Meet the candidates running for Portage County District 16 supervisor in the April 2 election
Incumbent Steve Fritz will face challenger John Bertelson for the District 16 seat on the Portage County Board in the April 2 election. Fritz was appointed to the seat in 2023 following former supervisor Mike Olson's resignation.
Portage County supervisors serve two-year terms. All 25 Portage County Board seats are up for election this spring.
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The Stevens Point Journal asked each of the candidates to address important issues in the county and why they are running for the position.
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John Bertelson
Residence: Village of Plover
Occupation and education: I am a young retiree from the paper industry who has a bachelor's degree in paper science from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Relevant experience: My current small government leadership experience is as the chairman of the Lake Iola Lake District in Waupaca County, where I have a vacation home. I moved to the Plover area in the spring of 1972.
Steve Fritz
Age: 66
Residence: Village of Plover
Occupation and education: Retired maintainer from Silgan Containers
Relevant experience: 21 years as a 3rd Ward trustee for the Village of Plover and seven months as a Portage County District 16 supervisor
Why are you running for office?
Bertelson: I am running for the District 16 supervisor position on the Portage County Board because I want to see more positive action instead of just talk.
Fritz: I am running to represent the wants and needs of the residents and businesses of the 16th District. Some members of the board have lost their way and your opinion is not considered. If elected, your voice is my vote on the County Board.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues in the county, and how would you address them?
Bertelson: My three core issues are 1) Allow the taxpayers the decision to keep our county nursing home operating, and maintain its high quality. 2) Clean drinking water for all in our county, with an emphasis on source point pollution reduction. 3) A rehabilitative justice system.
Fritz: Solar panels and battery farms surrounding residential housing. The county should petition the state, so they can regain control of solar zoning issues to protect residents' health and property values.
The future of the Portage County Justice Center and the need for a new jail has been discussed for decades. What would you like to see happen with a new jail, justice center and courthouse?
Bertelson: The new jail, justice center and courthouse should really be together, eventually, but not sure where yet. Downtown Stevens Point or behind the county buildings in the Town of Plover. Current court facilities need to have better security NOW.
Fritz: The board should address the jail first for inmates/staff safety. I would like the sheriff's department/jail built on a parcel of land that is not landlocked so there would be enough land for expansion in the future. The location is essential to improve response time allowing the Portage County Sheriff's deputies quick access to major arterial roads. The Portage County Board should prioritize the sheriff's department/jail first, then in the future, address the justice center.
In 2022, Portage County residents approved a referendum to build a new Portage County Health Care Center. Due to a variety of concerns and issues that has not yet happened. What would you like to see happen with the county-owned Health Care Center?
Bertelson: Build the new nursing home and maintain the high quality under county control. Consider expanding into other much-needed county health and human services, too, like aged-out faster care.
Fritz: Lets look at the facts: 1) The state and federal government doesn't mandate that counties run nursing homes. 2) Portage County has 45-plus private nursing care facilities with all levels of care. 3) Five-star quality. All facilities manipulate their star rating by policies and procedures. Last year, over 100 applications were received for our facility but only a few accepted. 4) Tax burden. The up to an extra $8 million annual operation expense will cost $50 to $250-plus in taxes, increasing yearly due to inflation, for the rest of the facility's operation. Is there a need? You can tell me.
Clean drinking water is a top concern for many in the county. If elected, how would you work to ensure safe drinking water for all residents?
Bertelson: Identifying and minimizing point source leeching of contaminates into ground and surface waters is a must for the whole county. The Wisconsin paper industry cleaned up its detrimental environmental impacts decades ago, so I do not know why we should not expect county agricultural interests to do more now to minimize point source pollution.
Fritz: The county needs to keep and increase the programs in place to help all residents. We should help all county private well owners to have good potable water. Everyone in Portage County should look at their usage of fertilizer and not just blame agriculture. Do we really need seven to nine applications of high nitrogen fertilizer to have a green lawn? We have to start to look at the system of plant nutrition and not just blame agriculture or home owners.
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Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA-TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Reach him at epfantz@gannett.com or connect with him on X (formerly Twitter) @ErikPfantz.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: April 2024 election: Portage County Board District 16 candidates
