Two candidates vie for District 2 Wausau City Council
Incumbent Michael Martens will face challenger Nick Nowak
District No. 2 is one of the seven contested seats on this year’s Wausau City Council. The race features four-term city council member Michael Martens, a business owner and content creator, facing off against political newcomer Nick Nowak.
The Wausonian spoke with both candidates to get a sense of what they think of the direction the city is going in, and what they might do to change it.
Michael Martens (I)
Martens is owns Wausau Interactive, an online marketing firm, and has a successful YouTube channel as well. He’s served four terms on the Wausau City Council, and currently serves as the chair of the finance committee where he says his experience in business with personnel and balance sheets has helped him bring an important perspective. He’s also served on the Human Resources and Infrastructure committees.
Martens identified three priorities he would focus on if re-elected to a fifth term, which he says would probably be his last if re-elected. He supports safe and affordable housing, and says he supports housing at all levels of the income scale. He wants to further work toward mitigating crime and focus on public safety. And he says the city needs to keep paying attention to infrastructure, focusing on the roads which are a “never-ending battle,” made worse by this winter’s freeze and thaw cycle. Martens says finding a new home for the city’s public works fleet maintenance facility.
We’re asking candidates this year about one thing they like that the city is doing, and one thing they don’t like. Martens pointed to recent housing developments, including Westside Commons and the Foundry on Third project, as examples of something he has liked. He also appreciated the city closing two TIF districts, putting those districts back on the tax rolls. But Martens is concerned about the stagnation of development in the city’s RiverLife development area, which has seen a park and one apartment project in its nearly 10-year history. Numerous projects have fallen through for the development area in that time. And development north of Bridge Street has been a little stagnant, he says
Martens says his experience as a business owner gives him insight into how to look at and help manage the city’s finances. He says he’s been a steady force, responsive to residents and has the experience of four terms learning how city government works and says that’s why voters should choose him this April.
Nick Nowak
Nowak is a political newcomer who said he’s ready to throw his hat in the ring to challenge the status quo. He’s a plant supervisor for the Weston Power Plant, coaches youth hockey and says he’s been paying close attention to city council meetings lately. And he thinks his opponent has been going through the motions lately, so he wanted to throw his hat in the ring and make a change.
Nowak said he’s especially concerned about the conditions of the city’s roads — this winter Wausau’s roads were hit especially hard and the roads in general have been a challenge for the city to keep up with. Nowak says that’s what he’s heard as he’s spoken with residents while knocking on doors. He’d like to serve on infrastructure and the Parks and Recreation committees if elected.
Nowak said taxes were one of his main priorities — he says that Wausau residents are being taxed more than they can afford, especially compared to surrounding communities. He’d also like to see the city’s budgeting process take on a larger scope, looking out years ahead instead of just on the next year. He also said the council right now engages in too much “emotional voting” and debating, and he would like to see more of a focus on what is best for the community.
Nowak said his list of things he likes about what the city has been doing lately is pretty short, which is why he says he is running. Of things he dislikes, he is very skeptical of the affordable housing projects and how affordable they really are. He’s also skeptical of what he says have been numerous giveaways to developers, such that they keep coming back to the city for more.
Though on paper he lacks much government experience, Nowak says the council needs fresh faces and younger people amongst its ranks, and he says he wanted to help break the trend of long-time council members going unopposed.
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