Mike Wiza
STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — Incumbent Mayor Mike Wiza has submitted his campaign paperwork to the City Clerk’s office, confirming that he will run for re-election in 2023.
Wiza was first elected in 2015 and won his second term by running unopposed in 2019. He touts the city’s recent growth and record tourism numbers as some of his most significant accomplishments over the last eight years. Additionally, he’s worked to streamline the process of solar panel installation and helped the city gain recognition as a bike-friendly place.
The Mayor has also guided the city through controversy in recent months regarding the proposed re-design of Business 51 in the city. Some have blamed the Mayor and other city leaders for not providing enough opportunities for public input or comment on the project. Others feel like their comments have fallen on def ears. Those hard feelings led to voters narrowly passing a referendum that requires all future transportation infrastructure projects costing more than $1 million to be approved by voters before they can begin. The city had four such projects on the 2022 general election ballot in November, all of which were approved.
RELATED: Business 51 Referendum Petition Turned Over To Stevens Point Clerk
RELATED: Stevens Point Mayor Issues Statement Following Transportation Referendum Vote
The city has gone back to the drawing board when it comes to the Business 51 project with the goal of finding a design that everyone can live with. The city held a public meeting on the issue in November, and Wiza has been calling for more civil dialog on the matter including during his Mayors Monday chat with WSAU back in October.
In a statement Wiza said he submitted the maximum number of signatures allowed, ensuring that he will be on the April ballot for re-election. “This speaks volumes to the number of people who believe in me and know what we can do together. What a wonderful Christmas gift. I really want to thank all of those people, my friends, and my neighbors.” Wiza said. “I’m going into the new year with a strong, ambitious team. We’ve got hundreds of people following us on Facebook, our website is up and running, and people have been contacting us asking how they can help with contributions and support. I’m very excited for 2023.”
RELATED: Stevens Point Council President Announces Run for Mayor
As it stands Wiza faces at least one other candidate. City Council President Meleesa Johnson announced her run for Mayor a few weeks ago, and according to her Facebook page, she and her team are still collecting signatures to get on the ballot.
Candidates have until next week to submit their nominating papers for a spot on the April 4th ballot. If a primary is required in any race, it will occur in late February. Primaries are only necessary if three candidates make the ballot in a race for one seat. If more than one seat is up for election, a primary will be needed if more than twice the number of candidates make the ballot than the number of seats available (IE seven candidates filing for three school board seats).
Comments