January 29, 2002
Note: Julie Pung Leschke represented District 13 on the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors from 1998 - 2001. When the Oshkosh Northwestern endorsed her in 1998, they said in part, "this music instructor, mom, and MBA student is exactly the type of citizen representation the board needs." In November of 1998 she was one of only two of the 38 Supervisors to vote against passing the $121 million County Budget. Since then she has been an outspoken advocate of reforming County Board governing procedures, becoming the driving force behind an "Exploratory Committee" that generated some reform ideas.
Though her term would have ended in April of this year, Julie decided to resign from the Board late in 2001. I asked her 4 questions via email. Her responses appear below. In January of 2001 Julie responded to 4 different questions. Those questions and responses can be found here. I might also add that Julie's currently preparing a piano recital with her mom, a task that is probably more fun than serving in County government! You can email her at jleschke@northnet.net --Tony Palmeri
Commentary Question #1: Why did you decide to resign your county board seat in December rather than complete your entire term?
JPL: Very simply, I resigned from the county board because I reached a point where it was impossible for me to devote the necessary time to do the job well. I am at a point in my life where my family is my top priority. County board responsibilities were growing to a level that was becoming more and more difficult to maintain. Continuing along the path I had begun would have led to greater challenges and an increased time commitment. The needs of my family were immediate and once the decision was made to not run for a 3rd term, it seemed very appropriate to step down as I did. I would like to say that I struggled for some time with my decision. I am not one to quit something I've begun or to back down from a challenge. It was a difficult decision but a necessary one for myself, and my family.
Commentary Question #2: Candidates Claud Thompson and Bradley Disch seek to replace you as District 13 supervisor. What the top two or three issues that you will be most interested in hearing their views on?
JPL: Certainly, a couple of "hot" topics right now are the FBO issue and the Courthouse Security issue. Both issues are very involved. I would be able to get a good idea about a number of qualities in the two candidates by hearing their thoughts on either of those issues. I would look for indications that they approach an issue and come to a decision: by thoroughly examining all of the pertinent facts surrounding that issue; by being willing to listen to both sides of the issue, understand both sides, and respond to both sides; by carefully weighing the effects, short-term and long-term, of their decision on the citizens of Winnebago County, and; by clearly communicating their thought process in their decision-making. I would also try to gain an understanding of their basic philosophical views or beliefs as they pertain to each issue.
Apart from the two specific issues I mentioned, I would be very interested in knowing the candidates' views regarding: 1. The current structure and effectiveness of the county board, 2. The state/county relationship including state mandates, shared revenue, and state/county obligations 3. Philosophy on "taxation"
Commentary Question #3: Do you plan to publicly endorse one of the candidates? Why or why not?
JPL: At this point, I am unfamiliar with both candidates. I will listen to both express their views over the next months, and I would certainly endorse one over the other if one emerges as the better candidate. If I were to endorse a candidate, I would clearly state my reasons for doing so. (The candidate who has been appointed to complete my term would seem to have the advantage at this point, but history has proven that is not always the case).
Commentary Question #4: In your two terms you have been an outspoken advocate of board reform, becoming the driving force behind the "Exploratory Committee." Two part question: (a) has progress been made in the last 4 years toward reforming the board? And (b) what in your view are the major reforms that still need to take place?
JPL: (a) I believe that progress has been made in the last 4 years, but it has been minimal. For example: there are several newer people on the board who are not bound in any way to particular "personalities" or involved in any conflicts that would hamper their ability to vote without bias; there have been small improvements in equalizing committee assignments; "accountability" has been an issue and may have an effect on influencing people to appropriately claim per diems; there are many long-term supervisors who ARE interested in making changes and improvements (we discovered that through the Exploration Committee process) but there is a lack of consensus on specific issues.
(b) Some of the major reforms that still need to take place are the following:
1. Reduce the board size
2. Consolidate committees
3. Equalize committee assignments
4. Establish salary system to replace per diem system
Tony, I would be happy to discuss this question further with you. I could write a thesis on this subject! The Exploration Committee just scratched the surface of many issues and came to a "rocky" consensus in completing its final report. Our committee did not address board size (as you well know, size cannot be addressed again until 2010 despite the fact that the committee of jurisdiction did not allow for meaningful debate and discussion on this subject). Committee structure and pay structure issues are uninteresting to non board members but, in my opinion, have great impact on how effective the county board can be. In gathering information about what other counties do and about the state statutes that we must adhere to, I came to realize there are an infinite number of solutions. I also came to believe that the need for some committees currently mandated by state statute should be revisited as well.
In government, it would take a very special person to NOT begin to make decisions for self-serving reasons after a period of time. Our committee ran into the problem of not being able to suggest merging committees or duties in a sensible way because it would affect certain supervisor's committee assignments or chairmanships. I see serving as a county supervisor as a community service that should be motivated by striving to best serve the citizens of the county.
In closing, I would like to say that until the citizens of the county become more concerned about local government through becoming informed, running for office, volunteering for citizen committee service and, most importantly voting, there cannot be meaningful representation.