Spring 2020 Eau Claire County Board Candidate Questionnaire District 8

Spring 2020 Candidate Questionnaire: Eau Claire County Board

District 8: ​Kevin Stelije

Note: These questions were drafted and candidate responses requested before concerns about COVID-19 escalated to their current level.

Q1. What are your background and qualifications for this position, and why are you a candidate?

Kevin Stelije:
County Board representative for the past six years. My strongest interests are in land management, protection of public access to green space and forest lands. As Chair of the Parks and Forest Committee, I always look to the future to preserve and protect the great public parks and forest resources we have today, and to expand and protect those in the face of any trends that threaten those values.

Q2. What is the County Board’s role in promoting economic development, business maintenance and commercial growth in the county?

Kevin Stelije:
I believe we should provide opportunity for business growth. Opportunities for growth should also require responsible consideration of local life quality for citizens and for or natural resources.

Q3. What should the County Board do to address the current budget issues and program demands in the Human Services area?

Kevin Stelije:
This is a very tough area. Should put our fun

Q3. What are the two biggest issues you expect Eau Claire County to face during your term, and how do you think the County Board should address them?

Kevin Stelije:
For some reason this tool does not allow me to complete my answer to the previous question, so here it is... we should commit funds to proactive services. This means we have to make very hard decisions to fund services for prevention, and monitor results to see if such actions reduce longer term costs. These may be temporarily higher, but jail costs and many human services costs, are a result of known issues. Perhaps we should consider a social model where substance addictive people could function without the need for criminal or destructive behavior. Clearly our policies of the past decades have been a failure. Let’s try something different.