Position statement

My name is Joe Jungwirth and I am running for a seat on the Oshkosh Common Council. I am respectfully asking for your vote in the primary on February 15th and in the general election on April 5th.

I have some serious concerns about the direction that the current City Council is taking the City of Oshkosh. Over 1,000 streetlights have been turned out, Pollock Pool is now closed and too many of our streets are in poor condition. And at what cost?

The majority of the Common Council has approved over $3.1 million in spending at Riverside Park for an amphitheatre, $150,000 for colored concrete and decorative lighting for the future Wisconsin Street Bridge and $225,000 on design plans for downtown. All of these things are great however; our needs must be addressed first.

Five members of the Common Council voted to raise your taxes 5.7%. I don’t think this was a responsible vote and I would have voted against the increase. I believe the Common Council needs to have an organizational analysis done to see if the city administration is running efficiently. Why should some people on the city staff “automatically” receive up to a 6% raise when most people in Oshkosh have never had a one year 6% raise in their career. In too many cases, people are losing their jobs and can’t afford to pay the tax increases they are receiving.

I want to assure you that if elected I will be responsible with your tax dollars. I will vote to spend tax dollars on items that we truly need, like improved roads, quality fire and police protection and improving our storm sewer network so flooding in your basement can be a thing of the past.

I only have one special interest in mind…. Yours!