Get Out and Vote Tuesday, April 7
Michelle Kelley
Honoring Our Community
“I am running to ensure that as our village grows, we keep the small-town charm and historic character that we all love.”
Get Out and Vote Tuesday, April 7
Three Priorities for Mt Horeb
Our location near Madison makes growth inevitable — and I accept that. I support a balanced approach that includes both infill development and responsible expansion beyond our current boundaries, done with genuine care for the environment, our neighbors, and the character that makes this community worth moving to in the first place.
Growth in the right places — near Miller’s, at the old Karakahl site, on the west side — can strengthen our tax base, support local businesses, and bring new families into a community they’ll want to stay in. That’s the kind of growth I’ll fight for. What I will not accept is using growth as an excuse to suburbanize the one place in Mount Horeb that makes us unlike anywhere else.
“Thoughtful growth strengthens a community. Careless growth costs it something it can never get back.“
PRIORITY ONE
Protecting our historic downtown
Our downtown is the heart of Mount Horeb — a place with genuine character, small-town charm, and a heritage tourism economy that sets us apart from every other community in Dane County. Communities like New Glarus, Stoughton, and Galena have built thriving economies around exactly this kind of historic identity. We are at a tipping point between capitalizing on ours or giving it away.
I strongly oppose large, suburbanized mixed-use apartment buildings on our historic Main Street. These buildings would kill our small-town feel and destroy the heritage tourism economy our downtown depends on. Our own 2024 Comprehensive Plan calls for a downtown that is “attractive and aesthetically unique, not a suburban feel.” I will hold the Village Board to that vision.
“Instead of suburbanized big-box buildings, let’s make our downtown an even greater destination — and grow responsibly everywhere else.”
PRIORITY TWO
Increasing transparency in local government
Transparency is essential for trust. Our current village leadership may meet the minimum legal requirements for open government — but we deserve better. Residents shouldn’t find out about major development proposals at the 11th hour, after hundreds of hours of planning have already happened behind closed doors.
If elected, I will work toward:
– Push-notification systems so residents can sign up for updates on the topics they care about most
– Online Q&A forums where officials and constituents can have genuine two-way conversations
– More flexible public comment processes — including pre-registration and overflow meetings when turnout demands it
– Earlier public disclosure of development proposals, with mandatory community Q&A sessions before any project advances
“Government that informs its residents — not surprises them — is the foundation of trust. We deserve that standard.”
PRIORITY THREE
Promoting affordability
Housing is a critical need in Mount Horeb — I believe that. We need more options, more variety, and more opportunities for young families to put down roots here and make it their long-term home. Rising costs affect everything from rent to property taxes, and the Village Board has a responsibility to take that seriously.
But the answer isn’t market-rate studio and one-bedroom apartments on our historic Main Street. I support expanding housing options — especially genuinely affordable opportunities for young families — in locations that make sense, align with our Comprehensive Plan, and contribute to the kind of community people actually want to live in for decades.
“We need housing people can afford, in places that make sense. Those two things aren’t in conflict — if we’re willing to make thoughtful decisions.”
ABOUT MICHELLE
A neighbor and lifer
I grew up on a dairy and hog farm in Pine Bluff, the youngest of a large Irish Catholic family. I’ve called Mount Horeb home for most of my life. My husband Mikel and I graduated from Mount Horeb High School together, returned after college and military service, and have lived on South 4th Street for 25 years — raising our daughters Maggie and Erin right here in this community.
I hold a B.A. in Political Science from UW-Madison and an M.S. in Organizational Behavior from Edgewood University. My career has been dedicated to higher education administration, where I worked for years as a Registrar — a role that put me in the room for Faculty Senate meetings, institutional governance decisions, and the kind of deliberate, process-driven work that good governance requires. Today I work as a Business Analyst for the UW System.
When a proposed four-story development threatened to reshape our historic Main Street, over 200 of us showed up to fight for our community. I was among those neighbors — attending meetings, speaking out, and helping organize the effort. What I learned through that process is that I want to work from the inside to more directly affect the future of our village.
“I want to help shape Mount Horeb’s future in a way that respects our past, supports our residents, and strengthens our sense of community.”— Michelle Kelley
