March 26, 2026
See below questions asked by the Chamber, and the following "responses" from the listed candidate.
Candidate: Joe Knight
Running for: Incumbent for District 3, Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors
Collaboration and Regional Leadership: Many issues — from economic growth to environmental protection — require collaboration beyond the county’s borders. How would you work with other governments and stakeholders (the City of Eau Claire, City of Altoona, surrounding counties, the state government, and local tribes) to advance common goals? Please give specific examples, such as partnering with cities on shared services or infrastructure projects, collaborating with school districts on youth programs, or advocating at the state level for legislation that benefits Eau Claire County. Additionally, how will you engage with constituents and the business community to ensure the County’s policies reflect the needs of Eau Claire County?
Response: "The city of Eau Claire and the county cooperate on the health department and communications for law enforcement. On the environmental side, the county works with the Eau Claire River Watershed Coalition, a nonprofit organization attempting to improve the water quality in the river and its impoundments. The watershed includes five counties, and three lake districts, (Mead Lake, Lake Eau Claire and Lake Altoona.) Landowners and land conservation departments in the five counties are also involved. Extension Education involves Eau Claire, Chippewa and Dunn counties. This is jointly funded by the county and state. The Land Conservation Commission has been working with municipalities that have high levels of phosphorus in their discharges from treatment plants. To prevent them from making costly changes to their plants for a relatively small reduction in phosphorus, we do upland conservation measures to eliminate an equal amount of phosphorus. The conservation practices must be in the same watershed as the treatment plants. You mention youth groups. On Monday nights at Tower Ridge Recreation Area in winter there are over 100 young skiers and volunteer coaches out for the Kicking Kids Learn to Ski program. Similarly, during the warmer months Lowes Creek County Park is used heavily by teams of young mountain bikers. The user groups, including skiers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, hunting dog trainers and grouse hunters have all been generous in their donations of time and funds for the county forest."
Workforce and Economic Development: What steps do you think Eau Claire County should take to alleviate the worker shortage impacting our region’s economy? In your answer, consider both the County’s role as an employer (how to fill critical positions like in public safety or human services) and its role in the broader economy (supporting job training programs, childcare access, or transportation for workers). How would you, as a County Board member, work with the business community and educational institutions to grow and retain a skilled workforce in Eau Claire County?
Response: "The county can continue to help make Eau Claire a place where people want to live, with clean water and opportunities for outdoor education. We can welcome refugees who are here legally and willing to work entry-level jobs at odd hours. Employers may need to offer more competitive salaries to keep workers here."
Housing Availability: Housing affordability and availability are vital for our workforce and community stability. What actions can the County Board take to support the development of more affordable and workforce housing in Eau Claire County? Would you advocate for County policies that incentivize housing development (for example, utilizing idle county-owned land, adjusting zoning in rural areas for housing, or collaborating with cities on housing projects)? Please share your approach to addressing housing needs across the county, including smaller communities and rural areas.
Response: "The housing shortage partly reflects a growing population. People want to live here. Until recently, I think the county board viewed affordable housing as a problem for the city of Eau Claire or Altoona. Now the county is starting to be more involved in dealing with homelessness and affordable housing. The Housing Our Neighbors Planning Collaborative is showing promise and a lot of enthusiasm. The county’s Department of Human Services is showing some leadership. I’m glad the chamber is involved. The city of Eau Claire Housing Authority and Eau Claire County Housing Authority have worked together to have a four-page housing application, down from about 20 pages. In rural areas trailer courts serve as a sort of accidental affordable housing. I have two trailer parks in my district. One couple told me they had paid off their trailer home in two years, which they considered preferable to a 30-year mortgage. The downside is that they are not on a bus line and the landlord still owns the lots. The trailers don’t appreciate in value like a permanent home would."
Fiscal Responsibility: Eau Claire County has encountered budget deficits in recent years. How would you approach the county budget to ensure fiscal responsibility and taxpayer value? Discuss your stance on spending priorities and potential cost-saving reforms – for instance, are there services that could be delivered more efficiently, or areas where you see potential revenue growth (through grants, partnerships, or economic growth) to avoid placing the burden on property taxpayers? If state funding remains flat, what tough choices would you consider to keep the budget balanced?
Response: "Because of the timing of how levy limits were imposed on the county, we sometimes come up short on paying for things we are mandated to do. I guess the good news for homeowners is that we are perennially in the lowest fourth of Wisconsin counties for property taxes, but if we have to borrow to perform state-mandated services that’s ultimately more expensive. In our last budget at the end of the summer all departments were asked to go back and cut five percent from their proposed budgets in order to be able to pay staff a modest 2.5 percent raise, which doesn’t quite keep up with inflation. That’s not sustainable year after year. I wouldn’t be opposed to having a referendum for big ticket items like the school board does, although that’s a minority view. I’m thinking of the new courthouse. But I did support borrowing for the courthouse, and I think it is well designed with electric recharging stations and alternative energy features. Having the kitchen for Meals on Wheels there was creative thinking and it saved some money."
Business Climate and Infrastructure: In what ways can the County Board foster a healthy business climate and support economic development? Please address county services or policies that impact local businesses – such as maintaining and improving county highways and infrastructure, supporting broadband expansion, ensuring timely zoning and permitting processes, and any economic development programs the county should pursue. How will you ensure that Eau Claire County is seen as a partner to businesses and not an obstacle?
Response: "We have had an emphasis on broadband expansion, and I think we’ve just about reached every corner of the county. Some of the federal dollars we received during the COVID period went to expanding broadband. As for highways, there was a time several years ago when county highways were funded last. I guess the thinking was that people were more important than potholes. Of the 72 counties in the state, we used to rank 71st. Now we are more in the middle of the pack. Highways are expensive. I supported the gas tax as a user fee that would save us some borrowing. But we still have to borrow. The current situation in the Middle East is going to further exacerbate these funding issues. Once it is stabilized, though, the state legislature needs to raise the gas tax and bring back indexing, which is a fairly painless way to keep up with inflation. We had an interesting comparison presented at last Tuesday’s county board meeting. In the period from 2006 to 2024, general fund tax collection went up 14 percent. During the same period transportation user fee revenue decreased 32 percent."
Health and Human Services/Public Health: What are your priorities for the County’s health and human services programs? With health and human services comprising the largest share of the budget, how will you ensure we effectively address issues like mental health care, the opioid/fentanyl crisis, care for seniors and veterans, and public health preparedness? Do you support current initiatives (such as expanding crisis mental health training or treatment programs) and what new initiatives, if any, would you champion to improve community health outcomes?
Response: "Health and Human Services workers have difficult jobs and they do them well. Nobody goes in this field to make money. Court-ordered out-of-home placements are a fact of life but are expensive for the county board. If the individuals can be placed with relatives, the outcomes are usually better, and they also save the county a few dollars. Mental health care is particularly expensive. A day at the Winnebago or Mendota facilities is about $1756 per day. Having more capacity for this kind of care in western Wisconsin would help. When we are setting the budget in November it is hard to predict how many out-of-home placements we will have to deal with during the year. It’s a guesstimate."
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