Buchanan Town Board supervisor candidates look to address road improvements if elected

BUCHANAN - Three new challengers for Buchanan Town Board's fourth supervisor seat will vie for a two-year term in the spring primary.

Incumbent Tom Walsh didn't seek reelection, so Penny Hoh, Tom Meyer and Greg Sprangers will face off in the Feb. 20 primary to narrow the field to two for the April 2 election.

Road improvements continue to be a top priority for candidates after the state Supreme Court struck down the town's transportation utility fee in June.

The fee, which was first collected in 2020, was put in place to help the town fund road and stormwater drainage improvements. With that option gone, candidates for Town Board want to look at other avenues to improve roads.

The Post-Crescent asked each candidate to fill out a questionnaire before the spring explaining why they are running and what issues they want to address if elected. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Read our candidate Q&A for Buchanan's other town board race: Buchanan Town Board candidates Linda Olson, Jennifer Rottier, Paul Knuppel on ballot for primary

Here are important dates for voters to remember:

• Jan. 31: Deadline to register to vote online or by mail for the spring primary. Register to vote at myvote.wi.gov.
• Feb. 15: Deadline to request an absentee ballot.
• Feb. 20: Spring primary. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling place here.

Penny Hoh

• Age: 63
• Occupation: Retired after 37 years at AAL/Thrivent Financial
• Highest level of education: Graduated from Kimberly High School
• Relevant experience: Member of the Kimberly School Boardfor past 20 years, board member for Paperfest and the parent-teacher organization at Sunrise Elementary School. I have been a resident of the town of Buchanan for 28 years.

Tom Meyer

• Age: 39
• Occupation: Wrightstown High School science teacher
• Highest level of education: Law degree from Hamline School of Law
• Relevant experience: Current member of Buchanan Parks Committee, former attorney

Greg Sprangers

• Age: 68
• Occupation: Retired pipe fitter. Owner of Sharkys Orchard.
• Highest level of education: Kimberly High School
• Relevant experience: Town chair for two years, town supervisor for eight years, planning and zoning board member, Garners Creek stormwater utility commissioner.

Why are you running for town supervisor?

Hoh: As a longtime resident of the town, I am interested in learning new skills within our local government and helping the town continue to be a great place to live and play. I have a lot of common sense and would like to be a part of the continuing road and park improvements in order to make our town safe for our current residents and future generations. I would be a champion for the town and make decisions based on the needs and interests of the community. Strong belief in promoting civility and respect.

Meyer: Better parks. I want to help move the town of Buchanan forward and try to lower the temperature of political discourse. I want to encourage in-person social interaction between neighbors and improve quality of life and property values for all Buchanan citizens. To that end, my top priority would be to increase future funding for our parks, as they are currently an undervalued and underused public resource. The return on public investment that comes with better parks would be positive for everyone both financially and socially.

Sprangers: To reduce our debt and fix our failing road system.

What makes you the better candidate in this race?

Hoh: With my vast experience on various boards, I bring a strong work ethic, honesty, the ability to work collaboratively and a willingness to learn and do research into any topic. Very interested in listening to residents and I'm fully aware that my actions and decisions directly impact the quality of life within our community. I would bring fresh new ideas and perspectives along with a strong desire to find cost-effective solutions to any of our projects and services.

Meyer: I'm a young, pragmatic, logical decision-maker with decades of future skin in the game as a father of two kids under 10. I get along with and respect people, even if I disagree with them. I try to spend my time helping others in real life and avoid engaging in counterproductive and divisive online arguments. I have hands-on government experience with the town of Buchanan in helping to manage the Springfield Park project that is currently underway and have a strong technical background from my prior career in law.

Sprangers: My experience speaks for itself. Having been involved in local politics for several decades provides me with unique insights into town politics.

What are Buchanan residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?

Hoh: The most important issues facing our town at this time are the quality of snowplowing, keeping our taxes in the lower range of the surrounding communities and continuing to improve our road and drainage conditions. As your town supervisor, I would explore ideas that will save money and still provide high-quality services and products. I would be very interested in collaborating with neighboring communities in order to provide more economical and higher-quality services. As I am very open-minded, I would be committed to innovation and an openness to changing the way things have always been done.

Meyer: A long-term decision, one way or the other, needs to be made on whether or not the town of Buchanan wants to modernize its infrastructure. If so, we need to make sure taxpayers are willing to pay for it and feel represented throughout the process. Many people have very strong feelings about this one way or the other, and there are good reasons for both. I strongly support a referendum in the next year to allow the taxpayers of the town to make that decision directly.

Sprangers: It's time to ask residents for insight on long-term finances via referendum. Our road problems continue to plague us as revenue for repairs is insufficient. We have 46 miles of roads in Buchanan. Our current Capital Improvement Plan is the highway to financial hell.

Sophia Voight covers local government and politics in the Fox Valley for The Post-Crescent. She can be reached with feedback and story tips at svoight@postcrescent.com.