(JUNEAU) Voters in Dodge County’s District 31 got a closer look at where the candidates stand on a costly county issue during a recent forum in Beaver Dam.
At the event hosted by the Beaver Dam Chamber and Visitor Center and Good Karma Brands, incumbent Supervisor Kevin Burnett and challenger Steve Rydzewski sparred over what to do with the aging Henry Dodge Office Building. The debate centered on whether to tear it down and build new or invest in repairs and reuse.
Burnett described the county building as being in serious decline. One set of elevators is permanently shut down, he said. Plumbing leaks inside the walls have forced crews to knock out brick just to reroute pipes. He called the building inefficient and outdated.
“The Henry Dodge building is in pretty bad shape,” Burnett said during the forum, pointing to mechanical failures and ongoing maintenance problems.
Burnett said the county is conducting a space study of all county-owned properties, including the highway shop and satellite offices, to determine long-term needs. He believes the current building may be beyond saving and said demolition and replacement should be on the table.
Rydzewski pushed back hard against that idea.
He said building a new government campus — which he estimated could cost around $200 million — would put too much strain on taxpayers already facing higher bills. He pointed to a recent 10% increase in his property taxes, in addition to a nearly 17% hike tied to the school district.
“The taxpayers are already burdened,” Rydzewski said, arguing that tearing down the structure over plumbing and HVAC problems is the wrong move.
Instead, he suggested the brick building could be repurposed rather than demolished. He compared it to other older community buildings that have found new life instead of being torn down.
The spring election is April 7.
