This story reflects additional content The Gazette has published on its website since Saturday, March 30, based on candidate questionnaires submitted to the newspaper that had been previously overlooked for publication. The initial omissions affected races between District 12 candidates April Whitledge and Rodolfo Rudy Abarca; District 13 candidates Genia Stevens and Tammy Green Gonfiantini; District 28 candidates Sue Ryan and Ronald Bomkamp; and District 29 candidates Kathy Schulz and Zach Pfaffenbach. All of the candidate questionnaires submitted to the newspaper have now been published on the newspaper's website, www.gazettextra.com., and some have been re-published in new stories specific to their district races. The Gazette regrets the omissions.
JANESVILLE — In the April 2 race for District 29 on the Rock County Board, incumbent Kathy Schulz is being challenged by Zach Pfaffenbach.
District 29 is in southwestern Janesville.
Kathy Schulz
What are the top three issues of this election?
The three top issues of this election are the lack of available housing options throughout Rock County, addressing the lack of childcare options for working families, and ensuring we recruit and retain staff at Rock Haven, Human Services, and the Sheriff’s Office. Rock County, as a whole, is facing a lot of challenges related to the availability and affordability of all types of housing; homeownership or rentals. We currently have $4.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that is set to expire by the end of 2026. The county can use these federal dollars to increase the supply of housing options and support first-time home buyers with down payment assistance to purchase a home. The county works in consortium with the city of Beloit and the City of Janesville with efforts work with all residents of the County. The county board has used ARPA funds in the to assist childcare providers and Rock County families with the rising costs of childcare. Our county lost a lot of childcare providers following COVID-19, which drove childcare costs up. Through continued use of ARPA funds and other federal programs, the county board can assist those who are looking to start a childcare business and the providers who are already established. A lack of childcare, and affordable childcare, puts parents and employers into tough situations as a parent may have to quit working in order to stay home and employers then have to try and find new employees. This can put children and families back into a cycle of poverty. The dedicated county employees have been over worked and paid at a lesser rate than other Wisconsin counties. Exit interviews have identified pay as one of the top reasons people have left for neighboring county’s.The staffing shortages impacts the quality of our county programs and puts the county at risk of lawsuits. By addressing the wage disparities between Rock County and comparable counties we can attract employees and retain our current dedicated employees.Tell the voters about yourselfI have been a resident of Rock County for over 19 years and am happy to say I have lived on Janesville’s Southside for over 16 years. I graduated from UW-Madison and worked as a real estate broker for several years. I’ve also worked at local community organizations and as a service provider for those with disabilities. I have three adult children and five grandchildren. I have represent Janesville Southside on the county board for the past 10 years. While on the county board I’ve served on the Human Services committee for 10 years, Health Services Committee (Rock Haven) for 6 years, Public Health Committee, Housing Authority, and a County Board representative on the Community Action Board of Directors.How did the board do in the past two years?The county board has done a lot of good work in the past two years. We’ve held the manufacturers of opioids accountable for lying and misleading doctors and patients and used the settlement funds money for treatment and prevention services. We’ve started the sheriff’s office expansion project which was a much needed update to fix unsafe working conditions for our law enforcement and correctional offices. We’ve also worked to expand programs that target low-risk individuals from more exposure to the criminal justice system by expanding the jail diversion program. This expansion allows these low-risk individual to maintain employment and family bonds while reducing the costs related to incarceration. The county board also voted to use ARPA funds to support legal services for tenants and landlords to resolving problems and avoid unnecessary evictions. We are now looking at selling unused county building and property to avoid spending more for continued updates or demolishing.
Zach Pfaffenbach
What are the top three issues of this election?
Lowering property taxes, reducing spending, and better transparency and accountability on the county board
Tell the voters about yourself
My wife, Brittany, and I moved to Janesville’s southside a few years ago after we got married. We wanted to start our family here in Janesville and hope to expand it soon.
We are both native Wisconsinites. She currently teaches at a Lutheran school in town, where we also attend church. I have served as a policy advisor for the last five years at the Wisconsin State Legislature, providing constituent services, crafting budgets, clerking committees, and advancing pro-Wisconsin legislation into law.
When Brittany and I are not spending hours grading homework together, we enjoy playing games, going on walks, scouting parks for our future kiddos, and visiting family. It has also been a fun experience connecting with neighbors on the campaign trail.
How did the board do in the past two years?
Our county board has a tax and spending problem. They overspent on two massive projects, Woodman’s Center and county jail expansion, which will put the county into more debt and add more pressure on our property taxes increasing.
There are major concerns that the revenue brought in will not exceed the costs for at least a decade. The board recently voted in their budget to increase the tax levy by seven percent. This is now the eighth time in her 10 years on the board that my opponent has voted to increase property taxes. Rock County already ranks in the top three percent of all counties in the U.S. for high property tax rates. This is irresponsible governing.
Janesville’s southside is a working-and-middle-class area that has many fixed-income households and families with tight budgets. Higher taxes are going to harm these neighborhoods more than anywhere else.
It is my priority to make Rock County more affordable and safe for families and seniors to live here and thrive. To achieve that, I will look to implement fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability at the county level.
I hope to earn your vote on Tuesday, April 2.
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