WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (WSAU) — Outgoing Wisconsin Rapids Mayor Shane Blaser is making an endorsement in the race to replace him this April.
“Matt Zacher is currently on City Council and is the Chair of the Finance Committee. He’s a Veteran, a local business owner, [and] I just think that he has best positioned himself to take over this role. He understands the budget and is a business owner with employees. I think he is in the best position to take over the leadership with the least amount of learning curve out of the three,” said Blaser.
He adds that he feels Zacher will be approachable and accessible to the public and everyone else. At least two other former Mayors have also said they endorse his candidacy as well.
The three other candidates running in the February 20th primary include Tom Terry Mews, Nick Palmquist, and Preston Seitz. Blaser says both Palmquist and Seitz have reached out to him to chat about the job. But he hasn’t heard much from Mews.
Blaser added that most of the focus at City Hall is on making sure the February primary runs smoothly, adding that he’s not in a position to start any big projects or take on a big task at this time. Most of his time is spent making sure “the wheels don’t come off the bus,” while making sure the next Mayor is in a position to succeed.
No matter who wins the April election, Blaser says his offer of being “on call” to the winning candidate stands. “I think it’s important for them to understand why I made some of the decisions that I did internally. If they have an interest in the why, I think it’s important that I share that with them. Also that way they may not have to deal with some of the struggles that I dealt with.
“There is a lot of operational things that go on day-to-day that the Mayor is responsible for,” added Blaser.
Blaser won his first term back in 2020, defeating incumbent Zach Vruwink. He then won re-election in 2022 but announced back in October that he would not run for a third term.
The Mayor’s position in Wisconsin Rapids is a full-time job that’s up for election every two years.
Voters are encouraged to check their voter registration status at MyVote.wi.gov or by contacting their local clerk. Polls will be open on February 20th from 7 AM to 8 PM, and everyone in line at 8 PM will receive a ballot.
Other topics Blaser discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- election prep and why he’s endorsing Zacher
10:10- River Otter exhibit
12:50- Snow removal update
Comments