January 10, 2024 – West Bend, Wi – Former West Bend city clerk Guadalupe L. Santana, also known as Lizbet Santana, is headed to trial on two felony charges of child abuse.
Santana, who was clerk in West Bend, Wi, from June 2022 – October 2023, was in Milwaukee County Court on January 9, 2024, where she waived her preliminary hearing, the court found probable cause and she was bound over for trial.
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According to court records, Santana’s attorney entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of his client.
It was November 28, 2023, when Santana faced initial charges in Milwaukee County Court tied to allegations of child abuse.
According to the criminal complaint, Santana, who went by the name Guadalupe L. Santana, is facing two counts of allegedly causing bodily harm to a child. The children are ages 10 and 7.
According to the criminal complaint, the initial call to Children’s Hospital came October 23, 2023.
The criminal complaint indicates:
Count 1: PHYSICAL ABUSE OF A CHILD (INTENTIONAL CAUSATION OF BODILY HARM)
The above-named defendant on or about Monday, October 23, 2023, in the City of Oak Creek, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, did intentionally cause bodily harm to
EJG, DOB 06/05/2013, a child, contrary to sec. 948.03(2)(b), 939.50(3)(h) Wis. Stats.
Upon conviction for this offense, a Class H Felony, the defendant may be fined not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000), or imprisoned not more than six (6) years, or both.
Count 2: PHYSICAL ABUSE OF A CHILD (INTENTIONAL CAUSATION OF BODILY HARM)
The above-named defendant on or about Monday, October 23, 2023, at a home in the City of Oak Creek, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, did intentionally cause bodily harm to
NCG, DOB 2016, a child, contrary to sec. 948.03(2)(b), 939.50(3)(h) Wis. Stats.
Upon conviction for this offense, a Class H Felony, the defendant may be fined not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000), or imprisoned not more than six (6) years, or both.
You may choose to CLICK HERE to read the full criminal complaint.
Officers from Oak Creek interviewed the children at the hospital. Findings detailed in the criminal complaint include accusations of being struck with a phone cord, left unattended for extended periods, and having a chemical sprayed in their face.
The complaint also alleges Santana left the children alone while she went to California.
According to the courts, “this case has not been concluded. Unless a judgment of conviction is entered, the defendant is presumed innocent of all charges.”
A summons was mailed by the court to Santana on November 27, 2023.
Santana made her initial appearance in Milwaukee court on December 19, 2023, at 1:19 p.m.
Santana resigned her role as City Clerk and left West Bend City Hall prior to October 26, 2023. At the time, Council President John Butschlick said she left for “personal reasons.”
Santana’s next appearance in court is February 9, 2024, for a status conference.
Below is the story that was published when Santana left her job at City Hall in October 2023.
October 31, 2023 – West Bend, WI – The City of West Bend is looking for a new full-time city clerk. A job opening was posted Tuesday. According to Common Council President John Butschlick, clerk Lizbet Santana’s last day on the job was last week.
Santana had been with the city for one year and four months after being hired in June 2022. Prior to that the clerk’s position had been vacant for 7 months.
Santana previously worked at the Village of Hales Corners and spent six months in a job at the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Santana started her position at an annual salary of $83,366.40 with benefits.
The current job posting lists the city clerk’s “starting salary at $85,030.40 – $91,405.”
Butschlick said, “We’re definitely going to need some assistance and some help with the elections coming up in 2024. Hopefully we’ll be able to find someone with experience.” Butschlick said Santana left for personal reasons.
Election season is right around the corner as candidates will start circulating nomination papers shortly as the Spring Primary is February 20, 2024, and the Presidential Preference Primary and Spring Election is April 2, 2024. August 13, 2024 is the Partisan Primary and November 5, 2024 is the General Election which includes the Presidential Election.
On another job note, there is also a full-time office technician opening in the clerk’s office as well. That post was recently filled and is now open again. Starting pay is $20.77 an hour with benefits.
Click HERE to read about the previous longevity of clerks in the past
On a history note: Below is an article that ran when Santana was sworn in June 2022.Â
“I have my bachelor’s in education and I’m currently working on my master’s in public administration, MPA, at the University of Illinois in Springfield,” said Santana. “I don’t have a masters I’m currently working on my master’s degree.”
Santana left a job at the Wisconsin Election Commission to take the clerk’s position. “I’ve been working there (WEC) a couple months, six months,” she said. “Because I am working on my MPA this is a great opportunity for me. I love local government. It’s something I’m working on so getting my certificate in community planning because I love zoning and municipal code, which is great and awesome. So, this is a great opportunity for me so getting the experience, hands on and not only working state level and being able to administer elections is just awesome.”
With regard to election experience, Santana said she worked at the Village of Hales Corners. “I did work at the Village of Hales Corners, we processed voter registrations, absentee ballots, working with the voter registration system that WEC created that all clerks within the state use. So, I know how to use it as a clerk and as an employee with WEC. So I have the skills for that.”
Santana said she was a clerk with the Village of Hales Corners for a year and six or seven months. “I was an administration service specialist,” she said. “I worked an election covering a primary, spring and General Election.”
