SHAWANO, WI- The Shawano County Board of Supervisors will be asked to appoint Steve Pollack to fill the District 27 vacancy during Wednesday’s meeting, following controversy over the process used to select a replacement.
Pollack’s appointment will fill the unexpired term through April 2028. He is expected to take the oath of office after the appointment is approved.
The appointment comes after resident Tim Steffen raised concerns about not being considered for the vacant seat. Steffen, who serves as chairman of the Shawano County Republican Party, said he was denied consideration after County Board Chairman Tom Kautza cited his political leadership role as a reason for not selecting him.
Supervisor Joe Miller previously called those comments discriminatory and questioned whether political affiliation should factor into the appointment process.
Chairman Tom Kautza has the appointment on the agenda for the start of the meeting, prior to public comment or Correspondence oppertunity.
According to the agenda, letters of Correspondence regarding the issue is expected to be read during Wednesday’s meeting, including letters from Steffen, Supervisor Charles Anderson, and the Town of Almon.
The letters also follow a recent dispute over the county’s public comment policy, after residents were prevented from speaking during the June county board meeting about the appointment process and Executive Committee minutes.
During that meeting, Kautza said public comments must relate to agenda items and limited speakers to two minutes. Residents Jackie Miller and Steffen were not allowed to address the board, leading some supervisors to question whether the public was being given enough opportunity to speak.
Supervisor Jeremy Gretzinger criticized the restrictions, saying residents who attend meetings should have the ability to address their elected officials.
No changes to the public comment policy were made, but supervisors indicated the issue could be discussed again in the future.
Wednesday’s county board meeting begins at 3 p.m. at the Shawano County Board Room.
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