BOSCOBEL, Wis. — For the first time in a long time, those living in Boscobel will have a new mayor come Tuesday.
After 27 years in charge, the city's leader is calling it quits and is ready for someone new to take over.
The Boscobel community has seen a lot of changes over the last three decades and nobody has had a front-row seat quite like longtime Mayor Steve Wetter.
Years ago, during a city council meeting, Boscobel's mayor abruptly resigned leaving a vacancy that the council president at the time did not want.
“They said is there anybody in here that would be interested in doing that and I was dumb enough to raise my hand,” Wetter said.
Just like that, Steve Wetter was mayor and on his own with no previous leader to learn from.
“You just don't let the people down,” Wetter explained. “That's the key to the whole thing. You're there not because of something that you particularly want or don't want. It's you're doing whatever needs to be done because the people want that done.”
Wetter wasn't always mayor. He served as an alderman for five years. There was also a time when he had to resign because of his National Guard service and a term when he wasn't reelected by the community.
During his 32 years of service to the place he grew up, Wetter has seen plenty of changes like the supermax prison, industrial park, and local airport.
“I went to the council and I said 'I think we ought to look at buying the airport' and their comment was 'You want to do what?' and it didn't go over so good right at first,” Wetter said.
Eventually, the community would come around, and now Wetter credits a lot of the growth of the local industry to that decision. However, if you ask him about his biggest accomplishment, you won't get one answer.
“It's the whole thing all wrapped into one,” Wetter said. “All the things that we've done through the years, and that needs to continue on. We're only just getting started.”
Regardless of who wins the spring election on Tuesday, Wetter just hopes they pick up where he left off.
“It's just time,” Wetter said. “It's time for me to get out and let somebody else do it. The city is in good shape. Everything has [gone] very well. We've got a lot of things done.”
Wetter, who will turn 80 years old in June, said he is looking forward to retirement and playing more golf.