Lybert, Swanepoel vying for District 17 seat on St. Croix County board, answer questions
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A pair of Glenwood area residents are running to represent District 17 on the St. Croix County Board of Supervisors.
Sean Lybert and Bob Swanepoel are challenging one another for the open seat in the April 5th Spring general election.
Longtime representative Judy Achterhof filed a notification of non-candidacy this past December leaving the District 17 seat, which represents the Townships of Cylon, Emerald, Forest, Glenwood and Stanton as well as the Village of Deer Park and the City of Glenwood City, vacant.
The Tribune Press Reporter sent questions to each candidate. Their responses follow.
SEAN LYBERT
Sean Lybert
Sean Lybert, 35, and his wife Miranda, reside in Glenwood City and are the parents to four children – Brycin, Raylynn, Paisley, and Lainey.
Lybert, who served nearly 12 years as an Army paratrooper with two deployments to Iraq, owns and operates Glenwood Bait & Bow and works full-time for Congressman Tom Tiffany.
Lybert holds a bachelor’s degree from UW-Stout in vocational rehabilitation with a focus in counseling.
1. Why did you decide to run for a position on the county board?
I’m tired of the watching the country we love get buried in the ground over liberal ideals and policies. Its time to make a change to ensure we pass down the country we know and love to our children. If we continue down this road much longer there won’t be much to pass down unless we stand up and make a change and stop government from expanding beyond their means.
2. What do you believe to be the two biggest issues facing the county?
1. Wasteful government spending. 2. Cutting our local taxes.
3. How would you go about addressing those issues – or what might be some solutions to the issues?
1. I will be voting against all wasteful projects such as the $80 million government building in Hudson.
2. St. Croix County is the second fastest growing county in Wisconsin. There is no need for our taxes to be as high as they are let alone continue to rise.
BOB SWANEPOEL
Bob Swanepoel
Bob Swanepoel is a lifelong resident of the Glenwood City area and a graduate of Glenwood City High School.
He and his wife Diane have four adult children – Roberta, Luke, Vanessa, and Lee.
Swanepoel has been involved in dairy farming in the area for 66 years and until just a few years ago, milked cows and raised crops on the small farm on which the couple still lives.
Bob has also been employed full-time by the Glenwood City School District for over 30 years and currently serves as its coordinator of buildings and grounds, a position that he will retire from this coming June.
In addition, Swanepoel has also been a volunteer driver for the Glenwood City Ambulance Service for that past five years.
1. Why did you decide to run for a position on the county board?
I have lived my entire life in the area that makes up St. Croix County District 17. I was born in rural Forest, farmed and raised my children in Glenwood City. I have seen the towns and townships in our portion of the county change from one in which nearly everyone operated a family farm to one where agriculture and jobs have changed dramatically. I am running to make sure that as our county grows, that the eastern end of the county is treated fairly and given greater priority.
2. What do you believe to be the two biggest issues facing the county?
The rapid growth of St. Croix County is one the biggest challenges the county faces. This growth will require roads, infrastructure and the policies that allow the county to continue to grow while at the same time keeping it safe and affordable for families.
The second challenge is making sure that the benefits of growth and improved infrastructure extend to the eastern portions of the county. One way to do that is making sure we prioritize local contractors, businesses and workers when the county does its work. This will help to ensure that our main streets and rural communities will also prosper.
3. How would you go about addressing those issues – or what might be some solutions to the issues?
One solution is ensuring that new federal infrastructure funds are used to upgrade our roads, bridges and high-speed internet to meet the needs of a rapidly growing county. We must build, not just for the population we have now, but for what the county will need in the future. Secondly, we must be prudent with our spending so that property taxes do not become a greater challenge for those living in District 17. The reality is, this area of the county is different from other, more suburban areas of the county, and we must make sure it remains affordable.
Anything else you would like voters to know?
I firmly believe that hard work and common-sense solutions is best done by someone who will listen and work for everyone. I have lived in this area for over 60 years, I volunteer for the Glenwood City Ambulance Service, and attend St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. I’ve raised my family here and gotten to know generations of families in our community. I don’t promise to have all the answers, but I can promise to listen to your ideas and give them a voice. The reality is nobody knows or understands the needs more that those of us living here.