By Press Times Staff
DE PERE – With De Pere Alder Ryan Jennings not seeking a second term, two newcomers are looking to win the seat for District 2 on the common council.
Matt Gruetzmacher received 183 votes in the February primary, while Kelly Ruh took home the majority with 240.
The two bested Carol Spice, who received 117 votes.
District 2 is comprised of southeast De Pere.
The Press Times emailed each candidate the same questions and gave them 100 words to respond to each.
Matt Gruetzmacher
Why should people vote for you?
I’m a great listener and problem-solver.
After 50 years living on De Pere’s east side, I’ve seen many changes.
I have 24 years at Georgia Pacific west and the last three I’ve been a functional leader and backup coach for our team of 37.
My interest isn’t only to myself and my family, but to all citizens.
I’ll conduct myself with integrity, honesty and having the backs of my constituents.
I’ll not vote for any tax rate increases.
Your pleas for help will not fall on deaf ears.
I’ll try my best to offer solutions to problems.
What’s the biggest issue in District 2?
The biggest problem in Ward 2 is the southern bridge that’s 20 years behind building.
It seems like past leadership has frittered away time and cheaper construction costs by postponing the bridge.
I understand there are quasi governments involved, but in order for the east side to have more growth, we need to press state and county to push this issue.
How should the city attract east side business park growth?
Bringing more growth to the east side industrial park feeds on the prior statements of the bridge.
We also seem to focus a lot of attention on downtown De Pere and would like to see more attention brought to the industrial parks by our own city managers, possibly giving more incentives to relocate.
Kelly Ruh
Why should people vote for you?
I’ve called De Pere home for over 12 years. I graduated a Redbird, have BS degrees in accounting and business administration-management from UWGB, and earned a MBA from UWO.
The majority of my career has been in financial management and operations, primarily for local manufacturers and non-profits.
I offer this experience along with strong leadership abilities I’ve developed in community service roles.
As your alderperson, I will work for you. I will listen to your concerns and be a voice for you in our community.
Learn more about me and how I plan to serve our city on Facebook @KellyRuh4DePere.
What’s the biggest issue in the City of De Pere?
If you’re like me and cross the De Pere bridge at rush hour, you know what a frustrating experience it can be.
The Southern Bridge is perhaps the hottest topic in De Pere.
It’s been discussed since the 1960s, though with recent steps taken to get us closer to reality.
Many homeowners of District 2 will be directly impacted.
We need to support this bridge to accommodate the current need and future growth.
I will work to coordinate with the city and county to minimize disruption to residents, regardless of which potential bridge location is selected.
How should the city attract east side business park growth?
First and foremost, the location of the east side business park causes major accessibility challenges for commercial vehicles.
For example, semis coming from Interstate 41 have to navigate the west side of De Pere through a series of roundabouts and cross a traffic-congested bridge.
The same goes for vehicles coming from the east off County Road GV or through the downtown.
This is why I’m a proponent of a Southern Bridge.
It will benefit residents and businesses alike by allowing for greater accessibility to the east side business park, thereby spurring business park growth.