Mayor Race Final

Robert Ireland
Vision for Mayor
March 29, 2005

In November the two mayoral candidates disagreed whether or not Oshkosh should have an elected mayor, now the two disagree on what role the mayor should play in the city.
“Mr. Castle didn’t want to have the citizens elect a mayor,” mayoral candidate Paul Esslinger said.
Esslinger wants to see the mayor eventually be a full time position with veto power, which could be overridden with a two-thirds majority.
Mayoral candidate William Castle wants the mayor position to remain how it was before we had a directly elected mayor.
“I don’t want to change the form of government we have. With the city council making the decisions,” Castle said. “He (Esslinger) wants to start changing the form of government.”
At http://www.oshkoshnews.org Castle asked Esslinger how much he felt a full time mayor should be paid.
Esslinger said the salary of the full time mayor position should be up for debate. He said, that he thought the mayor should make a modest salary, around $50,000.
“He (Esslinger) doesn’t like the current form of government and he wants to tinker with it,” Castle said.
Castle said he decided he wanted to run for mayor after the two likely candidates, Esslinger and Deputy Mayor Frank Tower would both have a year left on there term.
“Someone would be appointed. If I win then all seven of us will still be elected,” Castle said. “We all are supposed to represent the voters as opposed to someone who is appointed.”
Esslinger said that the full time mayor position wouldn’t necessarily replace the current city manager.
“People are confused on whether or not we should get rid of a city manager,” Esslinger said. “Possibly I would; I would have to here more debate. What exactly would the mayors role be, would he oversee the city staff.”
Esslinger also wants the city council to be able to review the work of the city staff.
“The council could fire city staffers with a super majority,” Esslinger said.
Esslinger said a super majority would consist of a 5-person majority on the city council.