By Press Times Staff

BROWN COUNTY – District 19 residents will elect a new supervisor April 5 after current supervisor Cassandra Erickson did not seek reelection.
Mike LaBouve will face Jessica Adams to fill the seat.
District 19 encompasses parts of the City of De Pere east of the Fox River.
The Press Times emailed each candidate the same question: What do you see as the most important issue facing Brown County and District 19, and if elected, how will you address it?
Each candidate had 200 words to respond.

Mike LaBouve

A: The most important issue facing Brown County is maintaining a favorable environment for economic development.
All communities, large and small, compete for business investment, and with sensible policies, Brown County will continue to attract new enterprises and investors.

All communities, large and small, compete for business investment, and with sensible policies, Brown County will continue to attract new enterprises and investors.
Brown County has tremendous resources, and by continuous improvement, we will be able to keep this county relevant for future growth opportunities.
From this core ideology flows all the tax base dollars required to provide the other essential community services, which make Brown County a great place for raising families and economic growth.
One area the county board can directly impact is ensuring that unnecessary regulations don’t interfere with new business growth, and/or adversely impact retention of current business investments.
Doing so ensures that we retain professionals and provide opportunities for technical and liberal arts college students, thereby preventing “brain drain” as we increase and maintain a talent pool for these employers.
These strategies, as well as my core concerns of improving and maintaining infrastructure – primarily roads and bridges, increasing and providing adequate public safety for all and responsibly spending tax dollars with complete transparency – will foster this effort to create a very favorable environment for economic development.

Jessica Adams

A: Talking to Brown County residents, including those in District 19, I find voters are very concerned about housing.
Folks tell me they are unable to afford rent or find any available houses to buy in our community.
If we want to prevent “brain drain,” and also make our community welcoming to young families and newcomers, we need to find a solution to this serious issue.
As a (possibly) newly-elected supervisor, I look forward to continuing conversations with government officials, businesses, community agencies, landlords, individuals and families to best develop a plan that works to make De Pere and Brown County an accessible place for people to live and work.
Throughout my professional career, I have been able to listen to the concerns of the community, and take action on working to remedy them through a community-action approach, which I look forward to continuing when elected.
As a resident of De Pere (along with my husband and daughter), I am committed to the future of our community, including helping sustain and nurture our current quality of life.