Election promises turnover on County Board

With seven supervisors having filed a notice of noncandidacy, more than one-quarter of the Ozaukee County Board will be turned over in the upcoming April election.

Those who filed noncandidacy papers include Barb Jobs, who represents the Third District in the Town of Saukville; Don Clark, who represents the Fifth District in the Village of Saukville; Marty Wolf, who represents the 11th District in the Town of Cedarburg; Tom Richart, who represents the 12th District in Grafton; Claude Taylor, who represents the 13th District in Grafton; Bruce Ross, who represents the 19th District in Mequon; and Ariba Khan, who represents the 20th  District in the City of Mequon.

The longest tenured of the group is Richart, who was first elected to the County Board in April 2000. 

“I got 25 years in. By the time April comes around I’ll be 84 years old. It’s time to let some younger people take it over,” Richart said.

In 2022, Richart filed non-candidacy papers, but when no one filed to replace him, he ran as a write-in candidate and won 99 to 74 against another write-in candidate.

In hopes of generating more interest this time around, Richart resigned from the board on Dec. 3 to give County Board Chairman Lee Schlenvogt and the rest of the board the chance to appoint someone to fill his seat. 

“It leaves the space open and gives some options to the County Board chairman to fill it with a candidate,” he said.

Schlenvogt did not respond to an email seeking comment, but County Administrator Jason Dzwinel said in an email Schlenvogt had not made a final decision “but is giving consideration to the timing of a potential appointment and the upcoming elections in April of 2026. 

“The Chairperson’s recommendation would not be presented to the County Board until February at the earliest,” he said. “The county will issue a press release if applications are being sought for the opening in Supervisor Richart’s former district.”

With Richart leaving, that leaves Port Washington Supr. Rick Nelson as the longest-serving member of the County Board. Nelson and Richart were sworn in on the same day in 2000.

Richart said he was most proud of his work on the comprehensive planning front and helping shepherd the construction of the Lasata Crossings assisted living facility and Lions Den Gorge Nature Preserve.

He also was a champion of downsizing the County Board and refining its committee system over the years.

“I used to attend 80 committee meetings a year,” he said, when there were more than four dozen committees. “Last year, I attended 37, including County Board meetings.”

Now is a good time to leave, he said.

Richart said most voters know little about what the county does or who their supervisors are, unaware the county provides court services, road maintenance, Sheriff’s services and county parks and trails.

“I don’t think anybody knows what the county does,” he said. “A lot of the services we provide serve people who are in hard situations. I don’t think I’ve gotten more than five calls a year” from constituents concerned about county issues.

“I’m in that sweet spot where I don’t want to be here too long or leave too early,” he said.

Wolf, the board vice chairman, said he feels the same.

“We have accomplished a lot of good things,” Wolf, chairman of the Public Works Committee, said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the county. I love the work, I love the people.”

Wolf, who teaches at Wisconsin Lutheran College, said it’s a good time to step away from the County Board.
“I feel it’s time to step away. I feel like its what I am supposed to do,” he said.

He said many of the issues the board has faced in recent years have been laid to rest, such as expanding the Lasata Senior Living Campus by adding a community-based residential facility and distributing millions in federal dollars to start paramedic services in northern county communities and shuttering the Ozaukee Express commuter bus service.

“If I thought there were more serious fights to be had, I would be less likely to leave,” he said.

In 2024, Wolf was nominated to replace Schlenvogt as board chairman but lost by one vote.  

Candidates for the County Board could begin circulating petitions on Dec. 1. Petitions must have at least 20 signatures and must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6.

As of Monday, all other incumbent supervisors had declared their candidacy except Kurt Schoessow, who represents the 23rd District in Mequon.

All 26 County Board seats will be on the Tuesday, April 7, ballot. If more than two candidates run for any of the seats, a primary will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 17.