As far as certification, Santana cites WEC. “Wisconsin Election Commission will not allow any clerk, unless they get the education they need to get and I have my training certification,” she said.
Santana said she oversaw an election by helping at the Village of Hales Corners. “It starts from voter registration to processing ballots to helping voters, so I think voter administration to helping voters encompasses all that,” she said. “I’m working on my MPA because this is an opportunity for me. You’re going to get your education and I love working with voters, I love working with residents. It’s very important to be educated so I can be clear with the voter and resident if they have any questions because as a voter and resident they want that.”
Santana said she is bilingual and speaks English and Spanish.
“I’m just excited for the opportunity and to serve voters and residents and I’m glad to be here and election integrity is important and if I can help any voter or resident with any questions or concerns, it’s a fishbowl transparency because that’s what government is supposed to be,” she said.
Santana has two sons and lives in Hales Corners. Questioned whether she would be moving into the community of West Bend, Santana said at the moment she was not looking, “but a possibility in the future maybe.”
During the Monday, June 6, 2022 common council meeting Santana was introduced to the council as Guadalupe Lizbet Gutierrez. Gutierrez said she goes by her middle name and dropped her married name to return to Lizbet Santana.
After a brief statement, the council was asked if it had any questions, none were posed and they voted unanimously in approval.
The city made job offers to two other clerk candidates; they both turned down the position.
One note of discrepancy is on Santana’s application. Under the education category it reads, “Highest Level of Education Completed” and typed underneath it reads “Masters Degree.”
Santana said during the one-on-one interview she did “not have a Masters Degree.”
District 2 alderman Mark Allen was part of the interview committee. “We talked about that during the interview process,” said Allen. “We’re aware she has a bachelor’s degree and is enrolled in a master’s program, yes. We’re comfortable that she has a bachelors.”
Questioned whether there were any thoughts about what was written in the application Allen said, “She may have misunderstood the form.”
Allen said it was “not concerning” about the application.
Asked if it was OK to put whatever you want on a job application, he said, “No, but we discussed that while talking with her.”
Allen said, “Her educational accomplishments were discussed at the interview and she never represented she had a master’s degree. Like I said, she may have misunderstood the question when she was filling out the form.”
Asked if that’s what Santana said about the typed response to the question Allen said, “I’m just guessing. I feel she’s qualified and feel she’s a good choice for clerk.”
Allen said there were more than six people interviewed for the job.
Questioned why the name of the finalist for the position was never disclosed and the lack of transparency, Allen said, “I’m not sure if there was a mistake made or failing to disclose something or what… if that’s the case then I’ll live with the consequences. I think she’s a good candidate and we went through a lot of candidates; way more than six applied but six had the necessary qualifications to be a clerk.”
Allen said some current clerks did apply.
Allen acknowledged Santana has not been a head clerk, although she has assisted a clerk.
“She has the clerk certification and I believe that’s done by the clerk’s association but that’s generally what you want in a clerk or working toward it,” he said.
Questioned about the 41% increase in pay from her job at WEC, Allen said Santana was paid “on the low end of the clerk scale.”
Allen said he will provide the pay scale for clarification.
The job opened following the resignation last October 2021 of head clerk Stephanie Justman who left for a job in neighboring Dodge County.
The swearing in process for Santana will occur June 20 when she starts the job at an annual salary of $83,366.40 with benefits.
According to human resources at the city of West Bend, Santana’s annual salary will be $83,366.40.
On a history note: This will be the eighth new clerk in a span of about one year in Washington County, WI.Â
– In Germantown, Erin Hirn served as interim clerk after head clerk Deanna Braunschweig left Germantown in March 2023 to take a job as clerk/treasured in the Village of Chenequa in neighboring Waukesha County. Hirn was head of Human Resources in the Village of Germantown but stepped in June 2023. Clerk Casey Miller, who left West Bend, was deputy clerk in Germantown. She started in July 2023. The position of head clerk was eventually filled in Germantown, September 6, 2023, by Donna Cox, previously from the Village of Richfield.
-The Village of Jackson got a new clerk in August 2023, Anastasia Gonstead, who replaced Jilline Dobratz. According to Village administrator Jen Kellerk, Dobratz “voluntarily resigned June 1, 2023.”
– In Hartford, Wi – Shanna Kreilkamp of Rubicon was hired February 28, 2023, to replace Lori Hetzel as she retired after 45 years on the job.
– In West Bend, Wi – Lizbet Santana was hired June 2022 after spending six months at the Wisconsin Election Commission. West Bend had been without a head clerk for seven months following the departure of Stephanie Justman in November 2021. Within the past month both deputy clerks stepped down from West Bend clerk’s office and a hiring process is underway for one deputy clerk and one office person.
– In Campbellsport, WI – Angel Rettler took over as head clerk in June 2023. Rettler had been deputy clerk/treasurer in Germantown, WI.
-The town of Polk, WI – Alison Pecha is the clerk in the Town of Polk. Pecha was formerly the clerk in the Town of Herman in neighboring Dodge County. Pecha started in October 2021 after clerk Sandy Rotar died unexpectedly August 30, 2021 at the age of 50.
- A reminder November 5, 2024 is the next U.S. presidential election.
