Hales Corners trustee will seek County Board seat

A prominent Hales Corners civic leader has decided to step into Milwaukee County's political realm by running for the 9th District supervisors seat.

Donald G. Schwartz today announced his intention to seek the seat currently held by Paul M. Cesarz, who has come under fire in recent months for his lack of contact with his constituents.

In announcing his candidacy in a press release, Schwartz made no mention of Cesarz directly. Instead, he addressed issues he said the County Board needs to address as a whole - particularly in terms of partnerships to more effectively deliver county services.

"In order to address the county's structural deficit, we need new and creative ways to operate county government," Schwartz said in the press release. "I will start by identifying priorities in each community and looking at ways to implement with fiscal responsibility and by building public and private partnerships."

Schwartz is a familiar name in Hales Corners. Among his other civic roles, he has served for the past nine years as an elected trustree on the Village Board. He is also president of the Hales Corners Chamber of Commerce, which he helped reorganize in 2003. Since 2007, he has also spearheaded efforts to keep the Hales Corners Pool open - a task which involved a coordinated deal with Milwaukee County.