Meet the two candidates running for village president in Menomonee Falls
Incumbent Jeremy Walz and challenger Brittany Wohlfeil are running for Menomonee Falls village president in the April 2, 2024, election.
The village president's seat is for a three-year term.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talked to each of the candidates about the issues that are the most important to their campaign.
Jeremy Walz (Inc.)
Background: The Menomonee Falls village board approved Jeremy Walz as village president in 2022 to replace Dave Glasgow when Glasgow moved out of the area. Walz was a village trustee from 2013 to 2022 and has been a Waukesha County supervisor for District 6 since 2014. He has been on the library board from 2013 to 2016, is a member of the Republican Party and has been a liaison of the historical society since 2013. He has been an employee of a Menomonee Falls business for 20 years and has served in the Army National Guard and achieved the rank of sergeant. Walz also has two children, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old.
Supporters: Walz said he is supported by the Republican Party of Waukesha County. Other supporters include the current trustees (Ann Lessila, Paul Tadda, Joel Stueland, Brad Jubber, Katie Kress and Steve Taggart) and vice-president of the Menomonee Falls Board of Education Chris Stueland. Walz said he received official support from the chair of the Waukesha County Board Paul Decker and the Vice Chair Keith Hammitt.
Website: www.walz4falls.com and find Walz4Falls on Facebook.
Why Walz is running again for Menomonee Falls village president
Walz said he is running because he served the community since 2013 as a board member and on the Waukesha County Board and has served through the Army National Guard. He said he has always served the community in different capacities.
"That is what my priorities are in life," he said.
Emphasizing excellent public safety, firefighters and police officers
Walz said in the last year as village president, many new firefighters and police officers were hired. He said he wants to continue supporting these departments. He said that many municipalities are facing a shortage of police officers, and it is a challenge for municipalities to recruit, maintain and retain good officers.
"It is more than just wages; it is a positive work environment," said Walz.
Supporting and upgrading the village infrastructure
Walz said that in the last year the village fixed twice as many roads. He said that he also wants to concentrate on continuing to upgrade the infrastructure of the village, especially with improved roads and construction projects that are necessary.
Continuing to build on making Menomonee Falls a good place to live
Walz said that he wants to support plans to continue making Menomonee Falls a good place to live and work. He said that the village has entry-level to executive-level jobs, and the housing is diverse and attractive. He added that it is a great place to raise a family. He wants to support these initiatives.
"I want to make sure everyone feels welcome here," said Walz.
Brittany Wohlfeil
Background: Wohlfeil is a newcomer, and this is her first time running for office. She is one of the owners of Batter & Mac, a bakery business she runs with her mother and sister. She is the founding Milwaukee chapter leader of For Goodness Cakes, a national nonprofit that hand-delivers birthday & graduation cakes to children in foster care and youth overcoming adversity. She and her husband have a 5-year-old and a 1-year-old. She is also a family nurse practitioner.
Websites: https://www.brittanywohlfeil.com and Brittany Wohlfeil for Menomonee Falls Village President on Facebook.
Supporters: Wohlfeil said that her donors are individuals who are contributing. She also said that she is being supported by the Democratic Party for canvassing, and she considers herself a moderate. She also said that Grassroots Menomonee Falls has been canvassing for her, but the group is not allowed to donate to a candidate.
Why Wohlfeil is running for village president
Wohlfeil said when she was looking at where to start her bakery business, the village was so supportive and positive. She said the customers became regulars and very supportive. "The village did so much for me when I had a crazy dream. I feel a sense that I should be giving back, and this is a good way to do it," she said.
Wohlfeil wants more transparency in the village
Wohlfeil said the village needs more transparency. "We need to be doing everything to protect the services of Menomonee Falls such as the police department, and the library and embracing all the growth in a responsible way, she said. She said she believes the village board is "hyperpartisan" and that they can do things with no transparency.
Preserving the charm and first-class services while embracing the growth of the village
Wohlfeil said she wants to preserve the village's charm and services such as the library and the historical society. She said she also wants to keep the charm of the downtown and small businesses while making it easier to bring new businesses into the village.
"There is so much opportunity to get more unique businesses. We have to have the right PR campaign that this is a great place to raise your family and have a business or restaurant," she said.
The village needs to focus on accessibility and public safety
Wohlfeil said the sidewalks and roads must be well-maintained so people with different mobility issues or physical limitations can get around the village safely.
"Currently, we don't do as good a job on that," she said. She said it is important for the police and fire department to be "well-staffed to do this work."
For more information on voting or about the spring elections
To get more information about voting or information about all the elections, visit myvote.wi.gov/en-us.
Voter identification is required to vote in Wisconsin. Acceptable identification includes a Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver's license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended; a Wisconsin DOT-issued identification card; a Wisconsin DOT-issued identification/military identification card issued by a United States uniformed services; a U.S. passport or a photo identification card issued by a Wisconsin state university or college that contains date of issuance, signature of student and a date no later than two years after date of issuance.
The DMV can issue identification cards for voters who do not have one. For more information, call the Voter ID hotline at 844-588-1069. For other voter identification questions, call 608-264-7447 or visit bit.ly/idinformation.
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or [email protected]. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Newcomer challenging incumbent for Menomonee Falls village president
