Village voters to choose president

The Belgium Village Board appointed Pete Anzia village president over Clem Gottsacker last summer, and now the voters will decide.
Both are running for the position in the April 2 general election.
Anzia, who served as trustee for five years before being appointed president, said he wants to retain the position to help keep the village affordable.
“I grew up in this village and I like to know where everything is being spent, try and keep taxes down. We have a lot of elderly people in this village. We’re getting kind of high priced in taxes. We have to hold back a bit. We don’t want to run anybody out because they can’t afford it,” he said.
Gottsacker, a trustee for the past 16 years, has one goal for the village.
“I’ve always wanted to see Silver Beach Road paved. I think that would open up that industrial park. Right now it’s not going anywhere,” he said. “That road would make a big difference. I know it would. Even if I don’t get elected, I’m still going to push for that.”
Anzia doesn’t see an urgent need to pave the road.
“To spend $3 million, I don’t think we’re going to gain a whole lot. Maybe we could gain some businesses, I don’t know. I guess if we start getting businesses out there, we’d have to take a look at it again,” he said. “We just spent quite a bit of money on Main Street, now we have to hold back a little bit.”
Anzia and Gottsacker both live on Main Street and are happy the reconstruction project is complete, and they like the results. They both agreed it was a good idea to bury the power lines and to have sharp-looking streetlights. Gottsacker likes that bike trails were added — a requirement to secure federal funding for the project — while Anzia said he hears complaints about them.
Both want to see more businesses in the village. The location of the former grocery store on South Royal Avenue is ripe for business but remains vacant.
“We tried and tried and tried to attract a grocery store there, even an Aldi’s. Nobody is biting. There just isn’t enough population to support it,” Gottsacker said.
He supports using the site for senior housing.
“We’ve got assisted living, but we don’t have any (senior housing),” he said, adding, “Maybe finish that strip mall, put a few shops in over there.”
Anzia would rather keep the site for businesses.
“Housing over there doesn’t fit into how everything is laid out in the village. It’s laid out for retail. I’d hate to have big apartments up there with Buechler Farms next door. They do have some animals, they do have weddings. How’s that going to affect the neighbors if they’re going complain about the noise?”
Anzia and Gottsacker also differed on the petition to remove Trustee Dale Pfeifer last October over his attendance. Pfeifer, who at one point missed a stretch of 15 of 17 Village Board meetings because he works second shift, was petitioned to be removed by Trustee Don Gotcher. Anzia voted against removing Pfeifer, while Gottsacker voted for removal. The petition was defeated, 3-2.
Anzia was appointed village president in June after Vickie Boehnlein resigned to seek the village treasurer job. It took three votes and two meetings for trustees to reach the required four votes to pick a president. Anzia received votes from himself, Josh Borden, Rose Sauers and Pfeifer. Gottsacker received votes from himself and Gotcher.
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Wisconsin’s largest paid circulation community weekly newspaper. Serving Port Washington, Saukville, Grafton, Fredonia, Belgium, as well as Ozaukee County government. Locally owned and printed in Port Washington, Wisconsin.
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