Damakant Jayshi
Marathon County Dist. 11 will not be represented Tuesday when the board chair and other members of the leadership team are chosen, after a candidate invoked his right to challenge the outcome of the election and recount.
Despite the Marathon County Board of Canvass confirming incumbent Alyson Leahy as winner of Dist. 11 supervisor seat her challenger, Randy DeBroux, has sought a five-day period to challenge the outcome.
On Monday, the Marathon County Board of Canvass affirmed Leahy’s three-vote margin win over DeBroux.
The non-representation comes amidst a push by some supervisors, including those elected for the first time, to oust Kurt Gibbs as board chair.
DeBroux did not respond to requests from Wausau Pilot & Review to clarify the basis of his challenge or his next steps.
Marathon County Clerk Kim Trueblood said DeBroux requested the five days allowed by law to challenge the results, and referred the matter to Mike Puerner, Marathon County Corporation Counsel.
“The vote tally for the District 11 Supervisor position did not change as a result of the recount,” Puerner told Wausau Pilot & Review. “As the recount was completed yesterday, that five-day period will end on Monday, April 25.”
Puerner said that under state law, the county clerk cannot certify the results of the Dist. 11 election until the time allowed for filing an appeal of the recount has passed or until formal notice is received that an appeal is not being pursued.
“Therefore, a Supervisor for District 11 will not be seated for tonight’s County Board organizational meeting unless notice is received that an appeal of the recount is not being pursued,” he said.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors will consider a host of proposals including controversial recommendations from the Rules Review Committee, an advisory body, to dissolve the Diversity Affairs Commission. Critics say the Rules Committee’s rationale, which includes concerns over unelected members making policy recommendations, is a double standard because other advisory bodies with unelected officials are not similarly targeted.
Those recommendations are not binding, and it is up to the full Board to accept or reject the recommendations. Leahy is one of the three elected supervisors on the Diversity Affairs Commission and serves on the Executive Committee.
The Rules Review Committee also recommended curtailing the scope of public comments, a move seen by critics as an attempt to curb dissenting comments.
“I’m concerned that the residents of District 11 could potentially be without representation at the first County Board meeting of the new term, Leahy said. “The vote has been affirmed twice now and it’s time to do the work of governing.”
