Feb. 19, 2024 noon
(WGTD)---It’s primary election day in Wisconsin Tuesday.
In the WGTD listening area, the hotbed of activity is in Kenosha County. A list of three candidates who are running for the circuit court bench once held by Bruce Schroeder will be pared to two candidates for the April general election. In the City of Kenosha, nine candidates are on the ballot to replace the retiring John Antaramian. The top two vote-getters will advance to April. Also in the city…there’s a primary election in the city council’s third district. Incumbent Jan Michalski is facing challenges from Tanya McLean and Courtney Marshall.
There are two primaries in Racine City Council races. In the second district, incumbent Mollie Jones is facing challenges from Tyler Townsend, David Czuper and Xavier Kendall Golden. In the 4th, where incumbent Amanda Paffrath is stepping down, four candidates are on the ballot. They are David Maack, Keith Fair, Jacqueline Schrader and Jordan Lawrence.
In Walworth County, there are primaries for two seats on the Town of Richmond board.
Voters in three districts within the WGTD listening area will be asked to consider revenue referenda.
Within the Wilmot Union High School District, the school board is asking voters to approve a measure that’s designed to re-establish some of the 22 positions that were eliminated this year in a budget squeeze. The layoffs were the result of voters failing to approve a more costly referendum last year. The question that’ll be on the ballot Tuesdy, if approved, would allow the district to exceed state-mandated revenue caps by $2 million next year, $2.5 million the following year and $3 million after that.
Speaking on WGTD’s Education Matters program over the weekend, Wilmot District Administrator Michael Plourde said it's important to keep the school strong, even for voters who don’t have kids in school. "Strong schools are an indicator of strong communities. And the converse of that is true as well," Plourde said. "Struggling schools are often found in struggling communities. As taxpayers in this district, it benefits them to have strong schools even if they don't have children in the district they're likely to have a stronger community and ultimately higher property values."
Voters in the Burlington Area School District and the Waterford Union High School District are also facing ballot issues. Voters in the latter will consider two proposals totaling $91 million to rebuild part of the high school and expand athletic facilities. In the Burlington district, voters will be asked to approve an operational referendum that would allow the school system to exceed revenue caps in each of the next four years.
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