March 26, 2026
"See below questions asked by the Chamber, and the following "responses" from the listed candidate.
Candidate: Heather DeLuka
Running for: Candidate for District 24, 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 county and the municipalities can collaborate on housing, improved services for the elderly and disabled, transportation within the county, library services, re-zonning for more increased housing and municipal business development. The City/County Board of Health Department is a prime example of collaboration. The Board of Health prepares the budget, determines how the budget allocations are made, appoints the City-County Director/Health Officer and determines employee compensation. Eau Claire County has created special task forces and committees to work with other municipalities. Broadband Committee: A resolution was approved by the County Board of Supervisors to create a special committee to review and develop strategies to expand broadband services in EC County. It identified under-served areas, worked with service providers and was successful in connecting those households with broadband. Emergency Medical Services (EMS): EC County received a request to assist with coordinating emergency medical services. Counties have the authority to provide countywide emergency services. A task force was created to evaluate, identify options and make recommendations for county involvement. Each municipality has such different arrangements for ambulance service, first responders and fiscal oversight that it was not feasable to combine at this time."
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: "State law holds property tax increases to 0% except for increase due to net new construction. As expenses increase, there is no way to increase tax revenue. The
county is faced with a choice between delivering mandated services or increasing wages
and benefits for the staff that delivers these services. The question is how to balance
both. Maintaing a stable workforce must be a top priority because without them, we can not deliver the required services. Turnover is costly because it takes time to recruit and
spend time training in new staff. Workers want packages that offer a pathway for career
advancement and competitive compensation. When operational funding is tight,
sometimes non-monetary compensations need to be offered to promote retention or
entice new recruits. EC County recently created an Economic Development Committee. The committee reviews and identifies economic needs and works to improve the industrial/commercial climate in the county. It collaborates and supports EC County Economic Development Corp. and other economic development groups that support EC County. The Committee executes and monitors progress of the development, goals, and objectives set in the EC County Comprehensive Plan. Our Economic Development Committee works to determine the workforce driver jobs and shares that information with CVTC and the University prompting new topics or classes to be developed or added. The Human Resources Department also receives this data and uses it to fine tune how to implement it into a job description and compensation package."
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 mission of the Eau Claire County Housing Authority is to help provide safe, sanitary, and accessible dwelling accommodations for people of low and moderate incomes at rents and prices they can afford, and to help arrange the clearance, re-planning, and reconstruction of areas in which unsanitary or unsafe housing conditions exist. Affordable housing is an ongoing issue, magnified by inflation and interest rates. The
housing market has been affected by fctors such as Covid, tariffs, and supply chain issues. There is a shortage of rental property for those with limited incomes and in rural areas. New construction is helping, but the type of housing has to match demand. The key for the county board is to assist municipalities to: identify housing types needed, gather facts and data, prioritize needs, find available grants and outside funding, and allocate resources in an effective and responsible manner. We need to promote efficient, innovative and mixed use rental units while increasing supply. In July 2025, the Prairie Heights Residences, located at 3277 Birch Street opened. It is a 60-unit, eco-friendly and affordable housing development. It utilizes renewable energy systems, including solar panels and geothermal technology, to significantly reduce carbon emissions and utility costs for residents. Specialized rental units are set aside for disabled, seniors, veterans and low income."
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: "The county is the delivery arm of state and federal services. State and federal
governments provide a portion of the funding, sales tax and county property tax finance
the rest. The County Board determines how the county taxes are divided among the
departments and programs. State law does not permit the county to increase taxes,
except due to net new construction. Improving economic development by adding
businesses and jobs, helps to increase the tax base. Mandated services such as safe roads and bridges, the Courts, child protection, Meals on Wheels, Veteran services, emergency planning and economic support require a funding stream. These mandated services can put stress on the counties operational funds when reimbursement is lower or delayed. It is important for the county to attract new businesses, improve housing and add to the employment base to stimulate county growth. The largest section of the population is seniors, making it vital that the county's plan should be to attract younger individuals to remain in the county to live and work. New businesses will help the local economy, increase the tax base, and allow the community to have additional funding to provide necessary services."
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: "Locales that have good schools, stable job market, diverse housing, green spaces and areas for recreation attract new residents and businesses. All of these help build a strong economy, increase the tax base and allows the community to provide the
necessary services to their citizens. The West Central WI Regional Planning Commission annually updates our economic profile and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) plan. It administers the economic development loan programs for existing and new businesses. It also assists in securing funding for public work projects.
Our Economic Development Committee focuses specifically on assessing the needs for
our area. They collaborate with other economic development groups to coordinate and
execute the goals set in the Eau Claire County Comprehensive Plan. The Broadband
Committee has been successful in increasing broadband service to many under-served
areas with coordination of various service providers and Skylink. New innovative
processes have been used to replace a bridge and roads creating a cost-saving for the
county."
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: "DHS provides state and federally mandated human services to the most vulnerable and needy residents of Ec County. Our programs serve abused and neglected children, adults and children with mental illness, adults and children with developmental
disabilities, youth offenders, adults and youth with alcohol and other drug problems, and
children, youth and adults in need of residential/institutional care. Plus the agency is
responsible for the protection of vulnerable adults and adults at risk. DHS has social workers that are on call to assist law enforcement when dealing with citizens that present with mental health issues. They provide the skills to help deescalate the situation, evaluate the citizen's needs and offer advice on the best protocol for the situation. DHS works with the jail inmates and the unhoused to assist in evaluation for mental health and defining program protocol. Plus, they assist inmates to prepare for a successful release and adapting back into society. The State set aside $15 million for our area to recover from the HSHS and Prevea closures. It was disappointing to see that the Joint Finance Committee did not release those funds and allowed them to sunset in June 2025. Those funds would have assisted the Chippewa Valley to recover faster from the medical closure impact. The task force that was created, worked diligently and quickly to fill the needed gaps for mental health, emergency services, etc."
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