By Evelyn Horvat and Magali DeAlba
Mayor Schroeder was elected mayor of Delavan at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Without a blueprint, or anyone to look to for help, he found himself uncertain about what to do. No one had ever dealt with a problem like COVID-19 before. Mayor Schroeder has always stressed that he can only do so much as a mayor individually, but when everyone works together, so much more can be accomplished for the good of the community. He worked with great city councils to figure out how to handle the COVID-19 outbreak. They put different things into effect to make sure that the people of Delavan stayed safe and healthy. These measures included social distancing and mask mandates. But the next problem that came with the COVID-19 outbreak was the effects all these new regulations had on small businesses. Mayor Schroeder and his council worked to find ways to help the smaller, local businesses in town. One thing they did was talk to local restaurants in the downtown area and they were able to find ways to keep them in business such as getting them outdoor seating on the sidewalks which they still use after the lift of COVID-19 restrictions.
Mayor Schroeder has always had a strong desire to help people. He grew up in a family where members were actively involved in their community and city governments. He knew from a young age that he wanted to grow up to help his community in any way he possibly could. His journey started when he was just 24 years old. Elected to the city council as the youngest member in Delavan’s history, his dreams of helping people began to take off. He was an active member, doing everything he could to make himself known. At 27 years old he ran for mayor for the first time. He lost by one vote on election night and after numerous recounts, he lost by only four votes. It was the closest mayoral election in Delavan’s history and took nine days to decide. He then served on the city council, serving a third of the city and continuing to watch and learn how the process worked. He worked alongside previous mayors, observing their approach to tasks and responsibilities. His desire to help people and to become mayor grew stronger. He describes his experience as a life lesson, that if you have a goal or a dream to do something, you should never give up and continue to work towards it even if you don’t get there right away.
But that’s not all he’s been focused on since he was elected. Mayor Schroeder has worked on many other projects throughout the city. One of his proudest achievements involves his efforts to improve the environment, particularly through his advocacy for the ban on phosphorus fertilizers which he achieved as an Alderman, before being elected mayor. Our community was one of the earliest in the area to look at a phosphorus fertilizer ban before it was state-banned in 2010 because of his efforts. He was recognized by Clean Wisconsin, a statewide environmental group, as Local Elected Official of the Year in 2007.
As mayor, one of his favorite projects has been the Mayor for a Day Program he has created with the help of Mr. Alter, DDHS administrators and Mr. Karedes. With no one to mentor him or look to for help when he was first elected to City Council when he was 24, he wanted to allow students to see what he does on a daily basis as well as learn about different types of careers that make important decisions and contributions to the community.
Mayor Schroeder is somebody who always wants to work together to find a solution that benefits everyone. He doesn’t like to fight or argue but rather tries to find common ground with those around him. As a result of this, he’s been urged to take a step further and asked if he has any aspirations for running for higher offices, but as of right now, he says that he’s focused on Delavan.
Mayor Schroeder leaves us all with some advice. First, sign up for the Mayor for a Day while you are still able; it is open to all DDHS students. All you have to do is talk to Mr. Alter and sign up. And second, make sure you are getting involved in the community. While it’s important to be involved in school-run extracurriculars, he urges everyone to participate in community events. Not only can it earn you community service hours but it can also help you learn about what’s happening in the community around you as well as help you become a part of a positive, helpful community.
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