Winnebago County Executive candidates outline differing priorities on budget, homelessness and public health

Oshkosh — Incumbent Winnebago County Executive John Damel and challengers Gordon Hintz and John Motz laid out competing approaches to county finances, homelessness, public health and addiction services at a League of Women Voters forum in Oshkosh on Feb. 12, the candidates said. The three are running in the Feb. 18 primary; the top two will advance to the April 1 general election.

Damel, who identified himself as the incumbent county executive, said his immediate priorities include publishing ongoing fund balances for departments, making the federally funded HELP eviction-prevention program permanent, and finishing a strategic plan and facilities master plan so the county can move to priority-based budgeting. "We're going to be posting ongoing fund balances for every department," Damel said, describing his transparency measures and saying the HELP pilot will be made permanent.

The nut graf: The forum focused on how the county should respond to short-term needs (refugee resettlement and winter shelter) and long-term fiscal challenges (deferred maintenance and structural budget deficits). Candidates agreed on the need for better transparency and program evaluation but differed on whether to pursue a county sales tax and on how to control spending.

Most important facts first: Hintz, a former state…