I want to thank Dan Grausz and his family for his 14 years of service to this city. The sacrifices of all councilmembers and candidates should always be respected.

The benefit of a contested city council race is the opportunity to discuss issues and engage the public. Accurate information facilitates this process while name-calling and labeling people hurts. Of course people have different perceptions of the facts so it is necessary to air those differing perceptions to get to the truth. To that end, allow me to present a different perspective from what you may have heard.

Dan has attempted to label his opponent as someone with unclear positions. I see his positions as clear. However, his position on tolling is not so clear. He claims to be against tolling, yet he says we can’t just say no, he refers to fair tolls, talks about paying our fair share of tolls, fights decisive action against tolling and has indicated numerous times that tolling is inevitable. My belief that another term with Dan would bring tolls to I-90 is a key reason I support his opponent, Kevin Scheid.

As you look more closely at Dan’s record, there are other issues people should consider. Although he is quick to take credit for all the city’s accomplishments, he deftly dodges responsibility for failures. His efforts at an extreme tree ordinance along with his attempts at eliminating parking on the Mercer Ways and impose the “Road Diet” on ICW are three examples of his singular efforts that required a massive citizen uprisings to attempt to stop or reverse.

Moreover, in his position as councilmember, Dan shares responsibility for one our city’s most humiliating episodes. Sexual harassment charges against City staff ended in a million dollar settlement, ruined a young lady’s life for over two years, resulted in over $300K in fines and penalties, and caused a Federal judge to declare that the City’s actions “belied our credibility.” As a taxpayer and citizen, I felt betrayed and embarrassed.

This epic failure in leadership should not have happened. As the only attorney on the City Council, Dan has significant influence on Council decisions involving legal issues.

You have choices this election; I encourage all to vote for Kevin Scheid. It’s time for a change.

Jake Jacobson