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Candidate brings different experience to Council

District 1 City Council candidate David Adler. (Photo by Goheen Studio of Photography)

David Adler may be a newcomer to the City Council scene, but he is no stranger to the workings of the government.

Adler, a tax manager at Wipfli Ullrich Bertelson LLP, 3703 Oakwood Hills Parkway, is running for the District 1 seat on the Eau Claire City Council.

The Marshfield native is a 1987 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a bachelor's degree in finance. He also graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1990 with a law degree.

His job and education give him a lot of experience in dealing with the workings of the government. He said he has a good understanding of economics and the ways in which it affects what the government does.

"You have to be up to speed on the budgeting process," Adler said. Most of the decisions the Council makes deal with spending and revenue, he said.

He also understands the legislative laws and how they affect the city, Adler said. There are usually legal issues involved in the decisions the Council must make and there might be a conflict with the state or federal statutes, he said. Adler said he understands these laws and knows where to go to research them if a problem should arise.

The biggest issue facing District 1 is the extension of the North Crossing and the construction of the U.S. Highway 53 bypass. Adler said both are a done deal, but thinks they both are a good idea and will be good in the long run.

Adler said now they need to be concerned with stoplights and noise walls, which will lessen the effect of the new developments on the residents. He will make sure the city is keeping the area as safe as possible, he said. If elected, Adler said it will be his responsibility to keep himself and the affected residents informed about the developments.

Adler said both developments will be good for the north-side business district because they will lessen the amount of traffic on Hastings Way and will provide businesses with a connection to the interstate.

Flooding issues from last fall and street maintenance are two other important issues facing District 1 Adler said.

If elected to the Council, Adler's first, and foremost, goal is to be an effective advocate for District 1 and all of Eau Claire, he said. "My goal is to see Eau Claire continue to progress," Adler said.

The citywide issue he is most concerned with is the increase in property taxes. He said he will try to find a way to lower the property tax, which is connected to the Revenue Sharing Law. He said the money collected from income and sales taxes goes to Madison. This revenue is divided up by a complicated formula involving property value, etc., he said. The state determines how much money it is going to give back to the city of Eau Claire.

"We're not getting our fair share back," Adler said.

Meanwhile, the city is forced to keep providing services, but these costs are increasing and the amount of money received from the state is decreasing, he said. Therefore, the city is raising property taxes to meet the revenue required to keep the services citizens want, Adler said.

Residents of Eau Claire are being penalized for the progress the city is making, he said. The state legislators must be educated about the problem and the budget must also be evaluated to determine if there is room to cut anything, he said. "We have a lot of expenditures staring us in the face," Adler said. "We need to make some choices; what are the necessities."

Adler would also like to "bring new perceptions as to how we do things" to the Council, he said. After graduating from UW-Eau Claire, he lived in Madison while earning his law degree. After graduating from UW-Madison, he lived in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Madison, Milwaukee and Indianapolis, respectively, before he and his wife, Cheryl, moved back to Eau Claire in 1998 to be closer to his family, he said. Each city dealt with issues similar to those Eau Claire is and will be facing. Adler said he would like to get the city to try other options when faced with an issue instead of dealing with it a certain way because that's how the city always deals with it.

Adler does not have any experience on the Council, but he said he has always been a strong believer in public service. He said this belief is what prompted him to run for the District 1 seat on the Council. Council members are elected to serve the public, not themselves, and he wants to make a difference for the city of Eau Claire, Adler said.

"I don't want to be one of those people who sit back and complain and don't do anything."