Duane Hicks
A fourth council incumbent has filed papers to run in the Oct. 25 municipal election.
Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft submitted his nomination to run for a seat on council yesterday, following Mayor Roy Avis and Coun. John Albanese on Tuesday.
They join Coun. Sharon Tibbs, who filed in late March.
Coun. Wiedenhoeft said this past term has been a challenging one for the town, but that he would like to stay on board for four more years.
“I think we’re keeping our head above water, but in difficult times maybe that’s the best you can do,” he reasoned.
“I think we’ve been productive in some areas,” Coun. Wiedenhoeft added. “We’ve got some things done—the new library certainly is a beautiful addition.
“We’ve got some sewer and water done, maintenance to some of the facilities.
“We’ve kept up the services to the constituents that I think we should have kept up,” he added.
“I think we kept taxes to a reasonable level, and that was a long, hard grind,” Coun. Wiedenhoeft continued.
“So, in some sense, I think we’ve been productive, but in better times it would be easier to do more things.”
If elected, Coun. Wiedenhoeft said he would like to see plans for a new trail system get put into motion.
“The one thing that’s always been on my agenda has been the trail system,” he remarked. “I’d love to see a bike path linking east and west, north and south, to the waterfront.
“That’s still something I am working on,” he stressed. “I am on a committee with several other people that’s trying to bring that to fruition.
“That’s probably the one thing that’s on my agenda I’d like to get done this next term of office.”
Coun. Wiedenhoeft has served on council since 2003, and noted that if he is elected this fall, it will be his third and final term.
“I think it’s important to get new blood and new vision into municipal politics. I think it will be my swan song,” he chuckled, adding that by the end of the next four-year term, it’s likely he’ll have done as much as he can do.
Both Coun. Andrew Hallikas and Coun. Ken Perry confirmed yesterday that they plan to file their nomination papers for a seat on council soon.
Coun. Paul Ryan could not be reached for comment prior to press time today.
