Donohue announces city council candidacy; town hall meetings

Editor’s note: information below has been provided by a political candidate announcing his intention to run for office. Other candidates wishing to run for political office will have equal opportunity to announce their intentions. 

John Donohue has announced that he is running for a seat on the Fort Atkinson City Council. He also is forming a community town hall group, called: “Citizens for a Better Fort Atkinson.”  

City council seats due for reelection will be decided during a general spring election on Tuesday, April 4.

In his announcement, the candidate noted that he envisions the town hall group as one that will be “long-standing.” 

An initial meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m., in the Wisconsin Room of the Dwight Foster Public Library, 209 Merchant Ave., Fort Atkinson.  

Future group meetings will be publicly announced, and all meetings are open to the public, according to the candidate. 

“The purpose of ‘Citizens for a Better Fort Atkinson’ is for residents to come together informally to talk about community opportunities and problems, and to express questions and concerns regarding community issues,” Donohue said.  

During the meeting, questions and concerns will be collected, and will be directed to appropriate city government officials. Answers to questions will be shared at future meetings. 

“‘Citizens for a Better Fort Atkinson’ is nonpartisan and is independent of city government itself. It is purely a proactive listening and positively-acting, citizen-based information gathering and solution-finding initiative,” Donohue said.

“Fort Atkinson’s residents enjoy many quality of life features in terms of public safety, health care, parks and recreation, public works, library and museum, senior center, education, local economy, housing, environment, volunteerism, and many other features,”  Donohue noted, adding: “We want to take care of our quality of life and make it the best possible.”

Further, he said: “The idea for ‘Citizens for a Better Fort Atkinson’ evolved from the many discussions I had with residents during my city council candidacy formation. Initiating this kind of town hall-style group was actually encouraged by residents.  Once we form-up, it is our intention to extend it well beyond the spring elections.”