Dunn County Board candidate District No. 4: Pamela Powers

BOYCEVILLE  — Pamela Powers of Boyceville will be one of two candidates on the ballot in the April 3 election for the Dunn County Board District 4 position.

The other candidate is Ronald Score of Boyceville. As of press time for the March 21 edition, a questionnaire had not yet been received from Score.

District 4 covers the Town of Otter Creek, the Village of Wheeler and parts of the Town of Hay River and the Town of Tainter.

Powers is a communication specialist with UW-Stout University Communications. She is married with two stepsons and has lived in Dunn County since 1991. She earned bachelor degrees in communications and political science from UW-Superior and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York, New York.

Here are her answers to the questionnaire sent out by the Colfax Messenger and the Glenwood City Tribune:

• Why did you decide to run for the Dunn County Board of Supervisors?

I want to be of service to the community and help Dunn County continue to prosper.

• What makes you particularly suited to serve on the county board?

I worked for the Leader-Telegram newspaper covering the Dunn County Board for 26 years. I have been to over 250 county board and committee meetings during that time. I understand how the board works. I know the county, the department heads, the structure of the county board in a way few newcomers will. Yet, I believe I will bring the skepticism of a journalist, the ability to ask questions and weigh all sides of an issue before reaching a decision that will best serve my constituents and all county residents.

• What issues do you view as being the most important for the Dunn County Board?

A. Water resources. About 50 percent of Wisconsin residents rely on well water for their drinking water. I support the work of the Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement Association, the Red Cedar Watershed Conference, LAKES REU at UW-Stout and Farmland Preservation. They take an approach to the issue encouraging both urban and rural residents to work together. I also support the work of the county Planning, Resources and Development Committee to create a monitoring program of private wells and to develop an easily accessible database so everyone knows the status of water quality.

B. Road and infrastructure maintenance. There needs to be long-term planning, including financial, to address the aging roads and infrastructure.

C. Need for rural broadband expansion. The broadband gap between those with high speed Internet and those without needs to be addressed. County supervisors should continue to encourage the use of state grant money to expand Internet access in rural areas. Younger workers and businesses expect high speed Internet access to be attracted to the area.

• What do you believe to be the biggest challenges facing Dunn County?

An aging population and the need to attract and retain educated younger workers in Dunn County who are graduating from UW-Stout and other area universities. Having an educated, available workforce attracts cleaner, higher paying business and industry. That in turn provides property tax base, and that then helps provide needed county services such as better roads.

• Other comments?

While working at the Leader-Telegram, I also attended all Menomonie City Council and Menomonie school board meetings and covered UW-Stout. I bring a unique perspective to the county board because of that experience.