Mayor to run for county board

Rhinelander Mayor Kris Hanus has decided to seek a second elected office.

Hanus, who has served as mayor of the Hodag city since April 12, 2022, filed a declaration of candidacy and nomination papers Dec. 20 for the District 2 Oneida County Board of Supervisors seat currently held by supervisor and alderman Tom Kelly.

Kelly, who has a long history of service both on the county board and the common council, filed a notice of non-candidacy for the county board seat back on Dec. 7. As his common council seat is not up for election this spring, as of this writing, Kelly is expected to continue in that role.

Hanus told the River News that he decided to throw his hat into the ring for county board supervisor after learning that Kelly had decided against another run and no one else had come forward to express interest in the seat.

“Tom wanted to step down and no one else was running,” he explained, adding that Kelly has served as a “liaison” of sorts between the city and the county and it could be beneficial for such an arrangement to continue.

“There’s a lot of stuff where if there’s more (communication) between the county and city we can do a lot more,” he said.

As for potential conflicts of interest, Hanus noted that, as mayor, he only votes in the event of a tie. He does not foresee himself voting on the same topic as both a city and county elected official, he clarified.

“There may come a time where we’re discussing something that both bodies are dealing with, then I would either not be able to vote on one or both of them,” he said, adding that he consulted with city attorney Steve Sorenson before filing his papers and was advised there is no legal impediment to him serving both municipalities.

In an interview ahead of the 2022 mayoral election, Hanus explained that he moved to Rhinelander in 2013 and concluded this is where he wants to spend the rest of his life.

After working in different management capacities for local retailers, he branched out and now operates his own property management business. 

He is also the owner of a Stevens Street tavern called Da Bar.

Fortunately, the county and city meeting schedules are structured in such a way that he does not expect to have difficulty attending sessions, he stressed.

The position of county board supervisor, one of 21 elected representatives on the county level, is also markedly different from the office of the mayor, he added.

“It’s not like I’m going to be the chairman of the county,” he said. “It’s a different role.”

Ultimately, he said he enjoys the work and believes the extra time commitment is worth it.

“Both of my businesses and doing well where I can be more hands-off,” he said. “And I think the upside of what could happen with both bodies being more open to each other, I think is a bigger win for everyone.”

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].