Tennies keeps chairman post
By DAVE RANK Daily News
For the first time in 30 years, Daniel Stoffel was not elected to the County Board’s Executive Committee by his fellow county supervisors. He was, however, elected to the Transportation Committee for the first time.
Stoffel, from the town of Kewaskum, was elected to the board 17 times, most recently April 1. Fifteen times he was elected to the Executive Committee during each organizational meeting as a first or second vice chairman or non-officer member.
But not Tuesday morning. Stoffel lost to fellow county supervisors Joseph Gonnering, town of Trenton, and Donald Kriefall, Richfield, to fill the final two slots on the committee. Earlier, Gundrum was elected first vice chairman and Mark McCune, town of Erin, was elected second vice chairman.
Tennies, Gundrum and McCune also are on the Executive Committee.
Also elected to the Transportation Committee with Stoffel were county supervisors Daniel Goetz, Richfield; Brian Krebs, town of Hartford; Ron Naab, town of Addison; and Mel Ewert, Germantown.
Executive and Transportation are the only county committees elected by the County Board. Other committees are filled by chairman’s appointment with County Board approval.
Stoffel tied 13-13 with County Supervisor John Bulawa, Hartford, for the last seat on the Transportation Committee. Under board rules, the tie was settled by a drawing of Stoffel’s name.
All 30 County Board supervisors were swore in to office during Tuesday morning’s organizational meeting, including newly elected Kristine Deiss, West Bend; Naab; Robert Hartwig, town of Jackson; and Roman Schulteis, Germantown.
A minority of Washington County supervisors registered their displeasure over procedures in a pair of votes that occurred during the final session of the 2012-14 County Board, held prior to the organizational meeting for the next two year term:
■ On a 23-7 vote the board approved County Manager Joshua Schoemann’s selection of Jay Schambeau, Jackson, as the new administrator for the Planning and Parks Department. Opposing the appointment were county supervisors Ralph Hensel, Mike Bassill and Paul Ustruck, all of West Bend, Joseph Gonnering, town of Trenton, Marilyn Merten, town of Polk, and Mel Ewert and Peter Sorce, both of Germantown.
Ewert and Sorce both had said they wanted Deputy Administrator Debora Sielski to be promoted to administrator.
Shambeau will be paid $92,830, Schoemann said. He will start on April 28. Merten said she thought Shambeau should have been started at a lower pay step.
■ County Board Chairman Herb Tennies’ reappointment of West Bend’s Dennis Melvin to the county’s Ethics Board was approved 21-9.
Supervisors who voted no said they did not disapprove of Melvin, rather they wanted to see more turnover in people serving on county committees. “A lot of people come from West Bend, the county seat,” said County Supervisor Ralph Hensel, West Bend. “We should get people from around the county. Spread it around.”
County Supervisor Mark McCune, town of Erin, said constituents have told him they would like to see more individuals from the southern half of the county appointed to committees. “We should get new people involved.” That will bring in fresh ideas, McCune said.