COUNTY
BOARD CANDIDATE DATA SHEET
NAME:
Roger J. Plesha
ADDRESS:
929 King St.
PHONE
NUMBER: 608-782-1150
E-MAIL:
BIRTHDATE:
1/15/1953
NUMBER
OF YEARS LIVED IN LA CROSSE COUNTY: Entire life
FAMILY:
One son, Keith, N. Plesha, a computer hardware and software engineer
headhunter, living in Madison
EDUCATION:
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Mass Communications/photography
OCCUPATION
(if retired, former occupation): Professional Photographer / Advertising
consultant
ELECTED
OFFICES HELD (include years served):
La
Crosse County Board 1986 – present
La
Crosse City Council 1986 – 1998
City
Council President 1992-1997
Wisconsin
Counties Finance and Personnel Steering Committee State Chair, 2003 – 2006
International
Trade Business and Economic Development Council – Finance chair – present
Mississippi
Valley Health Services Inc. president – present
COMMUNITY
ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS:
La
Crosse Area convention and Visitors Bureau – past director
La
Crosse Plugs – director
Preservation
Alliiance of La Crosse – past treasurer
La
Crosse County Historical Society – past director
Riverfest
– deck hand and past director
Braves
of Decorah Order of the Arrow BSA – Brotherhood
American
Legion Post 52 – SAL
Blue
Star Drum and Bugle Corps Alumni Assn. – past member, past staff member
Saint
Joseph the Workman Cathedral
La Crosse
County Board Candidate Questionnaire
A. Why do you want to serve on the La Crosse County Board?
I became
active in the community at 13 as an ambassador of La Crosse with the First
Federal Blue Star Drum and Bugle Corp. I was, and still am proud to represent
our city. I enjoy playing an active part in shaping the region we live in. My
record shows one of preservation as well as forward thinking. I believe we can
make a difference, making educated decisions, in maintaining county services
with increasingly limited resources.
B. What
are the two most pressing issues facing La Crosse County, and what do you think
La Crosse County government should do about them?
The Lakeview deficit and the state of
Wisconsin’s biennium budget deficit projected to be over 400 million dollars
and its impact on our county.
Lakeview Health Care Center has become a
financial burden to La Crosse County. Over the past few years Medicaid funding
has not kept pace with the costs of providing care for the residents of
Lakeview. The vast majority of the residents of Lakeview are court ordered
placements. The Lakeview deficit will hopefully be addressed with the newly
formed Mississippi Valley Health Services Inc. (MVHS) MVHS is a collaboration
between La Crosse County and nine other counties, which will lease Lakeview.
Collaboration has been a word often thrown around but rarely put into practice
but it will be the future of county government. As the newly elected President
of the MVHS I hope to continue to lead Lakeview into a new era of
collaboration, maintaining the quality of life for the residents of Lakeview.
The State of Wisconsin’s deficit will
pose many new problems that we will have to work out. Because of the underestimating
of revenues for this biennium budget counties may have to face even more of the
financial drain. The State presently does not pay the full amount of the
mandates it imposes on the counties. With more budget cuts from the state we
may see a further reduction in the under funded mandates. La Crosse is in a
much better position than many of the other counties. It is not an accident
that we are in a good financial position we have been frugal with the taxpayers
dollars! Being concerned about out tax dollars is the reason we are 3rd
lowest in taxes in Wisconsin.
The next
several questions will ask your feelings about past and future actions by the
county board. Please answer by putting an “X” next to the statement that most
closely reflects your view. Then, please explain your reasons in writing
1. Do you
support or oppose reducing the size of the county board by half?
Strongly
Support
Support X
No
opinion
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Reason:
I support
a smaller board but I do not know that half the size of the present board is
the best size. We will also have to look at representation in the rural areas
of the county. Reapportionment will happen in 2010. This is the logical time to
make these decisions.
2. With
the switch to a county administrator four years ago, how satisfied are you with
the county board’s new role as a board of directors that makes policy decisions
rather than operational decisions?
Very
satisfied
Satisfied
X
No
opinion
Unsatisfied
Very
unsatisfied
Reason:
I am
satisfied with the county board’s role in policy planning but I think we have
been successful in the past holding the purse strings, keeping an eye on the
spending in the departments that we oversee. I like to be kept in the loop
about how our departments are doing so that we can act, rather than react, when
faced with an impending problem.
