March 26, 2026
See below questions asked by the Chamber, and the following "responses" from the listed candidate.
Candidate: Ray French
Running for: Candidate for District 17, 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: "I have spent my career in State and Local government, the last 10 years in economic development. I have worked for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation as the Regional Economic Development Director for West Central Wisconsin the last 5 years, and am a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). My daily work requires
collaboration and bringing multiple stakeholders together to try to address various
issues. We need leaders that are willing to step up and be those collaborators. We
should continue looking at the services and programs the County is required to provide
and working with neighboring jurisdictions to pursue opportunities like the DOR
Innovation Grant. I know staff is already considering a lot of these types of opportunities
and I will support them to foster further collaborative conversations. My experience in
collaboration has been focused more on strategic planning and process development to
arrive at a shared outcome, like the Kinnickinnic River Corridor planning process in
River Falls and working with regional business incubators. We also know that many of our fiscal challenges are the direct result of the State overreach of local control through levy limits and a lack of community investment despite record surpluses. We absolutely need to continue our advocacy to make sure local officials can make effective decisions with a full toolbox. That doesn’t mean all of our problems will be solved with raising property taxes; but a balance of raising revenues across different areas combined with an efficient delivery of services. I also look forward to being engaged with the area Chambers and EDCs to talk more with businesses, and also for the County to regularly survey constituents and those using our programs and services on what’s important. Decisions on programs and services should be made through a shared vision and values, along with an effective strategic plan for what we want Eau Claire County to be."
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: "We know that economic development is so much more than attracting new businesses. It is workforce training, childcare, housing, schools, quality of life, transportation, thriving main streets, and growing local businesses. We can try to attract all the people to our communities as we want, but it won’t work if we don’t have affordable places for them to live and affordable childcare if they need it. As the County, we need to make sure our policies and workplaces are attractive and competitive. We also have incredible post- secondary institutions in our County that are already doing great work providing responsive educational programs. There’s more we can do to create that connection from our local schools to these institutions to show people that there is a path to success staying right here in the Chippewa Valley. A thriving local community is also
built on local spending – making sure that the money we spend as a County and County
residents supports local businesses as much as possible. Keeping our dollars circulating locally, bringing in visitor dollars, and exporting to bring in dollars from other places. We need build trust among our local leaders and partnering organizations to foster collaboration and work to solving these issues together."
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: "I think the County should undertake a new County-wide housing study. We don’t have the data to know an accurate housing demand based on accurate wage data compared to the housing stock we have. With that data, we can work with communities to support housing developments that meet the needs we know we have. Right now we’re using inaccurate data from old studies and there are lot of cooks in the kitchen trying to work on their particular housing issue. The County can be a convener that brings everyone
together under a shared vision and goals. There is money for affordable housing
throughout the County, we just first need to know what our accurate needs are and then
build programs to specifically address those needs. These programs can support existing homes just as much as new housing development. We have overregulated our neighborhoods and made it too difficult to build the housing we know we want to see. Absolutely we should partnering with communities, builders, nonprofits and other partners to provide available land for sale for affordable housing. There are models partnering with groups like Habitat for Humanity that we can implement in communities here."
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: "This is one of the hardest questions because so much has been tried over the years. We have talented staff at the County who are already working so hard to be efficient
and deliver top quality services. As stated earlier, we need to make sure our toolbox has
as many tools available so that we can tackle this issue from multiple fonts. There are
the services we are required to provide, and those are ripe for collaboration. We also
can’t just grow our way out of this issue, but growth is a part of the solution too. I support honest and transparent budgeting so that we know our fiscal position, while also not operating from a scarcity mindset. We will absolutely be faced with service cuts if the State does not allow the County to do its job. Those cuts will have to be based on the County’s Strategic Plan that clearly identifies what we prioritize and what we want
our County to be."
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: "The County is responsible for much infrastructure that is critical to our businesses and local economy. Of course we will continue to prioritize those projects and services that serve the greatest good and fosters continued growth. We can do more to support our existing businesses and those starting and growing here. We have incredible partners with the Small Business Development Center and the Women’s Business Center,
among others like the Regional Business Fund. Unfortunately, the County recently decided to close the Chippewa Valley’s manufacturing incubator when the local partnership collapsed. We have the data that shows that there is a need for that type of service, as well as models for how it can be effectively executed. We can do more to visit local businesses and learn about their challenges, and create programs to address their needs. These initiatives will require greater investment in our Economic Development Corporation and other partners to make sure they are prioritizing the best activities to serve our County business community."
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: "This is an area I look forward to learning more about to better understand the issues and the services that are already being provided. There may be ways to support further public/private partnerships to deliver these services, and innovative ways to achieve the same outcomes. My approach would be outcomes focused and less program-specific. Are there ways to address these issues upstream as well before we’re in treatment mode? I’d like to see us explore other locally-delivered health care partnerships like with the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative. There are innovative models we can try and I would like to see the County champion those. Similar to the decisions about fiscal
responsibility, we should be making decisions based on a Strategic Plan that is outcome
oriented for our County’s health."
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