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Clark Co. Board Learns About Organization Options
Thursday, December 15th, 2011 -- 12:18 pm
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
Neillsville, Wis., CWB News -- A recent Attorney General’s opinion provides the “perfect opportunity” for Clark County to change its organizational structure.
That was the message from Andrew Phillips, legal counsel for the Wisconsin Counties Association, at a County Board meeting Thursday morning.
Clark County currently employs its County Board Chairman as the “Administrative Coordinator,” but Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen last month issued an opinion stating the arrangement constitutes a conflict of interest.
About 20 counties in the state, including Clark, will have to change their longstanding organizational structures as a result.
Phillips encouraged the board to explore hiring a full-time County Administrator. He said that form of government was more efficient than the current structure, which relies heavily on committees to oversee the day-to-day operations of the county.
The board spent time brainstorming “pros and cons” of sticking with the current structure, or switching to a structure that made the board more policy-focused. Some board members said they fear a more powerful administrator would take power away from the 29 supervisors, but others felt the change was needed to provide a “go to” person for department heads.
The board will have to make some sort of change by April. The board will reorganize after the Spring Elections.
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