OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Former Oshkosh Mayor and current Common Council member Paul Esslinger is running for mayor, adding another familiar name to the race to lead the city.
Esslinger was first elected to the Oshkosh Common Council in 2000 and won the mayor's race in 2009. He served as mayor until 2011 and has served on Oshkosh Common Council on and off since then.
Esslinger joins council member Joe Stephenson and Deputy Mayor Karl Buelow in the race. Stephenson announced his candidacy in October, while Buelow entered the race over the summer. Current Mayor Matt Mugerauer is not seeking reelection.
In an interview with NBC 26, Esslinger discussed several issues facing Oshkosh.
He said he believes the city should step away from efforts to purchase City Center.
Regarding ALPR cameras, Esslinger said he is "somewhere in the middle" of the ongoing debate. He said he wants police to have the tools they need but added he does have concerns with privacy issues.
"There's a point where enough is enough with the cameras. I'm very concerned with the privacy part of that," Esslinger said. "If it's just reading license plates to catch folks that need to be caught, I'm in favor of that."
Last month, Oshkosh tabled a resolution that would have banned automated license plate reading technology, including Flock Safety cameras, in the city. That resolution is expected to be taken up again sometime this month.
