Incumbent Ogea seeks two more years on County Board

Michael Ogea, Sheboygan Falls, was elected to the Sheboygan County Board in 1998. He represents District 27, which includes Wards 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9. He is running unopposed and will be continuing to remain as a supervisor and has many reasons as to why he wants to continue in that position.

“I served eight years on the Law Committee, four as chairman,” Ogea said. “As a new supervisor, I didn’t actually have a lot of say on my original committee assignment, but as it turned out, it was an assignment I really enjoyed.

“I was also on the Emergency Management Committee,” Ogea continued, “and as chairman of the Law Committee, I managed to merge the two committees into one.

“I have served on the Planning, Resource, Agriculture, and Extension Committee (praecom) for the last two years, as well as the Shared Services Committee,” Ogea said. “I requested to be a member of praecom because of my love of the outdoors and my desire to see the Sheboygan Marsh made more user-friendly for the general public.

“I requested to be on the Shared Services Committee because I didn’t like the format the committee had been using in the past,” Ogea added. “It made no sense to me to have county supervisors from the city of Sheboygan sit in a meeting with council members from the city of Sheboygan and have them come up with reasonable ideas that those of us from outside the city could endorse.

“I would like to remain on the board because I believe Sheboygan Falls needs to keep an experienced person on the board,” Ogea said. “I have a proven track record of finding innovative and fair ways to keep taxes in check.

“The county is facing difficult financial times, but so are the taxpayers,” Ogea pointed out. “I think it is time for the government to realize that people aren’t able to just force their employers to give them more money, which is exactly what we do when we raise taxes. My responsibility is to the taxpayers of Sheboygan Falls, not to the department heads of the county.

“I’m very proud to have participated in the marsh tower project,” Ogea said. “I would like to see the further development of the marsh park, but I don’t think it should be done during these trying financial times. I firmly believe that all projects that aren’t time-sensitive should be scaled down or postponed until the county’s financial situation stabilizes.

“I think the county has been fiscally responsible, and I am glad to have taken part in that process,” Ogea stated. “I am very unhappy with the fiscal irresponsibility demonstrated by our elected state officials. Their decision to shift the financial burden of their programs onto local branches of government is the reason we face a financial crisis now. It’s very easy to approve programs if you don’t have to pay for them.

“I’m not in favor of the sales tax. If we need to raise taxes, at least be honest about it. Put it on the property tax bill and let people see how much more you charged them. Trying to hide the fact that you’re raising taxes by nickel-and-diming people doesn’t seem honest to me.

“The revamping of State 23 has been in the works for a long time,” Ogea continued. “The businesses along the highway were informed of this when they built, so it isn’t a surprise to them. I just want to make sure that any closings are in line with the long-term plans the city has for development along the highway corridor.

“When I was on the Sheboygan Falls Council, I came up with innovative ways to save taxpayers money without sacrificing services, and I have continued in that endeavor as a county supervisor,” Ogea said. “I would like to continue on that path until I feel I can no longer be a valuable asset to the taxpayers, or until I feel I can better serve the public in a different capacity.”