Tim Neubauer seeks Oshkosh Common Council seat

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)—As a realtor, investor, and property owner, Tim Neubauer saw many things within the workings of city government that he feels could be more efficient. When friends said he would be great at it, Neubauer began to seriously consider a run for the Oshkosh Common Council. 

“ Everybody has a problem with trying to do something in Oshkosh, whether it’s contractors, developers, investors,” said Nuebauer. “A lot of people say, ‘I will not invest in Oshkosh. I don’t want to deal with the City of Oshkosh.’ I have the same stories. So that was like one of my main reasons of why I wanted to run.”

Neubauer says he knows firsthand the problems developers and others have experienced when it comes to developing, building, and renovating in Oshkosh.

“ So we own the Corbett House. And when we bought that, we ran into tons of different issues with either the planning department or the city inspection department. And it was a long, like three, four years of dealing with them. And I always said to myself deep down, like, ‘Man, I, I’d love to change something in there,’” he explained.

Furthermore, Neubauer said he misses the small-town feeling of Oshkosh as it has grown quickly into a larger city.

“ Everything has just gotten so expensive here. Well, everywhere. It doesn’t matter where you are,” said Neubauer. “So I’d love to be on the inside and actually know how all this stuff’s figured out. Where our money goes? How we budget things? Are we wasting money over here when we should be putting it over here? Do we need to be spending money on this or that? Or can we give it back to the community, lower our tax levy. Make things a little bit better for the people of Oshkosh in their wallets instead of building unnecessary things.”

One of the projects Neubauer said he is not sold on is the proposed pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Interstate 41.

The Neubauer Campaign

Oshkosh Issues

Plain and simple, Neubauer said the number one issue facing the Oshkosh city government right now is money.

“ Everything’s about money right now.  Whether it’s what government spends? Whether it’s what people keep in their pocket?” he said. “Watching social media or the news, we’re just seeing all this stuff about fraud and what the people in the government are doing with money and where money’s going. That’s obviously the biggest issue.”

Because of that, Neubauer says Oshkosh needs more transparency and better breakdowns of where the money is going. He added that the city needs to simplify overall, possibly even cut staff. He was quick to add that he doesn’t want anyone to lose their jobs, but thinks things can be streamlined.

As for the residents of Oshkosh, Neubauer said the homeless population, street repair, and money are top of mind.

“ It’s just obvious. Everything’s money. We keep spending, spending, spending. And everything for common folks gets more and more expensive,” he said. 

Housing 

Neubauer owns several rental properties in the Oshkosh area. From his personal experience, he believes that taxes and the city’s cumbersome regulations are keeping developers from building more housing in Oshkosh. 

“ We need to make it simpler for developers to come in and actually want to invest here,” he said.

Neubauer said property taxes directly affect housing affordability in the city.

“I own rental properties…When they did the reassessment, our taxes for that year went up $3,000. It might not sound like a a lot, but that’s either coming out of my pocket or it’s coming outta the renters,” Neubauer explained. “I can tell you as an investor…It’s gonna get passed on to the renter.”

Property Taxes

Neubauer said the best way to reduce property taxes in Oshkosh is by cutting the budget, including salaries. He added that there are savings to be found in maintaining and upkeep for parks; mowing less frequently or using fewer workers.

“ Are there positions that are open right now that we need to fill? Can we divvy out that work to other people? Do we need to keep creating more positions for certain things, or can we look within?” Neubauer asked. “Can we look at other things that we can possibly cut?

Neubauer said, being on the outside looking in, he sees a Common Council that needs balance and debate to tackle the money issue.

“There’s certain ways that people think. You know, whether it’s politically left or politically right. You know, one side may like to spend a little bit more money than the other side. I think on the city council – I know it’s nonpartisan, but maybe a little more balance. So we can have these disagreements on each side and somehow meet in the middle…Everything’s one-sided right now,” said Nuebauer.

Lagniappe: a little something extra

When asked about his passion, the thing that makes Tim Neubauer tick, he puts the rubber to the road, remotely. He races remote control cars.

“ Hobbytown, which is now John’s Hobbies – I actually was the realtor on that and helped John purchase that from Bob. But I raced there. They have a carpet oval upstairs. I’ve done this for almost 20 years, and I travel all over for it,” Nuebauer said.

After RC Racing, the Corbett House is Nuebauer’s passion project. He has spent the past three years refurbishing the home into a place that his blended family of a wife and seven children can call home. 

 ”That was a huge passion. It was also a huge test,” he said. “There’s many times I wanted that to burn down! But, for me, my passion was seeing my children see what their dad can do. Or what they can possibly do in the future to build something for themselves!”

Engaging with the campaign

Neubauer said if residents want to interact with his campaign, they can do so through his campaign-specific Facebook page. His phone number is posted on the page, and most of the city knows the Corbett House.

“ Stop by my house!” Nuebauer said. “Really! It’s an open door, and we’ve had people who stop by just to have a conversation, which I love doing,” Nuebauer said.

Oshkosh Common Council Race

Eight people are running for the three at-large Common Council seats being decided this spring. In addition to Neubauer,  Meredith Scheuermann, Alec Lefeber, Paul Esslinger, Jacob Amos, Eric Gumz, Logan Jungbacker, and Dan Lenz are all on the primary ballot.

Incumbents D.J. Nichols and Jacob Floam have decided not to seek reelection.

The primary will be held on February 17th, during which the field of candidates will be reduced to six. The spring election is April 7, 2026.