AARON SPENCER, CANDIDATE FOR WAUKESHA COMMON COUNCIL DISTRICT #11

February 22, 2025. Welcome to podcast number two of this week in

Waukesha. I'm your host downtown Danny Brown coming to from the

office of former Alderman Don Paul Brown in our beloved

Banting Park neighborhood. Again, I am joined by the amazing

Greg Bach at the WUK Studios down at Radio Park and Victory

Avenue. And then my guest is the the challenger, if you will,

the for the 15th, or excuse me, the 11th Aldermanic District in

Waukesha, Mr. Aaron Spencer, Aaron, how are you this morning?

I'm doing doing all right, Don, how about yourself?

Doing great, thanks. And Aaron, as Aaron was on when I had the

radio show, he came on when he was my first few months,

actually, of the radio show. And he it was his first time

running against incumbent Len Miller. And at the time,

fellow challenger, Alicia Halbenslavin, you two had won the

primary, which was a big coup, knocking out an incumbent. And

then in the general election, you lost by pretty close margin,

I believe it was like 58 votes, 48 votes. So I apologize for

padding the extra 10. I know what that's like to lose a very

close I lost by 12 my first time running. And so I, if I had

put road sign, if I'd put yard signs up, I probably would have

won. That's a stupid thing. But anyway, I guess the question is

is, why do you want to run again?

Well, a lot of the same reasons I would like to run, I know it's

an actual non-partisan race. And I'm not on any particular side,

which is nice, just because I want to reach out to all the

particular residents in the area here. I just feel that there's

a little bit of out of touchness with people that need help

around here. And you find that out when you start door knocking.

And I've found it out three years ago, and I'm starting to find

out a little bit of the same thing. So nothing's changed in

your mind.

In some aspects, I do appreciate the work that Alicia's done

with the parade memorial. I was actually in that parade when

the guy who by my particular stand, when I was running for

all men, I had a little flu right by our guys, some ended up

missing one of them. So we've been there seeing that. So it was

a real, real deal. And I'm glad we got some great memories on

that. And hopefully a lot of people that witnessed that and

everything that you saw got a little bit of closure. I mean,

you can't turn that off, but it was, it was really great what

Alicia, especially Carmen Vila Paz. She did not write all the

yeah, it was it was fantastic. So lots lots of props are here as

well, terrific. A lot of the things that come in my mind,

there's here's a few more up pieces that are coming up right

now. The prices on particular permits are going up. They've

doubled within this last year, which is a little more crazy. When

my neighbor ended up having to tear down the shed, he had to

pay 75, a 75 dollar per minute to tear down a lawnmower shed.

And I had a question. I said, well, is there somebody coming

out to actually, you know, spend their time to, you know,

inspect it before you tear it down? Or is there some some value

get out of that 75 dollars for doing this? And he said, no,

that's just he's got to play along. So, you know, there's,

there's a few things I think we can, we can take a look at yet.

And I would like the, the ability to help out with that.

Yeah, there's been a lot of talk with the current financial

situation of the city that there's, there's some, some bills

that need to be paid before the city that gets on harder times.

And some of the feedback from neighbors is that they're seeing

a lot more traffic and new violations from the police. And now I'm

just hearing that these permits are being doubled. And I don't

know if that's uniform across all departments. But how do you

feel about those as fixes or solutions for this bigger, you

know, financial situation?

It's it's it's a bandit. It's it's not when you, when you put

on, so I'm on the landmarks commission. And there, there is a

particular fee that just recently came up a 25 dollar

consultation fee for something that you are required to do,

required to apply for a permit if you're working outside of your

house to do they have a historic landmark house. So does that

mean our, our staff members are per job that they're getting

paid for where they have to have that extra consultation fee?

