Jacob Amos runs to retain Oshkosh Common Council seat 

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)—Jacob Amos moved to Oshkosh from Milwaukee about three years ago because he fell in love with the close community atmosphere. He participated in community activities and organizations.  In November, he became the first black man appointed to the Oshkosh Common Council. And now, he hopes to win election to his first full-term on the Common Council.

“ When I first moved to Oshkosh, Oshkosh was a place that I instantly noticed like all the potential that was here, like all the beauty that was in the city, all the opportunity that was in the city,” said Amos. “So, from that moment on, I was drawn to Oshkosh. And I knew then that I wanted to be involved in some way or capacity.”

While he decided about a year ago that he wanted to run for Common Council, Amos has spent considerable time preparing to serve the city he loves.  He served on the United Way of Oshkosh as an adjunct board member. Went through Leadership Oshkosh. And he became a member of Oshkosh’s Long Range Finance Committee, using his financial experience as a loan officer to benefit the city.

“And I did all those things in preparation to run for city council!” Amos said.

When Kris Larson resigned from the Common Council, Amos was one of over a dozen applicants to fill the remainder of Larson’s term.

“ I’m honored that I was able to earn the trust of the council to serve in this capacity. Now I’m just looking forward to earning the trust of the residents of Oshkosh,” said Amos.

The Amos Campaign

Oshkosh Issues

Amos said that, over the course of his signature collecting and conversations with Oshkosh residents, he thinks the biggest issue facing the Oshkosh City Government is transparency.

“ There are a lot of discussions that are happening that the residents of Oshkosh feel are huge to them. They feel very passionate about it, and they would like a lot of transparency…The main thing I keep hearing is, ‘We want a local government that’s more transparent. That gives us more. And they (the residents)don’t feel so uninformed, if you will,” he said.

According to Amos, Oshkoshians see the city’s main issues as housing, property taxes, and road conditions.

 Definitely, housing for sure. I’ve heard a lot of people mention property taxes. People are looking at ways they could address that,” Amos said. “I’ve been hearing a lot about the road conditions as well. So I would say those are the three things that I’ve been hearing about the most as I’ve been talking to residents in Oshkosh.

Housing 

Housing and affordability are two key issues often mentioned for Oshkosh. Amos said he sees housing availability as a major factor in the city’s housing affordability. He said he thinks the Common Council can help by having detailed conversations with developers. And developing housing that everyone would want to live in.

“ Not just houses that are for those people over there, that group of people. But houses that are nice, sanitized, that have nice amenities, different things of that nature,” he said.

He said city governments need to talk with developers and landlords about what they need and want from the city.

“ It’s all about communication. It’s all about having those conversations,” Amos explained. “If we all just complain about it or talk about it amongst our small groups, then it really doesn’t go anywhere. That really doesn’t solve anything. So we have to really talk to the people who are involved in the matter. And figure out a way that we can move forward with addressing affordable housing and the housing deficits.”

Property Taxes

Hand in hand with housing and affordability are property taxes. Amos said the slight reduction in Oshkosh’s property tax mill rate in 2025 was encouraging. He said lowering them further might mean looking at measures like consumption taxes.

“ Figuring out a way that we could maybe look at other tax revenues that we’re bringing in. Seeing what we can do with those instead of raising property taxes or income taxes. Maybe even while we address the consumption tax and figure out what we can do there, we can possibly even bring down property taxes,” said Amos.

According to Amos, it is the Common Council’s job to decide how the city spends its funds.  But, ultimately, the citizens should help shape those decisions.

“ Council members are elected officials. So we are the voice of the people–the people that put us in those seats. They have opinions. And I know for myself, I’ve listened to those people’s opinions. I’ve taken those opinions into consideration. And when I make any decision, when I’m on the dais, it is solely based on the voices of Oshkosh residents.” He went on to say, “It’s about what they want, right? Yes, I am an Oshkosh resident. Yes, I can have my own views and perspectives about different topics. But my job as a, a council member is to go out and have conversations with people in a community. And that’s exactly what I do, and that’s the role that council members play in making those decisions.”

Lagniappe: a little something extra

To know a little more about Amos as a person is to understand that he loves to travel, to read, and to learn.

“ I would say the biggest passion that I have, and I know God is gonna continue to bless me in ways to fulfill this passion! But I love to travel. That’s something that I love to do. I love to learn. So when I travel, it’s not always to have fun and do all the things you do on vacation,” he said. “But I like to take moments to go to different museums and just learn about different things. Learn about the city’s history.”

He continued, “ While at home, I love to study…and read books. And I’m definitely passionate about God. I am a man of faith. I read the Bible. I go to church. I have a relationship with God. So if I had to answer your question, my top three passions are God, traveling, and just reading and taking in information.”

Engaging with the campaign

Amos is the only incumbent running for reelection in this Spring primary. To find out more about him or his campaign. People can visit his campaign Facebook page. A campaign website is also in the works. Amos added that word of mouth is his best advertising strategy for his campaign. 

“The biggest support that you can give me is to tell your friends and tell your families why you think that I am the best person to sit on that seat and represent the residents of Oshkosh,” Amos said.

Oshkosh Common Council Race

Eight people are running for the three at-large Common Council seats being decided this spring. In addition to Amos, Meredith Scheuermann, Alec Lefeber, Paul Esslinger, Tim Neubauer, Eric Gumz, Logan Jungbacker, and Dan Lenz have all turned in papers to run. The Common Council appointed Amos to fill the remainder of Kris Larson’s term in November.

Incumbents D.J. Nichols and Jacob Floam have decided not to seek reelection.

The primary will be held on February 17th, during which the field of candidates will be reduced to six. The spring election is April 7, 2026.