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Nine in race to fill four council seats

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K. Andreah Briarmoon

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George Brunner

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Billy Ray McCoy

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Frank Perrotto

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Spencer Potter

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Russ Steeber

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Dan Steinhoff

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Bill Truman

JANESVILLE — Janesville has more than twice as many candidates as open council seats, but the city rarely uses a primary election to narrow the field.

Nine candidates, including three incumbents, filed nomination papers to fill four, two-year terms on the Janesville City Council. Amy Loasching will not seek re-election.

However, two of the candidates—Daniel Straasburg and Daniel Steinhoff, must correct their campaign registration statements, City Clerk Jean Wulf said. The candidates have until Friday to do so.

A registration statement includes information about the campaign's finances, such as the bank and the name of the campaign's treasurer.

The council could decide to hold a primary as it did in 2008, when a primary cut the field from 11 candidates to six for three open positions. The council scheduled that primary during the presidential primary, so the cost was minimal, Wulf said.

A primary for state offices is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 17.

The candidates are:

K. Andreah Briarmoon, 56, of 339 S. Locust St., Janesville. Briarmoon is in real estate, investments and sales. She has a degree in anthropology and women's studies from UW-Madison.

Briarmoon has been a frequent critic of city government. She is well known for her fight to save her carriage barn, which the city condemned and eventually tore down. She founded the Citizen Association for Rights and Dignity. This is her fifth attempt at a council seat.

Briarmoon said she runs to "bring the issues to the table. We need to include every person's talents, not just business people ...so that the needs of every person are met by all of us being able to work together. We will get better solutions and not leave anyone out.

"With the new city manager on board, we can now allow our city employee team to be transparent, inclusive, respectful and accountable (at) a higher level and better utilize their skill sets," she said.

Her issues include the budget, ordinances, citizen communications and neighborhood stabilization.

"My past education and business experience, as well as my challenges with the prior city practices, have given me the in-depth research training and skill set to hit the ground running," she said.

George Brunner, 68, 2423 Stonefield Lane, Janesville. Brunner, a former Janesville police chief who is now retired, is seeking his third term.

Brunner said he wants to help the city through what will undoubtedly be challenging times. As examples, he cited General Motor's ending production of SUVs, job losses around the community, senior citizens facing uncertain pensions and likely cuts in state aid.

Brunner was a leader during this year's budget discussion in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the tax rate increase to zero.

Council members must be good stewards of tax money and scrutinize planned projects such as the proposed aquatic facilities, children's museum and a controversial bike tunnel under East Milwaukee Street, Brunner said. Brunner voted for the tunnel but said he might reconsider that vote.

"The council will have to work to promote economic development and to attract new industry and businesses providing head-of-household jobs," he said.

Brunner said he'd also like to stay for the conclusion of work on the city's 20-year comprehensive growth plan, with a goal of orderly city growth and preserving farmland.

Billy Ray McCoy, 56, of 1326 Putnam Ave., Janesville. McCoy ran unsuccessfully for council last year. He also was active in a referendum to change the form of city government from manager to a mayor.

McCoy said his priorities are economic development and maintaining the city's infrastructure, which he believes has been neglected.

"We're losing jobs, and our infrastructure still has not been taken care of properly," he said.

As an example, he pointed to the railings that he said are falling apart on the Jackson Street Bridge.

"We've got streets and everything else that's been neglected in this community," he said. "We're going to have to figure out how to get new people to come in as employers so we can have jobs."

He said Janesville might be able to get money from the new president for repairing streets and "putting some of our people to work."

Many people have lost their jobs, so property tax relief is another priority, he said.

McCoy said he would look at cutting expenses, such as for the bike tunnel, "which we do not need."

Frank A. Perrotto, 56, of 2665 Cross Prairie Drive, Janesville. Perrotto owns Financial Consulting Group, an investment company. He has lived in Janesville since 1990.

"I believe that certainly next year may be the toughest fiscal economic year in Janesville's history," Perrotto said.

The end of SUV production at GM will have "far-reaching ramifications. The city will likely look at large deficits and a decrease in state aid. He said his background in investments and business could be a great help to the city.

He would consider all city investments by looking at their return.

The Milwaukee Street bike tunnel and children's museum, for example, are wants versus needs, he said.

"I think that everybody's going to have to be willing to tighten their belts," he said.