Yeah. I'm not exactly sure on that. So I'm concerned it creates

badwill, especially for newer residents or for people visiting

Waka show. And I think there's other ways to kind of recoup or

fill some of these deficits without pulling people over for, you

know, pedantic parking by, you know, moving or parking

violations that I've been told have been very pedantic. And I

think you were fighting in court. So as a matter of fact, as

I'm, I'm right on one of the regular streets on Dunbar and

college. That's right. I think that's, I've gotten a good, good

eight tickets because you didn't park on the right side of the

road or my kids, teenage sons, they just went to college

themselves. So they were, they miss it that one night boy, they

should be able to catch you at that $20 fee. Yeah, yeah, you had

a permit. $20, I thought it was 40. So let me now, I wanted to

ask about your work on the landsmart landmark submission. Were

you appointed because of your work as a union carpenter? Was

that one of the influencer or was something that helped with

your appointment to that commission? That is, that is one of

the, one of the benefits of my particular trade is being able

to serve that to a little bit better standard than your normal

resident can probably do it just because I have a little bit

of inside knowledge with my trade. Also met with the Mayor

Sean Riley during the last campaign and we had talked about a

few things. I had, I talked to Mayor Riley and I talked to

Lisa Sullivan who were both running at the time. Right. And I just

kind of, if I was going to be an alderman, I kind of wanted to

see what were some of their perspectives on what's going

well in the city. What can be done? And kind of asked Sean, what

do you, what do you really look for that's beneficial all of

them in working with you? So a lot of those questions I had

asked, he had liked what I had said enough to, well, of course,

there's an application process. And he said he suggested an

application process and that the landmark committee might be

a good fit for you. So that's how there. That's true. Now, you

mentioned Lisa Salm. And she, I saw on social media, she

reported that she had to go to Madison. I think I might have

had Friday to fight a state initiative regarding landmarks

and historic preservation. And she reported this morning or

later last night that it was a, they won, they won the fight

whatever that was. Can you shed some more light on that?

So one of the biggest things that us as a commission have a

problem, and I'm kind of speaking a little bit for some of the

commissioners, but let's just keep it focused on me, that we'd

like to try to keep the historic downtown up to standards of a

historic downtown. So in her particular case, she has these

multi-level apartments that will be restricting the entire

access, the view of her residence. She's come to us several

times and we can't be really biased just because she has a

historic house. But we're understanding a little bit of, you

know, what the particular situation is, you're kind of just

sticking a condo area or you're sticking something modern into a

historic district. We kind of understood, but we still play by

our limitations as a commission. And I think I think she's

doing what she's got to do in order to try to preserve the

historic value of the house. Whatever happens, it happens,

but that's that's about as much as I can say on that.

Okay, let's let's go to a bigger picture here. What do you see

are the biggest challenges facing the city that you think you

could have you'd like to address should you become Alderman?

Yes. So one of them you had already mentioned, which is a big

one, obviously budget. So one of the biggest topics of budget

turns out to be the police department that we have here in the

city. So since I had three years really think about what was

what else is going on here in Waukesh, I took the initiative to

actually join the citizens police academy through the county and

through the city. Great experience, I actually suggest that to

everybody else. Just because I wanted to find out where this

budget money is going, what is it being used for? Is it being

utilized correctly? Are we really doing our due diligence as far

as are they spending it right? And it turns out they are way

beyond a lot of municipalities. And it's it's it's it's a really

neat thing to be. And then I turned out to be with the alumni

afterwards for the city of Waukesh. So do a little bit of

volunteering there as well and able to help out some of our

current events that are going on within downtown and some of

the other things there. And it's been a really good thing. So

just doing due diligence on things that are getting spent on

is going to be a really really big issue. And we just got to

keep, you know, the balances and checks in balance here to make

sure that things are going on correctly. How's your how's your

campaign going? The campaign, I feel, you know, I might be a

little bias on it. But I feel it's going pretty well.

Winner lose this particular time around. I I'm kind of focused.

I'm actually making a difference. Okay. So actually being able

to talk to the residents. I mean, we've got about I went to

city hall and got the numbers on it. And we're we need about

3800 votes in the box to make this happen. That's the numbers

from the last Trump, you know, in last presidential election.

Okay. And so getting out there and talking to them, I actually

have any door knockers that are with me, they are actually

writing down some of the concerns that are going on within

walks. And I actually had that last time around. As I say,

you're still able to enlist the your fellow union members to

to help with the canvassing. Well, that's that's the thing

about being bipartisan done is I have no, no endorsement from

either side. It is pretty much all union run. And they actually

see both sides is a good thing. I know the carpenters union in

particular go Republican Democrat. It doesn't matter. Right.

So I have that and I have a lot of a lot of people from three

years ago that also believe in me that are also doing the same

thing. So it's it's been a blessing. It's it really shows how

my message message resonates with the people as far as you

know, you don't have to take a side when you're running in

office like that, you know, and you have the ability to speak

to the people and actually, you know, get some stuff done. I

mean, that's that's your job as as all of them. So I would like

to be an opportunity to do that if if willing. Now when I was

running and I was going door to door, like when I first ran

and then a year later, after I was appointed and had run for

formal election, maybe every 10th house would ask me, are you

Democrat or a public in days? You still getting that question

from some of the neighbors? I am. I had no response to that.

Well, I respond to that. I respond to them by partisan. And I say,

and I mentioned that the the race is actually a nonpartisan race

for all of them. It is completely, you don't have to be a

part of anything. But I have for say the balls, they actually

go into either one either either house, whether it's the

Democrats or Republican or any other meetings. And if

there's particular issues that come up, they guess what? I'm

going to be here and I'm going to talk to them. If they have

issues, I wish they'd come and talk to me. And we can, you

know, work this out. There's there's I am so sick. I am so

sick of the bantering back and forth. Yeah. All it does, it

doesn't it creates a stalemate. It doesn't get anything fun.

