(Beaver Dam) The candidates for three Beaver Dam-area seats on the Dodge County board discussed a number of issues at Wednesday night’s Chamber of Commerce-sponsored debate.
Nancy Kavazanjian is the District 5 incumbent, which includes Wards 3, 4, and 5 in the town of Beaver Dam. Kavazanjian says she cares deeply about Dodge County, as well as her district, and wants to continue to see it be a safe and vibrant place for families to stay. She adds that the county needs the proper mix of government services and growth that protect its rural character.
The incumbent in District 5 is being challenged by Donald Lunak Sr., who considers himself a constitutional conservative. He says the rights provided to citizens through the constitution takes precedence over all other considerations. Lunak Sr. says in recent terms he does not support mandating inoculations, masks, or forced quarantines.
The District 30 seat consists of Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the city of Beaver Dam. Haley Kenevan is the incumbent, she says tough decision must be made and sometimes there is not one easy answer, specifically with roads. Kenevan says she loathes having to borrow money but seems a likely course of action to make things work. She adds that she does not like to see taxes go up and celebrates when they go down.
Kristin Bartz is vying for the District 30 seat; she says she does not believe in raising taxes in a time of high inflation. Bartz agrees that roads need to be addressed, but says that dollars could be allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act fund instead of placing that burden on taxpayers. She adds that county employees should come first and need to be paid a competitive wage.
The county board District 31 seat includes Wards 21, 22, 23, and 24 in the city of Beaver Dam. Incumbent Kevin Burnett says he knows and cares about this county. Burnett says he has a great relationship with many department heads, including Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt. He adds that a vote for him, is a vote for someone who will be there for his constituents.
Burnett’s challenger, Daniel Luethje, did not return calls to take part in Wednesday night’s debate.
