By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Town of Delavan board approved an ordinance on Jan. 21 to make the Town Clerk position an appointed position. The position is currently an elected position.
State statute requires the ordinance to be approved by town residents either at an electors meeting or by referendum. The board voted to place a binding referendum question on the April 7 ballot asking voters if the town should appoint instead of elect the clerk position.
Supervisor Katherine Gaulke said the issue came up because current Town Clerk Dixie Bernsteen was considering retiring in April and other area municipalities are making the move toward making clerk positions appointed.
On Jan. 24, Bernsteen announced she had decided not to retire in April but may retire at the end of her current term, in April 2021. Bernsteen was last elected in April of 2019 to a two-year term.
If the position becomes an appointed position in April, it will go to a three-year term and the board would either re-appoint at the end of each term or appoint someone else. If Bernsteen retires at the end of her term in April of 2021, the board would appoint her replacement.
Supervisor Kim Jedlicka said the reason the board wants to make the position appointed is to ensure a qualified person gets the position.
For more coverage from the Jan. 24 Town of Delavan meeting – including a new date for this summer’s fireworks, approval of space for a new fire department, denial of a conditional use application, and gifts received by an area church, pick up a copy of the Jan. 30 Delavan Enterprise.
