Hiring of clerk ends nearly complete turnover

By DAN BENSON

Ozaukee Press staff

The Village of Fredonia has hired a new clerk, concluding a nearly complete turnover in village personnel over the last year.

Michelle Johnson has been hired as village clerk. Johnson recently moved to Cedarburg from Boxford, Mass, where she had been deputy town clerk for seven years, according to a village press release.

Johnson will be responsible for permitting and licensing, conducting elections, processing meeting notices, agendas and minutes.

She was appointed by the Village Board at its Jan. 4 meeting.

“I have a passion for public service and take pride in providing critical services to town residents,” Johnson said in the press release. “I’m excited about bringing my experience to a new community and serving the families of Fredonia.”

The Village Board voted in November to split the former clerk-treasurer position into two jobs, with former Clerk-Treasurer Melissa Depies becoming treasurer.

In December, trustees offered the clerk job to a candidate who later backed out.

Village Administrator Christophe Jenkins said Depies and Johnson are full-time, 32-hour-per-week employees. Depies’ annual salary went down from $64,000 to $55,000.

Johnson’s salary is $48,000, Jenkins said.

With the hiring of Johnson and a Department of Public Works employee this week, village offices are now fully staffed, Jenkins, who was hired in October, said.

A year ago, Depies was hired to replace Sandi Tretow, who resigned in November 2021 and is now Ozaukee County treasurer. Depies previously worked as an administrative assistant in the Grafton Public Works Department.

In November, Eric Paulus was appointed Public Works director, replacing Roger Strohm, who resigned in September to take a position as city engineer for the City of Port Washington.

Paulus, of Fredonia, was the lead wastewater operator for the Village of Kewaskum and had worked as a utility operator for the Village of Saukville.

He is a firefighter/emergency medical technician with the Fredonia Fire Department, the Ozaukee High School girls’ head soccer coach and a U14 coach for the Waubedonia Soccer Club.

Jenkins recently announced he will not run for re-election as mayor of West Bend.

Jenkins also is clerk for the Town of Fredonia. Under an agreement between the village and the town, the village is reimbursed for time Jenkins spends on town matters.

Officials estimate that will amount to the town paying about a third of Jenkins’ $90,000 salary.