November 1, 2023 – West Bend, WI – West Bend Common Council President John Butschlick noted there was some urgency to filling the newly vacant city clerk’s position.
“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,” he said.
The Wisconsin Election Commission has already posted its 2023 – 2024 election calendar.
Candidates will start circulating nomination papers December 1, 2023, 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.
Wisconsin Elections Commission 2024 Calendar of Election Events (Rvsd Oct6.2023)_0According to Butschlick, clerk Lizbet Santana’s last day on the job was last week. She had been with the city a year and four months after being hired in June 2022. Prior to that the clerk’s position had been vacant for 7 months. Butschlick said Santana left the city for personal reasons.
The job for a full-time city clerk has been posted and the starting salary is listed at $85,030.40 – $91,405.”
Santana previously worked at the Village of Hales Corners and spent six months in a job at the Wisconsin Elections Commission. She started her position at an annual salary of $83,366.40 with benefits.
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: This will be the eighth new clerk in a span of about one year in Washington County, WI.
– 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 City of 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 City of 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 City of 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.
