RE-ELECT KEITH BOSMAN FOR MAYOR
CITY OF KENOSHA
www.KeithBosman.com

"Forward Kenosha"

Nothing is more important to many Kenosha residents than the condition of the roads. One of the most direct ways we can return some of the investment our residents make through their property taxes is to see that the roads they drive on are well maintained. My plan is to not only have a firm schedule that makes sense, driven by our capital budget, but also to communicate that plan on a regular basis to our residents. If there is one thing that is frustrating, it is when road projects seem to lag behind what is reasonable and when the roads that need repairs the most seem neglected. We will ensure that the maintenance of our thoroughfares is high on the list of priorities for a Bosman Administration.

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT

Residential development is key to revitalizing the downtown.  We must continue to bring new full-time residents to the downtown.  More residents mean fewer empty storefronts as businesses locate in the downtown to service those residents. 

REBUILDING NEIGHBORHOODS

Take a ride through the inner city neighborhoods and see all of the new homes that have been built in the last ten years.  I will continue to focus on home ownership in the inner city neighborhoods. 

Owner-occupied housing improves and stabilizes neighborhoods.  The City has a goal of 50% owner-occupied housing in the inner city.  I believe we can attain that goal.

BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT

Mayor Antaramian has made Kenosha a textbook example of brownfield redevelopment.  I will continue to partner with the Federal and State governments and the landowners to redevelop former brownfield sites.  The Brass site, MacWhyte and the Bonnie Hame property will all be redevelopment opportunities.  It is very important to involve the community in the planning process, especially the surrounding neighborhood.

The I-94 CORRIDOR

The City now extends well beyond the I-94 corridor.  In the next five years, the I-94 corridor will see huge commercial and industrial development;  jobs, shopping opportunities and an increased tax base will be the result.  We must do it right.  It is important to involve our new Kenoshans in the process.

PROTECTIVE SERVICES

Police protection, fire suppression and emergency medical services are always the number one priority of any city.  I just finished three years on the Police and Fire Commission.  We have highly qualified, highly trained, very motivated members of our community who serve on our police and fire departments.  We must maintain adequate staffing levels and there must be a timely replacement and upgrade of equipment.

QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES

Graffiti and gangbangers will not be tolerated.  I believe we must have the law enforcement to deal directly with the problem, but I also think that prevention and intervention is important as is support for the community-based organizations that work with “at-risk” kids.

PROPERTY TAXES

Adding tax base to the community is my goal.  It could be replacing a vacant lot downtown with a condo development, filling a vacant lot in one of our inner neighborhoods with a new home, redeveloping a former factory site with a shopping center or a new industrial park on undeveloped land near the airport.  All of these endeavors reduce the share of the burden on our existing community.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION

As the competition gets greater for state and federal dollars to municipalities, it is extremely important that our new mayor maintain open communications with our state and national legislators. Mayor Antaramian was a master at leveraging his relationship with state authorities. Whoever is elected will have a tough act to follow in that regard. I hope to tap into his expertise, borrow from his experiences and call on him often for advice and counsel in the months and years following the election. Keeping Kenosha on the front burner in Madison and Washington D.C. is vital to our continued success.

It is also important that the new mayor expand upon what John has done in our relationships with bordering municipalities. We must get along with our neighbors and cannot be viewed as a "heavy-handed" big brother in negotiations on border pacts, water contracts and other areas of potential cooperation.

If elected, I will have an annual State of the City address wherein I will update the community on the progress being made in these and other areas.

USER-FRIENDLY GOVERNMENT

Anybody who has had to get a permit or wait in line to pay taxes or sometimes just to get a simple answer to a question from city hall knows that it can be a frustrating experience. My goal is to make the mayor's office accessible to all of our citizens. Some of my opponents have been there before - they can be judged based on what they did while mayor. For those of us who have not been mayor before, it is important to examine the commitments we are making and talk to the people who have had experience with us. I pledge to have an open administration that will respond quickly to citizen concerns.

BUSINESS/EMPLOYMENT GROWTH 

It is very important to encourage the growth of business and employment opportunities.  Development of the commercial and industrial tax base (along with controlled spending) is the best way of  keeping property taxes under control. 

Expansion of our industrial parks and the creation of jobs that pay a respectable wage with health  care should be our goal. 

It is very important to establish and maintain regular contact with our business and labor leaders, the Chamber of Commerce and Kenosha Area Business Alliance.