come Tuesday, choose those candidates that most closely represent your own views and embody your hopes for your schools and your cities. The success of our small towns depends on it.”