4-6-21 fdl city council race highlights city races

A high voter turnout is expected in the city of Fond du Lac with contested races for Fond du Lac city council and school board along with a public safety referendum.  City Clerk Maggie Hefter says she’s anticipating at least a 40 percent voter turnout, but has enough ballots for a turnout as high as 60-percent and says she can get more ballots if needed.  “I haven’t seen anything like this,”  Hefter told WFDL news.  “I think the last time we had a primary (election) for city council was in 2009.”    The race for Fond du Lac city council has become a referendum on an alternate Lakeside Park master plan with challengers Patrick Mullen, Tiffany Brault and Keith Heisler earning the endorsement of the groups Parkwatch and Friends of Lakeside Park for their opposition to building a restaurant near the park Lighthouse.  Incumbent Dan Degner has supported the alternate plan, along with challenger Lawrence Foster. Both Foster and Degner are supported by the local Republican party even though the race is nonpartisan.   Campaign Finance reports show Degner has spent nearly $13,000 in the race.  “I think that is probably a record,”  Hefter told WFDL news.  “Typically city council candidates are exempt (from campaign finance reports) meaning they don’t plan on raising or spending more than $2,000.”    Foster has spent near $5,700 and Brault has spent $2400.  The other candidates have spent less than $2000.  Hefter says in most council elections the candidates spend in the hundreds of dollars for things like campaign yard signs.  There are also contested races for Fond du Lac and Waupun School Board.