Just before the county board election seven weeks ago, postcard sized political ads appeared in the mailboxes of four specific Oneida county board districts. The professionally produced cards had a similar message, questioning the county board supervisors positions on the sale of the former WPS building and also about the removal of dams in the county's comprehensive plan.
After the voting, Robb Jensen defeated incumbent Bob Martini for a seat, as did Lance Krolczyk, who defeated incumbent Candy Sorenson. Incumbent Bob Mott won reelection over Dennis Schoeneck by a narrow margin and Alan Van Raalte defeated another candidate backed by the mailings, Ken Dirks, leaving two targeted candidates winning or retaining seats and two targeted incumbents losing seats. A town of Crescent town board member, Joel Knutson, brought the matter up at the April county board meeting, asking the board to consider whether this was proper in what is by law non-partisan elections.
At the request of Supervisor Jack Sorenson, the matter was placed on the county board agenda....
As Ken Krall reports, the matter got heated.
