real estate broker license

VOTERS GUIDE; ELECTION 2006; BROOKFIELD: TOWN BOARD; Boundary

Town of Brookfield Three candidates for Town Board agree on many things, including their belief that the City of Brookfield is dragging its feet on boundary agreement talks.

"I've seen rocks make more progress moving," Town Supervisor Patrick Stroebel said.

Brian Eckelman and two incumbents Stroebel and John Schatzman are competing for two Town Board seats. The winners Tuesday will serve two-year terms that pay $5,000 a year.

All three list boundary protection and maintaining low taxes as top priorities.

Town officials in December floated boundary proposals, and Mayor Jeff Speaker and aldermen agreed for the first time to engage in serious talks about a possible agreement.

Two meetings were held: one with Speaker and Town Chairman Keith Henderson present and one with just city and town attorneys and staff.

Stroebel and Schatzman said their understanding is that the meetings were not very fruitful and that no other meetings have been scheduled.

They questioned whether city leaders were truly interested in finalizing the two municipalities' futures or whether their public comments were election-year pandering.

The city is poised to annex prime town land along Capitol Drive.

However, the town is suing the city over a blocked sewer connection and threatening to sue over other utilities and annexation issues.

Stroebel said, "We're trying to protect the ratepayers and residents of the town and just trying to get the right share of our costs."

Schatzman said he remains optimistic that the two communities can work out a compromise that he said could result in shared public safety services.

Eckelman said the town offers good services and low taxes assets he would fight to retain.

Schatzman said the town's tax levy "needs to remain at or near a zero increase" for the third consecutive year.

He called for increasing public-private partnerships to help fund costs, such as Wauwatosa Savings Bank's offer to pay for a lighted flagpole in Marx Park.

Stroebel said he would continue using his skills as an accounting manager to scrutinize the budget, control taxes and reduce debt.

All three said the town should help fund the widening of Greenfield Ave. but not the $723,500 state transportation officials have sought.

They also agreed the town should switch from a part-time fire chief to a full-time position.

Brian Eckelman

Age: 40

Address; time in district: 1135 Summit Drive; 4 years

Occupation: Software developer, RF Technologies

Elective offices; other government experience: Unsuccessful bid, Town Board, 2005; member town Zoning Board of Appeals

Education: West La Fayette High School, Indiana, 1983; Purdue University, bachelor's degree in electrical technology, 1987

Family: Married; one child

John Schatzman (inc.)

Age: 49

Address; time in district: 22129 Ridge Road; 27 years

Occupation: Legal investigator, Warshafsky law firm

Elective offices; other government experience: Town Board, 2004- present; Sanitary District commissioner, 2005-present; state Department of Regulation and Licensing Advisory Board, 1996-2002

Education: Thomas More High School, 1974; took courses at University of Wisconsin-Waukesha and UW-Milwaukee; real estate broker license; licensed state investigator

Family: Married; four children

Patrick Stroebel (inc.)

Age: 34

Address; time in district: 22055 Davidson Road, #202; 10 years

Occupation: Accounting manager, Miller Brewing

Elective offices; other government experience: Town Board, 2003 to present

Education: Marquette High School, 1990; UW-Madison, bachelor's in accounting, 1994, CPA

Family: Single

Copyright 2006, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Copyright 2006 Journal Sentinel Inc. Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media
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