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Door County supervisor candidates stress housing, environment and child care at League forum
Summary
Four candidates for Door County Board Districts 9 and 10 used a League of Women Voters forum to outline priorities: expanding affordable housing and zoning flexibility, strengthening environmental stewardship and supporting child care through partnerships and wages. All backed improved access to meetings and greater recording/remote access.
Four candidates seeking Door County Board seats for Districts 9 and 10 presented competing priorities and shared goals at a League of Women Voters forum in Sturgeon Bay.
Ryan Shaw, District 9 incumbent, said protecting clean water and strengthening the county’s environmental strategy are top priorities and called attention to contaminants and PFAS, arguing the county’s approach needs to improve. "We have one of the weakest environmental ... strategies in the state of Wisconsin," Shaw said, adding that karst geology makes groundwater vulnerable.
Alexis Heim Peter, a former county supervisor who works for the Department of Natural Resources, emphasized workforce development, child care and collaboration between local governments and partner organizations. Heim Peter said the county should act as a partner and conduit for public funds, tax credits and nonprofit cooperation rather than trying to run programs directly.
Philip Rockwell, the District 10 incumbent joining by Zoom, highlighted housing and practical fiscal stewardship. He said the county should remove regulatory barriers to smaller housing types — including tiny homes — but cautioned against the county itself becoming a direct builder of housing. Rockwell also pointed to wages as a deeper underlying problem for workers: "It's $7.25 an hour for minimum wage ... we have a wage problem," he said when discussing affordability concerns.
Amy Austad Lebot, a District 9 candidate and local business owner, said affordable housing shortages are already harming recruitment and the local workforce and urged county-level policy changes to support municipal development and in-home child care providers.
On meeting access, candidates supported broader use of remote attendance and recordings. Rockwell urged recording committee meetings so supervisors and residents can review discussions; Shaw suggested moving one meeting a quarter to the evening to increase attendance and candidate interest.
Child care was a recurring concern. Shaw and Heim Peter cited recent local expansions — including the Door County Child Care Center and YMCA programs — and recommended public–private partnerships. Rockwell emphasized that low wages and cost-of-living pressures constrain the ability to staff child care.
When asked about the Door County Museum and Archives’ long-delayed need for space and a proposed rehab of the Yunker's building, most candidates said they would support a fiscally responsible project to secure archival storage and exhibition space. Shaw called for timely action to avoid escalating construction costs; Rockwell recommended consolidating facilities rather than operating separate buildings.
All candidates described constituent communication as essential, naming email, phone, social media and face-to-face meetings as methods to stay connected. The forum closed with reminders about the April 7 election and where to find the recorded forum.
The League said the recording and a copy of submitted questions would be posted on lwvdoorcounty.org and the Sturgeon Bay School District website.
