December 23, 2019 – West Bend, WI – Candidacy papers and signatures are due January 7, 2020, and as the political deadline nears in Washington County there are a couple new names in the mix.
In District 3 a declaration of candidacy was filed by Mary Ann Rzeszutek. “The Rz is kind of like zsa zsa like Zsa Zsa Gabor; so the first syllable is zsa and the second syllable is like shoe, what you put on your foot, and the third syllable is tech. So zsa-shoe-tech,” she said.
Incumbent Dist. 3 alderman Andrew Chevalier turned in his non-candidacy papers on Dec. 11, 2019. Chevalier followed in his father’s footsteps and was elected to the council in April 2018.
Rzeszutek, 64, has lived in West Bend for about seven months. “I moved here from New York State and I was involved in local politics in my last community,” she said. “I moved to be closer to family, so being involved in local politics was something I was looking forward to doing.”
Rzeszutek has already been appointed to West Bend’s Board of Zoning Appeals. “Little did I know it doesn’t meet that often so I was looking for something else to do and I found our current alderman wasn’t running so I thought I’d give it a shot,” she said.
Rzeszutek recently retired as a trainer in precision optics. “I went to school at Penn State and my original degree is in chemical engineering,” she said.
Hot topics she’s familiar with in West Bend include the Dark Store Theory and improving the roads.
“I’m pretty practical and with a background in engineering and working in manufacturing companies as well as having experience in being on boards, I’m hoping to bring that practical down-to-earth philosophy and the ability to get things done,” she said.
Rzeszutek works part time at the circulation desk at the West Bend Public Library.
She said she is feeling very at home in West Bend, which is a bit larger than her previous home in Livonia, NY.
“I love West Bend; it’s just the nicest place,” said Rzeszutek. “It’s beautiful and there are a lot of parks and you can walk or drive to everything.”
On December 16, former Jackson Police Chief Jed Dolnick filed candidacy papers to run for 5th District Alderman. The seat is currently held by Rich Kasten, however he filed non-candidacy for that aldermanic district on Dec. 2, 2019. Kasten was also first to file candidacy to run for mayor of West Bend.
Dolnick has experience on the council, he served as the 6th District Alderman from 1981-1985 and the 5th District Alderman from 1998-2002.
Aldermen need to collect between 20 – 40 signatures and mayoral candidates needs to collect 200 – 400 signatures.
As of Monday, Dec. 16, Dist. 1 alderman John Butschlick has been the first incumbent on the West Bend Common Council to submit 39 signatures.
Early word is another candidate will file papers in Dist. 7 before the Jan. 7, 2020 deadline.
