Town will ask voters to decide best way to fill treasurer post

Following a public hearing, the Saukville Town Board on Tuesday agreed by consensus that a referendum question will be put on the November ballot asking voters whether the town treasurer should be appointed instead of elected.

“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.

“It 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 Town Board is expected to review the referendum language and approve a draft ordinance when supervisors meet next month. 

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

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