Meet the candidates: Common Council’s D-10 seat

STEVENS POINT – In partnership with the Stevens Point Gazette, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Member at Large Unit in Sevens Point solicited responses for questions addressed to the primary candidates for the District 10 seat on the Stevens Point Common Council. The goal is to provide education about the candidates to voters ahead of the Feb. 17 primary election. While there are three candidates running for each of the above offices, and all candidates were invited to participate, not all candidates’ submitted responses.
Three candidates are running for District 25 County Supervisor are Zack Sowieja, Matt Moldenhauer and Robert Larson. Responses from candidates are published as received and were only edited for grammar and punctuation.
They were given three requests: provide a brief biography of their education, background and life experiences; answer why they running for this office and what do they hope to accomplish, and list the top three issues in Stevens Point and how they should be addressed.

Matt Moldenhauer
I have an Associates of Applied Science in IT cyber security. My current day job is IT support covering multiple foot manufacturing facilities and most of my previous experience is also related to customer service. I’m often tasked with solving various problems while taking into account the perspectives of many different people with differing priorities. This combined with my customer service background will help me advocate for all constituents while on council.

My main priorities are to modernize our zoning code to encourage more diverse and affordable housing options and to improve communication and transparency in the city government. Residents should be able to easily follow and understand what is happening with city government.
Top three issues:
• For communication: primarily I would like the city to be more proactive. It should be easy to follow when meetings are happening, what will be discussed, and clear what actions residents can take if they want to weigh in.
• For housing: I’d like to modernize the zoning code to allow for more affordable housing styles. Things such as row housing, cottage courts, quadplexes, and smaller detached homes. Right now much of what is being built is expensive apartments, or extremely large homes.
• For property taxes: I’d like to see some of the cities processes modernized to increase efficiency. I’d also like to avoid creating new TIF districts to ensure we’re getting revenue from new properties. Denser properties such as apartment buildings bring in more revenue and it’s important we don’t forgo those taxes and shift the burden to other residents.

Zack Sowieja
I graduated from UW-Madison with dual degrees in Political Science and Sociology. I have formed a career in Human Resources that has allowed me to work for some amazing organizations and encounter people from all different backgrounds. These experiences have helped inform my decision making and have fostered my desire to represent my community. I currently work at Delta Dental of Wisconsin in HR. I am married and have two children who attend Stevens Point public schools. My family has guided my belief system and is a big part of why I want to run for office.
I have always had a desire to seek office, and now that I am firmly entrenched in the Stevens Point community, I viewed it as an opportunity to provide a voice to those in my district and the things that matter most to our community. I hope to represent the citizens of Stevens Point as the city faces a pivotal crossroads in its journey to becoming a thriving city in central Wisconsin.
Top three issues:
The top three issues I see facing the city are community safety, providing updated and maintained infrastructure and providing a healthy balance between business growth and citizen concern. I hope to work with city department leaders on providing a safer community for all and in ensuring the infrastructure of the city stays in the 21st century. I will work with members of the community on making appropriate decisions when it comes to city planning/zoning and approving future projects in Stevens Point.