By Press Times Staff
GREEN BAY – Incumbent Chris Wery, District 8 alder since 2014, will be challenged in April by Jennifer Schlei.
District 8 is sandwiched between Districts 11 and 9 on the west side of Green Bay and includes parts of West Mason Street.
The Press Times emailed each candidate the same questions and gave them 100 words to respond to each.
Chris Wery
Why should people vote for you?
I have lived in this district for 24 years and grew up nearby.
I attended St. Joes, Franklin and West.
I am active in the community, having been a Cub Scout master and baseball coach and currently coaching soccer and reffing high school and summer soccer.
I deliver newsletters to every home.
I value sharing information and getting feedback.
I am here to represent my district, not tell them what to do.
I can honestly say I have had no greater pleasure in life than helping people navigate city red tape and find a resolution to their questions or issues.
What’s the biggest issue in District 8?
Road conditions and speeding.
To address these issues, we have implemented a wheel tax and now have a full year of collections under our belt.
There are no longer street assessments.
I have strongly pushed for staff to bring us street repair plans that increase year over year.
Status quo is not an option.
Regarding speeding, I am glad our police chief has heard our pleas and has agreed to increase the traffic enforcement unit and respond to problem areas our residents report.
What do you support to improve the image of the west side?
The west side of Green Bay is a great place to live and work.
We have great neighborhoods and wonderful parks.
I spearheaded the efforts of residents to save both Fisk (Resch) and Colburn pools by fundraising $1.5 million dollars.
Colburn will have a grand reopening this year.
We must continue to keep our neighborhoods safe, clean and welcoming.
Instead of handing out money to developers for new buildings, we should also be looking to invest money in existing
businesses and buildings to strengthen our core and encourage reinvestment in Green Bay.
Jennifer Schlei
Why should people vote for you?
The city of Green Bay needs change and progression.
I want to help our community to continue to flourish and improve, and I believe I have the skills and knowhow to fulfill that need.
I have a solid work history/background in working hard to help others and advocating for a variety of causes, such as homelessness, mental health, addiction and human trafficking.
I simply want to help keep our community decent, clean and safe.
What’s the biggest issue in District 8?
I think most people would agree it’s the roads and the infrastructure.
What do you support to improve the image of the west side?
In addition to a major overhaul of the infrastructure and vast improvements to the roads, I feel we need to improve on getting more businesses (not just restaurants and bars) and activities readily available to our community members and their families.