by Jay Lawson
Mission continues for local advocacy group, says outgoing president Mark ScheidelmanThe Webb Property Owners Association (WPOA) is currently marking its 25th year of service to its membership and has seen many changes since the organization’s founding in 1986, according to Don Dew of Big Moose, a charter member and current vice president.
WPOA directors, members and the public had an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s history and assess its future, when they gathered for an annual meeting of the association last Friday at the North Woods Inn on Fourth Lake.
The concerns of today’s property owner have changed from 25 years ago, according to Dew, and WPOA has changed also to continue to serve a useful purpose in the Town of Webb.
“[Today WPOA] is broader in scope,” he said.
Dew admitted that the group was founded primarily on budget concerns and tax issues.
And though the annual spending by the local town and school boards, as well as that of county, state, and federal governments—continue to be of importance, the interests of property owners have stretched beyond it.
In fact, where WPOA had Dean Burth speaking last year on assessments and their effect on the property tax bill, this year silver anniversary speaker was Hazel Dellavia, who spoke about—of all things—the state of local health care.
Dellavia serves as president of the Town of Webb Health Center Fund.
“We’re trying to pick our priorities, and health care is one of them,” Dew said.
Mark Scheidelman, WPOA’s outgoing president, agreed that health care, particularly the availability of services locally, is a concern.
“It’s been brewing under the surface,” he said.
Local services just aren’t there the way they used to be, even 15 or 20 years ago, according to Scheidelman.
And though he understands the reasons for it, Scheidelman suggests that some changes may be needed.
“Maybe the town has to get out of that business. I really believe this is going to be a big issue in the next election, and it’s going to continue on with the new town board next year,” he said.
And though some perceive WPOA as being opposed to everything, Scheidelman disagrees.
“We’ve been supportive of many issues here in town,” he said, adding that tax increases in and of themselves are not what quashes WPOA support.
“[In the past] we’ve come out and we’ve supported budgets that have included tax increases,” he said, while acknowledging that to not always be the case.
“We’ve stood for what we felt was the right thing to do,” he said.
And Scheidelman rejects the notion that WPOA has run its course, as he said some have suggested.
“What we think we’ve been able to do is at least spark discussion. We bring up some issues that might [otherwise] not be talked about,” he said.
And WPOA continues to be an information channel for its members, he said.
“That’s our obligation. We’ve had many discussions and deliberations over the future of this organization,” he said.
But the same answer keeps returning to WPOA’s directors, according to Scheidelman.
“We are an organization that is needed. And while we…may be on the outs with some people because of differences of opinion, we are going to continue to be outspoken, and continue to research our topics and the issues and to confront them head on,” he said.
And WPOA members continue to rely on its board for guidance on local issues, Scheidelman said.
“Many call us and say, ‘Where does WPOA stand on something? What can you find out for me?’” he said.
“And this is what we try to do—bring information to you; find out what the facts are and then try to make a recommendation to elected officials and our membership, and see if we can bring some change,” he said.
“We are an organization that’s needed…whether we have a reputation for being against something or for something,” he said.
And the results speak for themselves, according to Scheidelman.
“When we have 500 members who consistently renew their memberships year after year, we think we must be doing something right; serving something—a good purpose—in this community.”