And it's just a bunch of finger pointing. And you know, I think

I'm not the only person that feels that way. So, you know,

once we once we get that out of the way, let's let's go to work.

Let's let's keep, let's keep walk a show is as good as it is.

If we're able to implement something a little bit better for

walk a show, do a few more things that, you know, make it

better for the residents. Great. Let's do it. Let's let's hear

about it. I don't want you to be shy and come to me and say,

hey, I know your only Democratic. I know your only Republican.

I'm sorry to that. I'm beyond that.

And, you know, let's, let's move on. I mean, you've got,

I try to tell all the people too, as far as when I go door knocking

recently, I said, well, if you were, and I think the deadline

has passed, but if you were getting new trash cans, for example,

make sure to pay the $75 now to upgrade your trash can.

Otherwise, the price is going to, that's going to skyrocket on you.

Sure.

You know, things like that. Yeah.

It's a little thing, but it's something you'll be thankful for

instead of finding out they have to, you know, pay a significant amount

of payment.

Yeah. So what about economic development?

What can the city do to attract more employers?

The mayor told me at the pancake breakfast this morning, the rotary

clubs, 71st annual pancake breakfast, that 30% of them, presuming

he meant available commercial space in Waukesha is not being

taxed.

Basically, I think he means like vacancies are available lots that

could be developed.

And, you know, what would, what would you, if you're elected as

Alderman, what would you do to promote?

You'll fill in those vacancies or what kind of employers would you

like to see that could, could generate more revenues for the city

and also adding to the quality of life here?

So that's, that's one of those things I'd really like to dig into.

As a matter of fact, it's going to be almost a base to base

particular situation where you've got to start talking to those

people that have these residents that are open.

I'm sure maybe Linsky homes, maybe one of the, you know, they may

have some spaces that are available, particular companies

like that.

And you've got to, you've got to get to knock it on these doors here

and find out what's going on.

And if they have particular restrictions by the city that are

not allowing them to do something, or if they have a historic building

and they need help with it, hey, you know, I, I know a landmarks

commission that's, you know, given all particular grants, if you go

and apply, you've got to be, you've got to be a guiding light for

some of these people who really push it through.

And it's not a one thing fix all.

So I would definitely like to get on board with that.

If you walk downtown, you'll actually see some of the,

the trim work, and I'm a carpenter by trade.

So I know it's these things, but you can see some of the trim work

falling off and certain things like that.

And you can see those were apartments.

So I take a look, you know, I challenge you guys.

But it stands like that that need to get fixed.

And if you don't have the resources, because I like to bring the resources

to the people, to the businesses, to everybody who needs it in

the market.

So, okay.

Here.

Is there something that I like to bring?

Okay.

So we have less than two minutes left.

What is it you want listeners and 11th district voters to know

about air and Spencer that.

You'll why they should vote for you.

Why they should give you a shot this time around.

They should give me a call.

They should give me a call and they should certainly find out if.

If you are interested enough to find out.

You have a particular situation.

Sure.

Certainly about me.

Okay.

And what would you do about that?

Or can you do this about that?

Or use me as a reference?

That's at the point.

I want to be here for the people.

Not just the businesses, not just the historic places.

There's just so many things that need to be done.

That all it takes is actually going to talk to people.

So I want to invite them to come and talk to me.

They can call their current alderman.

See how it goes.

I would suggest that first.

That's the correct way to do it.

But I would also like that opportunity to help you as well.

Sounds great.

Air and Spencer union carpenter,

remember of the landmarks commission and.

Second time candidate for 11th district alder taking on and come in.

Alicia Halbinslay.

Thanks so much for joining us this morning.

Good luck with the rest of your campaign.

And it was a very close one last time.

So we'll be watching that one closely this time.

And I want to thank everybody for listening in.

And you can check out all the podcasts on civic media.

US forward slash shows forward slash this week and walk us on.

Don't forget the hyphen between each word.

I know that's a lot.

But again, thanks for being a part of this great discussion.

We're acting locally thinking globally from our beloved watch.

I want to thank Greg back for filling in this morning.

And wishing everybody the very best.

Remember, safety is everyone's responsibility.

Good mental health is everyone's right.

Parental alienation is a crime.

And remember, keep those close to you.

Keep your neighbors everyone in your hearts.

Thanks again for joining us on this week and walk shop podcast to thank you.

Aaron and by for now.

See ya.

Bye.