Winnebago County executive candidates clash on transparency, budget and housing at League forum

The two candidates for Winnebago County executive outlined contrasting approaches to budget forecasting, county staffing and services during a League of Women Voters forum moderated by Margie Davie.

Gordon Hintz, a former Wisconsin State Assembly member and past minority leader, said his top priorities would be clearer public communication, budget accuracy and protecting county services. "Transparency, real transparency, true transparency... needs to be more than just... complying with the law," Hintz said, adding he wants budgets and policy information presented in forms the public can understand so taxpayers can "follow the decisions that we're making." He warned that recent budget documents were less digestible than earlier versions and said the administration should make the public part of strategic planning earlier.

Incumbent Winnebago County Executive John Damel emphasized service delivery and the administrative changes his office has made in recent years. "County government really is about service to people," Damel said, noting efforts to align departments, develop priority-based budgeting and expand outreach so residents do not have to visit county buildings for services. Damel defended increases in county staffing and consultants as necessary to build professional administration and address operational gaps, saying the county has moved from deficits toward a surplus.

Both candidates said the county faces a shortfall in capital maintenance. Damel cited a facilities assessment that he said shows roughly $68,000,000 in deferred maintenance over the next 10 years and advocated a comprehensive facilities management approach. Hintz advocated a capital improvement plan sized to future needs, noting the longer the county delays, the more expensive repairs become.

On homelessness and housing, both candidates described the issue as regional and growing. Hintz supported continued county funding for the HELP (homeless eviction loss prevention) program while cautioning that federal funding changes could force the county to reallocate resources or seek new revenues. He also listed Parkview Nursing Home as a budget priority and said the county should ensure it remains staffed and usable. Damel pointed to local initiatives he credited with reducing street homelessness—citing a "day by day warming shelter," a tiny-house village and sober-living options—and said the county should explore permanent supportive housing, creative conversions of hotels and incentives for multigenerational housing arrangements. Damel said tiny-house market rent was about $1,100 a month, underscoring affordability challenges.

The candidates differed on the county—s growth in administration. Hintz questioned whether tripling staff and hiring consultants in recent years produced commensurate benefits for constituents, while Damel argued the expanded administration fixed operational bottlenecks such as payroll and facilities oversight that had left the county exposed.

Both addressed a recent agreement between the Winnebago County Sheriff—s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Hintz said he accepted the sheriff—s assurance the arrangement "is nothing new" and that the sheriff committed to nonprofiling, while Damel said he, too, had been surprised the county—s corporation counsel had not flagged the agreement earlier and said he took the sheriff at his word that it would be limited to holding people for ICE when required.

On refugees and resettlement, both candidates said the county had an important role. Damel said the county signed a human services contract to backfill World Relief funding cuts for initial refugee resettlement services and that refugees typically move quickly to self-sufficiency. Hintz noted Winnebago County has one of the highest per-capita refugee placements in Wisconsin after Milwaukee and said the county must continue to support resettlement while federal policy remains uncertain.

The candidates also discussed a possible county sales tax as a revenue option to address capital and service needs. Hintz characterized a sales tax as "regressive" but noted it could capture spending by nonresidents and be used to lower property taxes; he said Winnebago is one of only a few Wisconsin counties that did not use a sales tax. Damel said a sales tax could smooth funding for major capital needs tied to tourism and events but acknowledged it places a larger relative burden on low-income residents.

Both men summarized first-term priorities they would pursue if elected. Hintz emphasized meeting with department heads and municipalities, improving public engagement, and beginning community discussions about an emergency shelter. Damel listed negotiating child-care space at UW-Fox, making the HELP program permanent and shifting it toward behavioral health, implementing the facilities master plan and fully adopting priority-based budgeting.

The forum was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Winnebago County and Oshkosh Media. Moderator Margie Davie reminded viewers that April 1 is the primary and provided general voting resources mentioned during the event (myvote.wi.gov and vote411.org). The exchange focused on administrative style, budgeting methodology, and housing and social-service strategies rather than specific new ordinances or statutory changes.