Downtown a Key Issue in Village President Race

In the race for Sussex village president, the two candidates facing off in Tuesday’s election are making it clear they’re friends who share very similar views.

Gabe Kolesari, N66W24468 Champeny Rd., and Trustee Greg Goetz, N62W24070 Sunset Dr., are vying to replace outgoing Village President Tony Lapcinski, who isn’t seeking re-election.

Kolesari, 66, is retired from the Sussex Parks Department and president of the Hamilton School Board. He said he wants to serve as village president in order to give back to the community.

“I worked for the village for 29 years, so I feel I should give something back to the community,” he said. “I understand how the village works from the bottom up, and this would give me a chance to see how it works from the top down.”

Kolesari said the biggest issues in the village are the direction the community will take in the future and the financial uncertainty coming from the state. He said it's too soon to tell how Sussex will be affected by looming reductions in state aid.

“Everybody’s just guessing right now,” he said. “It’s just putting more and more pressure on the municipalities and the school districts.”

While Kolesari supports , he said there are a lot of questions still hanging out there, such as what is the exact downtown area and how to ensure that the downtown doesn't end up with failing businesses or empty storefronts. He said he doesn’t know why more businesses in communities similar to Sussex have migrated to the outskirts of town, but  planners need to figure out why this is and try to find businesses that will attract people into the area.

Kolesari said he support the proposed , but would like senior housing to be included with the project along with appropriate businesses. He said he would also like to see the project utilize a quarry near the property where a restaurant could overlook it or draw people in to go swimming, which residents did years ago.

Kolesari also said he would be willing to work with neighboring communities in a cooperative process to deliver services or reduce cost, saying that even something as simple as buying paper together can save money for the municipalities.

A married father of two children and grandfather of five children, Kolesari has spent 23 years on the Hamilton School Board and will continue to serve on that board if elected village president.

“My first love will continue to be the School Board,” he said. “I mean, I do it for the kids and only the kids, so that will always be my first love.”

Goetz, 59, has served on the Village Board for nine years and wants to continue serving the community and using his strong people skills to represent residents.

“I have a passion for serving the people,” he said. "I enjoy serving and I believe you have to enjoy serving, otherwise you’re not going to do a good job for the people.”

Goetz said the biggest issue facing the village is the downtown development plan, which is scheduled to have engineering completed by 2013 and construction beginning by 2015. Going forward, Goetz said leaders need to be cognizant of the needs there and those who live there, which means officials need to get plenty of public input on the plan.

“We need to address the public information and input,” he said. “We need to know what they would like to see because that’s key to making this project a success.”

Goetz said the initial drawings for the Cannery project are beautiful and he hopes the development will start either in 2012 or 2013. With the development, he said he also wants to see a family style restaurant come into the village because that and a Taco Bell have been a major issue with residents.

A supporter of regional cooperation, Goetz said that if elected president, he will work to hold regular meetings with leaders in other communities surrounding Sussex so they can work together to meet service needs while saving money.

“We can work together and get to know one another,” he said. “Oftentimes you don’t meet the guy from Pewaukee or Hartland, but this way you would get to see each other face to face.”

While some elections tend to get personal, both Kolesari and Goetz are continuing their strong friendship, with both saying the other would be a good leader for the village.

“I’ve got nothing but the utmost respect for Gabe,” Goetz said. “There would be no way I could do mudslinging with him.”

For more on the candidates, check out our .