1)        Conduct a proper informational campaign for a November 2008 Referendum to
hire new police officers. This campaign will start in May and provide forums for resident
discussion including focus groups and a town hall meeting. With the proper information
at hand we, as a city, can decide if we need more officers, or how many officers we
need and are willing to pay for.

2)        Investigate the possibility of outsourcing several departments as the current
employees retire. Outsourcing will save De Pere money in salaries, benefits and
ongoing education compared with the efficiencies that an outside firm can provide.

3)        Review the Street Maintenance and Repair referendum which was passed in
November 2006. This referendum may not have had the intended effect and seems to
be delaying residential street maintenance. This could have a detrimental effect in the
near future. I would like to conduct a proper review and compare the pros and cons.
Depending on the outcomes we may need to repeal or support the current decision.

4)        Services Review and Survey – I support the survey process that De Pere will be
going through in 2008. This survey is intended to help us rank which services are most
important to the residents of De Pere. Through this process we hope to identify
possible cost savings through the elimination or downsizing of services that are not
deemed important.

5)        Continue looking into ways to regionalize our services to minimize the costs paid
by De Pere Residents. Cost Sharing for specialized services could/should be discussed
across our neighboring communities.

6)        Roll out our New Recycling Bins to De Pere. Single Source Recycling gives De
Pere an opportunity to collect recyclables in a more cost effective manner. By having
these bins De Pere will be able to do more with the current Public Works staff and can
put off additional public works department new hires for a few years, saving tax dollars.

7)        Our current Hiring policy for many City positions is to limit residency to a nine
mile radius. It will continue to be harder and more expensive to hire for these positions
with this requirement. I support a policy that eliminates the residency requirement, this
will allow us to find qualified workers. If they choose to live in De Pere and be a part of
our community, which pays their wages, I believe that they should be given a higher
wage increase than employees who choose to live outside of De Pere. The union
contracts are up for negotiation starting in 2008 and I want to make sure that this policy
is on the negotiating table. The union opposes it, but I feel that this is the fairest policy
for the taxpayers of De Pere.

8)        Continue the squeeze on all departments to find ways to do things more
efficiently. The question should be asked “Is there an easier/quicker way to reach our
goal” for everything the City does and provides. There are a number of policies that
have become entrenched due to outdated union rules. We need to remember that the
taxpayer is more important that the union leaders. We must not let the union leaders
handcuff De Pere and push us towards higher taxes and possible bankruptcy before
we can finally enact efficiencies that will help us all.  

Thank you for your support for the past two years. I look forward to serve you in the
Aldermanic capacity for another two years. The list above is in no way all inclusive.
These are simply the main priorities. If there is something about our city government or
services that your have questions or comments on, please contact me at any time at
403-7449 or carl@castelic.com.
My Plan for 2008-9
Real, Tangible Ideas to Build On
My plan for 2008-9
A well laid plan is
the roadmap to the
future.

Jack Johnson