Marinette County committee debates reducing board

MARINETTE — Marinette County’s Executive Committee discussed reducing the county board from 30 members to 15, as a petition effort could put the question before voters in 2027.

Public commenter Kim Brooks urged supervisors to consider board reduction alongside committee consolidation, while committee members debated representation, timing and how a smaller board would function.

No action was taken at the Tuesday meeting.

Brooks said consolidating committees could reduce repetitive meetings while maintaining oversight. She noted that many Wisconsin counties have consolidated committees and said a smaller board could be part of a broader restructuring.

“You would have broad latitude in designing a new structure,” Brooks said.

Brooks suggested that supervisors consider different committee assignments and options for public participation.

She argued that streamlining could reduce staff time spent preparing for and attending meetings, while allowing department heads to focus on county work. Brooks also said meeting schedules affect who can serve.

“This board does not adequately reflect the county,” Brooks said.

Brooks added that morning and workday meetings can disadvantage working people, parents and other residents who might participate or serve as supervisors.

Chair John Guarisco said his proposal was intended to open discussion, not prompt and immediate vote. He said board reduction has come up repeatedly over the years and that he brought the proposal forward after the county hired a new administrator and passed its budget.

“I am not asking to implement this or do anything with it,” Guarisco said. “I wanted to put everything out like this.”

The discussion included a petition currently being circulated seeking to reduce the board to 15 members. County Clerk Bobbie Borkowski said signatures would need to be submitted by Nov. 23 for the proposal to qualify for the April 6, 2027 ballot. She said a successful reduction would require redistricting for 2028.

Committee members raised concerns about how larger districts might affect rural representation and the ability to meet residents. Robert Hoyer said representing several communities could make it difficult to attend local town meetings.

Guarisco countered that reducing the number of seats would not change the share of the population represented by each supervisor.

“Everybody here represents 1/30th (of the county),” Guarisco said.

He argued that each seat would still represent the same proportion of the county’s population.

Connie Seefeldt disputed that view, saying a smaller board could increase the relative number of seats representing cities and villages and reduce rural representation. Seefeldt also questioned whether 15 was the right number, noting that only 10 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties have 15 or fewer board members and suggesting the county consider an option between 15 and 30.

Several members including Seefeldt supported further study before making changes. They discussed inviting a Wisconsin Counties Association representative to explain how other counties approached board restructuring and asking County Administrator Brian Chapman to examine comparable counties’ board sized and governance models.

Chapman said he could review county processes and consult staff before making recommendations, while he distinguished that work from the political question of board size.

The committee took no formal action and left the issue for further discussion as the petition process proceeds.

Later in the meeting, supervisors discussed how county officials should handle complaints about petitioning near polling places after an incident during last week’s election.

Guarisco said county officials should generally leave enforcement to municipal clerks and authorities with jurisdiction, noting that the incident occurred in the City of Marinette. He said county staff should avoid intervening unnecessarily.

Chapman offered to serve as resident’s point of contact for complaints.

“I am you conduit to the organization,” Chapman said, inviting supervisors to refer concerns to him for follow-up through county channels.