Jacob Marek

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Jacob Marek

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

April 7, 2020

Contact

Campaign website

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Jacob Marek ran for election to the Milwaukee Common Council to represent District 3 in Wisconsin. He lost in the general election on April 7, 2020.

Marek completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jacob Marek attended Charles University, in Prague. Marek’s career experience includes working as a software consultant. He founded CleanMK, a detrashing nonprofit focused on litter cleanup in Milwaukee.

Elections

2020

See also: City elections in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2020)

General election

General election for Milwaukee Common Council District 3

Incumbent Nik Kovac defeated Jacob Marek in the general election for Milwaukee Common Council District 3 on April 7, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nik Kovac (Nonpartisan)	72.6	7,513
		Jacob Marek (Nonpartisan)	27.1	2,806
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	34

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,353
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jacob Marek completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Marek's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Wisconsin native who grew up in the public school system. My passion for policy and role of local government was sparked with the 2011 Wisconsin protests against Act 10 where my mother was an active participant in the protests.

In High School I volunteered with several organizations including serving as the website administrator WNC which provides programs and resources that engage neighbors to support and empower one another. I was also a finalist in several state Future Problem Solver competitions, a program that helped me understand global concerns and taught me to create action plans for facing local issues.

After graduating High School I left the country on a scholarship from Charles University in Prague one of the world's oldest active universities, and studied at the Matfyz (Mathematics and Physics) Faculty. I discovered how important transit and walk-ability is to a city's developing communities. I saw the city grow and modernize quickly without being fiscally irresponsible or ignorant of its own culture.

From these experiences I have learned the importance of planning, the role transit in fostering community, and how we may face our fiscal challenges while making great strides forward.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I will work to improve the walkability of the city and make it a safe place to be a pedestrian. I plan to further develop the city's complete streets policy to include protected bike lanes, bollards, as well as better public transit infrastructure including bus shelters.
• I support public schools and will work to secure funding for MPS for the purposes of improving the services and programs offered. I believe local public education is key to fostering community growth and creating connected neighborhoods.
• As a co-founder of a non-profit dedicated to organizing regular clean ups in Milwaukee I understand the need for a clean city. If elected, I would work to develop a program for on foot clean up crews to provide neighborhood litter removal services.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about infrastructure, housing, and safe neighborhoods. I believe with community involvement we can find unique ways to invest strategically so that the city improves in all three categories without ballooning the budget. If we succeed in making a city that is safe to walk in, clean to play in, and affordable for all, we will attract new residents and retain the culture that makes Milwaukee a great place to live. We must improve our utilities and clean litter from our neighborhood streets so that our city is an attractive place to reside.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Faith in their neighbors. When your constituents tell you they feel unsafe in their neighborhoods you must do all you can to absolve those fears with action. I believe ones instincts can be a powerful tool similar to statistical examination in locating solutions to problems.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

We have the regular responsibilities that are described in the city charter but I believe there exists an implied one that I think is key to keeping the city advancing. I believe whoever is elected to this office must work to keep their neighborhood active and involved with government affairs. By this I mean that this office should educate the public on their options to work with their legislators at the state level to keep city interests relevant above City Hall.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was actually a volunteer position I held for 4 years at the local community services non profit of my hometown. From freshman year until I graduated I served as the website and database administrator and worked closely with the nonprofit to maintain their digital presence.

What is your favorite book? Why?

A favorite book is so hard to pick! I recently enjoyed "Walkable City" by Jeff Speck. It was insightful into why we have lost our walkable cities and details how a city can reverse course and eventually recover. The well cited chapters explain how to build a safer city for pedestrians without risk to car independence and increase business property in the same swing. I think several of the lessons would greatly benefit Milwaukee.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily. I believe what is important is having a vision for the city you care deeply about. If you are willing to put in the hours and communicate with your constituents to develop that vision success will follow. However, failure to keep your constituents informed and involved can result in a loss of direction.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Communication. At this local level being in constant contact with your constituents is very important. I don't believe this office affords the holder the time to continue exploring and expanding his understanding of the district on foot if they are as invested in the detail of the work as they should be. I believe they will need to host regular town halls and offer opportunities for open forum between neighbors in a public setting in order to expand their understanding of the problems faced by the neighborhoods they may never get the opportunity to travel through in a timely manner. They will also need to have a firm grasp on modern media and be able to adapt to any changes that are certain to come to our communication methods. Failure to do that will result in failure to represent their constituents.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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