OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Joe Stephenson, a member of the Oshkosh Common Council, has announced he is running for mayor, becoming the second declared candidate in the race for the city’s top elected position.
Stephenson joins Deputy Mayor Karl Buelow, who announced his candidacy over the summer. Mayor Matt Mugerauer is not seeking reelection.
Stephenson enters the race after weighing in on several issues currently facing Oshkosh.
On the use of automatic license plate reader cameras, or ALPRs, Stephenson has called for a ban, citing concerns about the rapidly developing technology and the city's ability to regulate it.
“I think we need to ban them right now,” Stephenson said. “I believe that AI in general is a pretty fast-moving technology. Something that’s a little bit too quick for a city to regulate on the fly.”
Buelow has also expressed concerns about ALPR technology, saying he does not believe it currently has a place in Oshkosh outside limited uses such as parking enforcement.
The two candidates have also expressed skepticism about bringing a large-scale data center to Oshkosh. Stephenson said the city has limited available land and raised concerns about the potential regional resource impacts of such a development.
“I believe it’s just not a good use for a city that has very limited land, has resource implications throughout the region,” Stephenson said. “So, I am not a very big fan of data centers.”
Candidates have until Jan. 5 to file for candidacy.