For instance, people could drive more carefully rather than complaining about plowing that was reduced because of budget concerns.

Perrotto said he would stress economic development. The city must not rest its hopes on another General Motors' product but should go out and market the plant and the people who worked here.

Spencer Potter, 36, of 736 Somerset Drive, Janesville. Potter is an insurance agent at Don Chapin Insurance. He's lived in Janesville for five years, moving here from Iowa.

Potter is running because he is concerned for the future of Janesville.

"Janesville is in a flux," Potter said. "It's only going to get harder."

He predicted the city probably wouldn't know the full extent of the GM fallout for a year or two.

That's why the council needs to be prudent when making commitments and setting priorities. The children's museum and the bike tunnel are two projects he probably would not have approved, he said.

Potter also talked about the Tallman House.

"Either fund it or walk away," he said, "but don't just throw a few pennies at it and allow it to deteriorate.

"I think the city needs to stick with the basics—plowing streets, mowing parks, fixing roads," he said.

"You can't let the fundamentals suffer. Those are the basic services that people expect. They look at their tax bills and look out the windows, and their streets are not plowed."

Economic development should be a priority, Potter said.

That should include partnering with nearby cities and influencing state government to allow cities to become more competitive to attract business.

Russ Steeber, 51, of 4266 Greenbriar Drive, Janesville. Steeber is seeking his fourth term on the council. He served from 2001-2005, when he lost a bid for re-election. He regained his seat in 2007.

Steeber said the city will face major challenges the next couple of years, including likely cuts in state shared revenues and the departure of key department heads.

The city must maintain services throughout this time of crisis, and Janesville needs somebody with experience, he said.

"What do we do to fill the void once General Motors is gone?" Steeber asked.

He said he still is holding out hope that GM will find another product for the plant.

"I have to be optimistic," he said. "If not, then the options are stuff that you and I don't really want to talk about."

Meanwhile, every major capitol project will have to be scrutinized, including aquatic facilities and the bike tunnel. Steeber initially voted to fund the bike tunnel.

Economic development is a priority, Steeber said. He has in the past also been a proponent for downtown revitalization.

Daniel Straasburg, 33, of 3407 LaMancha Drive, Janesville. Straasburg was hit by a car in October and said he lost his job because of his injury.

He is also in the Army Reserve and served in Iraq. He attended UW-Rock County and graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., with a degree in business and communications.

Straasburg said he was forced in 2004 to change his Social Security number and name from Bennett to Straasburg because of identity theft.

He said economic development and downtown revitalization are key issues.

He would also try to keep taxes and utility rates from rising.

Straasburg supports green energy and believes the city should work with other entities to increase the use of green energy and encourage training in providing green energy at area educational centers.

Everyone should work together for the common goal, he said.

Dan Steinhoff, 28, of 2601 Mount Zion Ave., Janesville. Steinhoff graduated from Craig High School and "went straight to Lear and now straight to nowhere," he said. Steinhoff is laid off from Lear.

He is running because "we need to keep more jobs in Janesville," he said. "I'd like to create some more opportunities for people to get back on their feet. I don't want this town to die. I grew up here. I love this city."

He believes the city should concentrate on its basic services and said he was unhappy with snow removal efforts last year.

"We had so many not bad years, they totally spaced on saving enough money for sand or salt," he said.

Steinhoff said he'd talk to his constituents to decide how to vote on issues.

Bill Truman, 51, of 360 Johnson St., Janesville. Truman said that he would like to help Janesville through what are sure to be some tough years.

Truman was employed at LSI but is out of a job now that General Motors has ceased production of SUVs.

Truman, along with Brunner, pushed for cuts in the city budget in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the tax rate increase at zero. He often speaks for laid-off workers during council discussions. He has said the council might have to reconsider its support for the children's museum.

"When you're talking the serious cuts that we're looking at with our budget and our economics of Janesville—a $125,000-a-year subsidy I could not support at this time," he has said.

The council in August promised $5 million for a children's museum if a private group raised $3 million.

Truman is a staunch supporter of the Tallman House. But he voted against the Milwaukee Street bike tunnel as something the city could not afford. He continues to push to reopen the Riverside Park wading pool.

Truman is a proponent of the inner city neighborhoods and an enthusiastic supporter of the city's large-item pick-up day.