3. How
satisfied are you with the county administrator's new four-year contract?
Very
satisfied X
Satisfied
No
opinion
Unsatisfied
Very
unsatisfied
Reason: I
have been on all the committees that have hired the three predecessors to the
present administrator. I believe that we have a good man at the helm of La
Crosse County.
4. How
satisfied are you with the proposed “smart growth” comprehensive plan scheduled
for county board approval in coming months?
Very
satisfied
Satisfied
X
No
opinion
Unsatisfied
Very
unsatisfied
Reason: I
think it is necessary to have people realize that there is no new farmland.
Development should not go rampant. Urban sprawl causes many problems. Wisconsin
has an abundance of water other states are not as fortunate. We are the number
one producers of both string beans and carrots. We are number two in producing
sweet corn. We could someday be the breadbasket of the country mainly because
of our water resource. We all have to be good stewards of the land.
5. Do you
support or oppose having the county board hold a referendum before borrowing
money for buildings or other capital projects?
Strongly
Support
Support
No
opinion
Oppose X
Strongly
Oppose
Reason:
I believe
that the board was elected to make the tough decisions on borrowing and
spending. We operate the county with an annual budget of over 200 million dollars.
We have capital projects throughout our budget. Holding public hearings and
talking with our constituents help us make these decisions.
6. Do you
support or oppose La Crosse County being the main developer of its vacant
Lakeview Farm property in West Salem?
Strongly
Support X
Support
No
opinion
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Reason:
I
strongly support the county as being the main developer. I sit on the
industrial park committee as well as being the chair of the Lakeview Health
Center. When a decision has to be made I first think of the impact that the
decision may have on Lakeview and the quality of life there. I think it is
important that we keep a watchful eye to do what is best for the county as well
as the residents of Lakeview.
7. Do you support or oppose La
Crosse County's criminal justice philosophy, which includes finding
alternatives to jail for offenders who are not a danger to the community?
Strongly
Support X
Support
No
opinion
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Reason:
I
strongly support the county’s criminal justice philosophy. Most people who are
placed in jail do not gain anything from being there, they may even pick up
more bad ideas there. Recidivism is a problem that I would like to see come to
an end. By giving people alternatives to jail, justice sanctions can lead the
offender to a better path. They can figure out just what the problem is and
give proper direction to the offender. Their follow up of the individual is
also a plus.
8. Do you
support or oppose spending more of the county's budget reserves to reduce the
property tax levy?
Strongly
Support
Support
No
opinion
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose X
Reason:
I believe
that budget reserves should be used as a last resort to reduce the property tax
levy. When I was elected to the county board the county rating was very low. We
were told at the time it was partly due to the lack of budget reserves. In the
early ‘70s the board used surplus for the tax levy leaving very little for an
emergency fund. It has taken many years to build a reserve and to get our
rating to where it is today. History need only repeat itself with another
landfill disaster or another type of disaster to better understand why we keep
a contingency account.
9. Do you
support or oppose the state of Wisconsin's use of a "property tax
cap" which limits La Crosse County's ability to raise property taxes by 2
percent, or the percentage of new construction growth, in 2009?
Strongly
Support
Support
No
opinion X
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Reason:
Not all
counties are or ever have been like La Crosse County in its spending. Because
we have one of the lowest mil rates of the 72 other counties the percentage of
increase makes our budgeting work harder each year. We will work within
whatever rules we are given, and make it work, even though the state does not
impose the same rules on itself that we must live within.
10. Do
you support or oppose the county's plans for a $29.5 million jail expansion?
Strongly
Support X
Support
No
opinion
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Reason:
When we
built the present courthous and jail we intended to replace the Huber center
and women’s jail. I had expected we would have replaced the women’s jail sooner
than this, but we made a thorough study of our needs. Studies take a great deal
of time to complete. This study has determined many needs that we could not
have anticipated when we built the first jail. La Crosse County has taken a
much different approach to criminal justice than we had 10 years
ago. Truth in sentencing has also changed. I think we have a good building
project by virtue of the meticulous study we have concluded.