Three candidates vie for vacated Oak Creek clerk's post

Oak Creek - Suzette Emmer, LeAnn Launstein and Catherine Roeske will face off in the city clerk primary Feb. 21, with the two top vote-getters advancing to the April 3 general election.

The position, a three-year term, is vacant after former City Clerk Pam Bauer retired late last year.

All three mentioned the potential relocation of the City Hall as a challenge the new clerk, the city's record-keeper, would tackle if elected.

City officials are considering relocating the civic center to the site of the former Delphi Automotive plant.

Emmer, 56, is the deputy administrator of Milwaukee County's Election Commission. She said her experience there and understanding of new voter regulations makes her a strong candidate.

"I grew up here, went to school here," she said. "I think Oak Creek is at an important point in its history. I just think it's an exciting time to be involved in the city's development."

She also belongs to three clerks associations - the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association, the Wisconsin County Clerks Association and the Metropolitan Municipal Clerks Association.

"In the past five years, I've built these relations with the clerks," Emmer said. "I do feel that what I don't know, I've built a network with the other clerks, and I have a safety net to fall into if I have questions."

Candidate LeAnn Launstein, 57, also has county experience. Now retired, she was a Milwaukee County supervisor from 1992 to 2002. She also now serves on the Oak Creek-Franklin Foundation for Education.

She wants to be elected to help build a new team, as the city will re-elect a new mayor following the death last year of Dick Bolender. Plus three incumbent aldermen are being challenged this spring, which could completely change the Common Council's makeup.

"I guess I want to say a challenge would be to work potentially with people in new positions," Launstein said.

The city clerk's role is as the "central communication hub of the city," she said. And she wants to make that process a seamless one. That's particularly true if the City Hall is relocated.

"You are responsible for requests for information from the public,"Launstein said. "It really is a customer service position."

Catherine Roeske, 44, has extensive experience in the private sector, as she was a business analyst for American Express for 18 years.

She said she can put her business and people skills to good use.

"It's a nonpolitical position," she said. "It just intrigues me that I could work for the city and stay out of the political hip hop."

She has read Cobalt Community Research's survey, completed this January, that polled residents about city services and attributes. While generally the city received favorable marks, Oak Creek residents said the city's administration and online services could be more accessible.

With Roeske's analytical skills, she said, "I would be able to raise that score very quickly."

"For this position, the biggest issue is making the government more transparent," she said. "I really want to contribute to moving the city forward."