What does the Brookfield mayor do?
The mayor serves as the chief executive and chief administrative officer of the city. They preside over the Common Council, ensure the faithful observance of city bylaws and ordinances and appoint heads of city boards, committees and commissions.
WUWM sent a questionnaire to the mayoral candidates to help inform voters' decisions. Their responses below may be edited for length and clarity.
Steve Ponto (incumbent)
Ponto did not respond to WUWM's candidate survey. The information below is based on his campaign website.
Steve Ponto has lived in Brookfield since 1990 and has served three terms as mayor since he was first elected in 2010. Before that, he served as an alderman for 12 years and practiced corporate law for over three decades.
Ponto's priorities include public safety, economic development and supporting Brookfield's schools, businesses and parks.
"As your Mayor, I am committed to enhancing the quality of life for every Brookfield resident, ensuring our neighborhoods are safe, vibrant, and welcoming. My vision embraces thoughtful, high-quality development, strong support for both our public and private schools, and the continual enhancement of parks, amenities, and local businesses. By fostering a community where safety, opportunity, and enjoyment intersect, I will work tirelessly to make Brookfield a place where every resident can thrive."
Mike Hallquist
Why are you running for this office?
Brookfield is at a pivotal moment. As the city has evolved, we need to define what a modern, financially sustainable, and thriving suburban city looks like. We need a mayor that can adapt to change and bring transparent government. Someone that can deliver smart economic development while creating a walkable, connected, and accessible city for everyone that includes great parks and safer streets. A mayor that embraces communication, listens to residents, leads with data and honesty, and can bring people together to build a city we're all proud of. I’m running to ensure Brookfield is a ‘drive-to’, not a ‘drive-thru’ city, so it remains a great place to raise a family, start a business, or retire…for this generation, and the next.
What impact do you hope to have?
I'd like to put Brookfield in a better position financially so we're able to provide services at or near the levels we have today. I’d also prioritize the creation of a long-term financial plan for our facilities and public amenities so the city can project its major capital costs further than 5 years. By challenging the how we work and creating a culture of continuous improvement, we can find new opportunities to leverage technology to modernize our operations. That means exploring opportunities for responsible AI while cross-training staff so our workforce can be flexible and adapt to new technology and digital media. Overall, I’d like to be the city that leads the way and shows others what’s possible.
What distinguishes you from other candidates in this race?
I am all about radical transparency. That means covering hard topics, speaking bluntly, answering questions honestly, directly engaging with residents, and embracing digital media. My campaign has focused on providing residents with my vision and perspective for the city while standing on my record as an Alderman the last 6 years. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished working with our residents, the city’s first accessible and inclusive playground at Wirth Park, Waukesha’s County’s first publicly-accessible universal changing station at the library, and many, many more. That’s what I campaign on. I’m proud that we are running a positive campaign, and don’t embrace the climate of negative politics. There’s enough hate in the world.
What do you think are the two biggest local issues and how would you address them?
Financially the city needs to confront the growing budget deficit it faces and get on a more sustainable path with its service delivery. We can’t build the future on a foundation of financial doubt and uncertainty with our operations. Solving these challenges will require hard work, creativity, and sacrifice. This is a multi-year and City-wide problem that we will have to tackle together. The city needs to prioritize re-development by updating its zoning to attract the types of developments the free market will provide. We have a growing number of commercial vacancies (especially office space) that should be re-vitalized by creating mixed-use developments that include housing that is affordable, mixed-income, and market rate.
What would you do differently if elected?
We’ve become one of the hardest and slowest places to get any new developments completed. That needs to change or we’ll start losing high-quality projects to other communities. For housing I’d like to see the City diversify its housing supply by considering the adoption of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU), improve zoning for the “Missing Middle” housing like triplexes, and adopt specific policies that promote the creation of affordable housing including workforce and low-incomes housing. Overall, there’s no problem too small, and no issue to big. Whether it’s the city’s future land-use, or changes to event permitting, I will be the mayor who shows up, rolls up his sleeves, and gets it done for every resident and business in Brookfield.
