Treasurer question goes to voters this fall

Town of Saukville voters will get to decide in the Nov. 3 election whether the town treasurer position should be appointed or elected.

On Tuesday, July 21, the Town Board approved an ordinance making the position appointed, but the decision must be approved by voters before it becomes effective.

Under the ordinance, the treasurer would be appointed by a majority of the three-member Town Board to a three-year term and may be reappointed for additional terms.

The referendum question on the Nov. 3 ballot will read:

“Shall the person holding the office of town treasurer in the Town of Saukville be appointed by the Town Board?”

Town supervisors approved the ordinance and referendum question Tuesday without discussion. But last month, board members said it’s important that the position be filled with a professional.

“The job is getting more technical. And it’s getting more difficult to find someone to run for public office,” Town Chairman Don Hamm said.

“There might not be a qualified person who lives in the town,” Supr. Curt Rutkowski said. “That would put us in a real spot.”

Elected officials are required to be residents of the community they represent whereas appointees can generally live anywhere, providing a larger pool of potential candidates from which to hire based on qualifications and experience.

Being able to appoint someone “would allow us to go beyond our borders” to find a qualified treasurer, Supr. Mike Denzien said.

An appointed person also can be fired for cause or not have their contract renewed when it ends whereas an elected person can be removed only by recall or through an election.

The majority of town clerks and treasurers in the state’s 1,200-plus towns are still elected, but the trend is to make those positions appointed, according to figures from the Wisconsin Towns Association.

The Saukville town clerk position, currently held by Raquel Engelke, is appointed.

In April, Town of Port Washington voters approved a referendum to make its treasurer an appointed position. Its clerk was made an appointed position in 2014.

In November 2018, Town of Fredonia voters made both its clerk and treasurer appointed positions.

The Saukville board last month approved hiring a part-time accounting assistant to help with bookkeeping duties, likely beginning in January.

On Tuesday, supervisors approved a job description for the job, including being knowledgeable with payroll and municipal accounting practices.

Town Treasurer Gloria Arredondo said an accountant with another local government agency is interested in the position.