Ashwaubenon Village Board Wards 7 and 8 election: Incumbent Chris Atkinson faces challenger Drew Kuehl

ASHWAUBENON - Voters will decide if incumbent Chris Atkinson or challenger Drew Kuehl will be a trustee on the Ashwaubenon Village Board to represent Wards 7 and 8.

The Press-Gazette asked both candidates to answer three questions with word counts up to 100 or 150 words and to provide their background information. Here is what the candidates had to say. Their responses were edited lightly for clarity. (i) denotes incumbent. The candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot.

Information about your polling place and registering to vote can be found on the MyVote Wisconsin website at myvote.wi.gov/en-us.

Chris Atkinson (i)

• Age: 42

• Occupation: Self-employed business owner

• Highest education level attained: Technical college

• Relevant experience: I have spent the past year on Village Board as the current trustee for Wards 7 and 8. I currently also serve on the Plan Commission and Community Development Authority. Before being on Village Board I served four years on the Ashwaubenon Site Plan Review Committee. Over the years, I have been a big supporter of our local veteran community through volunteering at the Pearly Gates Veterans Event and with The Honor and Valor Foundation to help better the lives of our veterans both mentally and physically. As a licensed contractor in the village, I have also donated countless time and resources to those in our community that were in need.

• Campaign Facebook page: I don't have an official website but I do urge people to join my Facebook group Ashwaubenon Community Connect.

Drew Kuehl

• Age: 29

• Occupation: Capital management/finance

• Highest education level attained: MBA and master of science in finance at UW-Whitewater

• Relevant experience: Housing market analyst, credit analyst, capital management, city of Sun Prairie (Comprehensive Plan Committee, Downtown Redevelopment Committee, Workforce Housing Committee), Wisconsin Army National Guard-sergeant.

• Campaign Facebook page: Drew Kuehl

Why are running for Village Board?

Atkinson: To help mold our community into one the best, most desirable areas to live, work and play. My wife is a lifelong Ashwaubenon resident. I have lived in Ashwaubenon for the past 17 years. We have raised our children ages 10 and 13 in the Ashwaubenon School District. My family and I share a passion for this community and its residents and enjoy being actively involved in multiple aspects of it.

Kuehl: Ashwaubenon is a community currently undergoing rapid redevelopment while dealing with an aging population and landlocked borders while trying to attract young professionals and families. My professional experience and status as a young professional place me as an ideal candidate to help my community navigate these challenges and to continue prospering.

What makes you the better candidate?

Atkinson: My passion for our community makes me the ideal candidate. I enjoy learning about our residents' concerns and ideas by attending events and on my Facebook Group Ashwaubenon Community Connect. My ability to see things from multiple perspectives and adapt to current needs is what allows me to be the best representative. As a resident, father of children in our school district, contractor, and real estate investor in Ashwaubenon, I truly understand what it takes to develop a strong community.

Kuehl: I have a broad understanding of the development process from my work as a housing market analyst, my previous involvement on several committees for the city of Sun Prairie and my finance work experience and education. Additionally, my status as a young professional means I know how to attract other young professionals and families.

What two issues do you feel most need to be addressed in Ashwaubenon, and how would you address them?

Atkinson: An issue is our aging homes and lack of desirable housing due to being landlocked. I'm currently working to help establish redevelopment areas to allow single-family homes & condos to be built. At our Comprehensive Plan Meeting we discussed what the residents would like to see. Housing was a big topic. I was excited to talk about the new Active Adult Apartments, along with our plans to capture TIF funds to help our residents options for improvements on their homes. Another concern is our school district. With the lack of family homes comes a lack of children to naturally fill our schools vs. relying on school of choice, causing our schools to receive lower funding per student. We are working to address this with our long-term comprehensive plan.

Kuehl: The two most pressing issues for Ashwaubenon are that we have an aging population in a landlocked area and that we need to redevelop while preserving the current character of the village that so many enjoy. If unaddressed, these issues can snowball and lead to higher housing prices, a lower number of new/young families, lower levels of school enrollment, and a declining tax base.

In order to improve this situation, there are three areas that need to be addressed: housing solutions, village services, and redevelopment of the Stadium District specifically the area east of Lambeau Field. I would encourage the development of housing options that fit the village’s needs and character and preserve the village services enjoyed by residents.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Ashwaubenon Village Board Wards 7 and 8 Atkinson, Kuehl Q&A