Twin Crix Endorses Patrick Michaels for Wyoming Township Supervisor

Team Blue,

I’ve been strong-armed into running for public office. Specifically, Wyoming Township Supervisor. The duties appear to be: approve the budget, vote on various things, and avoid embarrassing the township. I believe I have what it takes.

Our venerable local newspaper, the Home News, asked the candidates to respond to a few questions. Here are my answers. If you are a Wyoming Township resident, I hope you will consider voting for me on April 1.

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Please provide a brief biography of yourself including achievements that you feel qualify you for this office.

I was born in California, raised in Bermuda and Los Angeles, and in an unexpected twist of familial fate found myself moving to Wisconsin to work with my great-uncle Gary Zimmer and his company Midwestern BioAg, ten years ago now. Gary and Rosie (my very great aunt) had just bought the Hoyer Farm, putting a conservation easement on the property so Frank Lloyd Wright’s view wouldn’t be ruined, and I asked if I could move in to the old farm house for my first ever winter. I quickly fell in love. I spent countless hours walking the woods and fields, paddling the river, and enmeshing myself in the rich community of the area. A few months ago I finally bought the farm, hopefully merely literally.

Some qualifications: I’m good with numbers (degree in mathematics, fifteen years of business and startup fundraising experience), my heart is oriented towards public service (board member of the Spring Green Musician in Residence Program, Friends of the Lower Wisconsin River), and I want to strengthen our community’s interconnectedness through action and business (Pizza Night at the White School, Twin Crix Pick-Your-Own Blueberries, participatory music nights in the barn). I’ve also had deep, open, and nuanced conversations about life, ecology, and township character with probably half the residents of Wyoming township over the years - ask your neighbors for reference.

What made you decide to run for public office?

There’s only 300 people in this township and over a dozen roles that need to be filled - someone has to do it!

Less flippantly, I bought the farm and plan to be here for life. Between the people, the land, the tourist powerhouses, and the latent potential, this place has something special going on - I want to make sure that we navigate the future as well as possible.

Do you think your community will be able to continue providing the current level of services for all residents? Why or why not?

Yes, I think so. Property values keep going up and there’s a constant trickle of new houses, so it seems like the town’s finances will be in fairly good shape for the future. We spend three quarters of our budget keeping our roads in good order and don’t get too entangled beyond that. I’m not yet an expert on the finances of a 300 person township, but it seems like the current level of services are eminently sustainable.

What are the most critical issues facing the residents of your community and how do you propose to respond to them?

The real answer to this question is probably something like “global political turmoil, changing fortunes in a changing climate, and artificial intelligence shocking the foundations of our life and economy - and there’s nothing that a Wyoming Township Supervisor can do about any of that!”

Realistically, we’re mostly talking about potholes. We’ll fix ‘em!

Development, however, is a critical issue. Nobody wants to wake up one morning to find a big pylon sitting right out their front door, forevermore. But this stuff has to go somewhere, and this is America, can’t a neighbor do what they want? It’s a tough one. I have nuanced opinions and would love to hear yours too. I’ll be at the dump one of these Saturdays to answer questions - see me there!

What a nice photo of me.

Represent,

Twin Crix