Dozens of local ballots ask if municipal clerks should become appointed, not elected

Of the over 240 referendums posed to Wisconsin voters during this election, about 80 of them are asking the same question: should the position of town clerk and/or treasurer be changed to an appointed position, rather than remain elected?

It’s a question voters in almost 50 towns in Wisconsin said “yes” to in 2022, according to reporting by PBS Wisconsin.

The reason many small municipalities are asking is because it’s getting harder to find qualified people to run for town clerk, said Carol Nawrocki, assistant director at the Wisconsin Towns Association. Her organization supports town officials across the state. In recent years, she’s been getting calls from worried officials.

“I get asked: ‘What will happen if we can’t find anyone to run?’” Nawrocki said. “What we’ve seen is a shift to wanting to appoint because primarily, there is a decreased number of people either willing to serve in these roles or qualified to serve in them, or both.”


https://www.wpr.org/news/dozens-of-local-ballots-ask-if-municipal-clerks-should-become-appointed-not-elected