Did Onalaska school board use district money to keep incumbents on ballot?

Board president and another
member trying to get back on ballot

Jake Speed is calling out two incumbents that were supposed to be on the Onalaska school board ballot this April.

Instead, it’s just Speed and he’s calling out the district for spending money in an effort to keep the two incumbents on the ballot despite their nomination paper errors. 

“They spent over $20,000 on attorney fees trying to keep them on the ballot in a failed effort,” Speed said.

Speed is alleging incumbents Ann Garrity, the school board president, and Tim Smaby, who are running write-in campaigns, used the school district’s legal counsel to keep them on the ballot.

“Using school district funds in that way, that’s not (used) in the classroom,” Speed said, “I believe the school board president had every opportunity to stop that from happening, and because she was the benefactor, she let it go.”

Speed says he’ll address the issue further at a candidate forum at the Eagle Bluff Elementary School tonight at 7 p.m.