LETTER: On a nonpartisan issue, board was partisan and uninformed

To Ozaukee Press:

On Dec. 4, I witnessed the most amazing incompetence and disrespect for the residents of Ozaukee County at the County Board meeting that I could have imagined.

I have been an Ozaukee County resident for over 40 years and an independent voter who has not only voted for many Republicans, but also worked on some of their campaigns, as well as voting for many Democrats, depending on whom I felt was the best candidate for a position.            

 I went to the County Board meeting to advocate for putting a referendum about nonpartisan redistricting maps on the April ballot. I thought voting on a nonpartisan referendum like this would be a fair, simple and logical process for a board that is supposed to be nonpartisan. What I saw was a partisan, non-representative and incompetent process, highlighted by the county corporation counsel, Rhonda Gordon, who came to the meeting unprepared.  

Supr. Rothstein was eventually able to put a motion on the floor for a vote to defer the issue until the January board meeting (the last opportunity to get the referendum on the April ballot), when hopefully the corporation counsel could give a legal review for the supervisors to be able to make an informed vote.  

I would think this would have been a no-brainer on which all supervisors could agree. Instead I saw 10 supervisors vote against the motion without even hearing a legal opinion. Those supervisors were:  Winker, Dohrwardt, Jobs, Schlenvogt, Clark, Becker, Larson, Grabow, Melotik and Gall.

While the corporation counsel said she had concerns, she did confirm that state law allows county boards to run advisory referendums, and the Wisconsin Counties Association supports a county’s ability to do so on any issue it deems appropriate. A number of Wisconsin counties have approved such referendums. However, Corporation Counsel Gordon stated she talked to one county that did not go ahead with a referendum based on legal advice. Before the next meeting, I hope that Ms. Gordon will contact other counties to see what legal advice they received.

Finally, I will quote Supreme Court Chief Justice John Robert’s statement in the court’s majority opinion on the states’ right to set voter districts: “Maybe federal judges cannot outlaw gerrymanders, but voters surely could.”   

All I ask of our County Board members is: Give Ozaukee County residents the opportunity to let you know how we want our state voting districts to be determined.

Beth Bauer
Mequon