Schultz not seeking reelection to county board

By Kim McDarison

After six terms, Jefferson County Board Supervisor Dick Schultz will not be running for another term. Schultz represents District 28, which includes Wards 7 and 9 in the city of Fort Atkinson.

In a recent telephone interview, Schultz said he initially ran for the seat because it was open and needed to be filled. 

In 2010, he said, he ran against Carrie Kendrick and won.  

Schultz said several factors contributed to his decision against running for another term, including his impression of newcomer Anthony Gulig, whose name will appear on the April ballot and is running unopposed for the seat. 

“In my district, there was a gentleman who was very interested in running,” but, Schultz said, other county board supervisors told him that the individual had made it known he would not compete for the seat against Schultz. 

“I had said if they could find someone to run, I’d step down,” Schultz said, adding that he was “quite impressed” with Gulig as a candidate and even signed his nomination papers. 

“I think he will be a good board member,” Schultz added. 

“I’ve always enjoyed serving,” Schultz said, noting that he has served on other boards, such as the Fort Atkinson City Council — serving for three terms from 2009 to 2015 —  and the School District of Fort Atkinson Board of Education, serving for one term from 2017 to 2020. 

“I think other people need to get involved so more people understand how the process works,” Schultz continued. 

He noted many issues that come before the board sometimes bring consternation from constituents, among them, he cited taxation, roads and referendums. 

As a member of the Jefferson County Board’s Highway Committee, he said: “We deal with a lot of complaints about roads. 

“People don’t understand that the state of Wisconsin enacted levy limits that do not allow local governments to exceed their budgets by more than a small percentage. They did it so they could go back and tell voters they were saving money.” 

As a result, he said, many roads and streets in the city of Fort Atkinson and the county as a whole have deteriorated.

“The city and the county have not been able to invest as they should and need to. So they have to prioritize which ones are the worst,” Schultz noted. 

The same holds true for other types of infrastructure, he said. 

During his tenure on the city council, he recalled: “We were told we needed $17 million for road work in the city.” 

Looking at the county board, he said: “More people should be willing to serve.”

In this year’s election cycle, he said, “there are no candidates for several seats.” 

Without candidates on the ballot, he said, continents are left to make choices for write-in candidates should they come forward.  

Without going through the full election process, Schultz said, some candidates might be disconnected from the process and issues facing the board. 

“We need more races, frankly. That’s how the process works,” Schultz added. 

When asked about takeaways from his 12 years of county board service, Schultz said there were times, both on the board and within broader society, that he believed there was too much partisanship.

“Sometimes, we don’t respect those who think differently than we do. That’s my concern about where this country is going generally,” he said. 

“If you don’t think the same as somebody else you are considered stupid and I worry about that,” he added. 

At the county, he said, “We have a very good staff.” He cited the county administrator and the department heads as “top notch.” 

Looking ahead at issues facing the board in 2022, Schultz cited ongoing efforts to remodel the county courthouse. 

“That will be a substantial project and it’s needed,” he said.  

Additionally, he cited both the Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Human Services as entities where “things are becoming more difficult,” which, he said, was a reflection of difficulties within society. 

“Something I’m grateful for is that the political parties have not gotten overly involved in finding candidates just for the sake of having their party’s candidate on the ballot,” he said, adding: “Independent thinking is what’s needed to solve issues at the county level. 

“People are trying to do what’s right, and it’s OK to disagree.” 

Overall, about time spent as a county board supervisor, Schultz said: “I’ve enjoyed it. We’ve tackled some tough issues together.” 

He cited the purchase of the property that is today the Dorothy Carnes County Park as one that brought some disagreement to the board. 

“Not everyone wanted to spend the money, but the board did it and it’s a beautiful park,” he said. 

After the April election, Schultz said, he anticipated he would have some free time. 

Schultz said he didn’t know just yet how he would be spending the time, but, he said, “not sitting home and watching TV. I’ll be looking for other things to get involved in.”