WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (WSAU) — Wisconsin Rapids is one of just a few cities in the state that elects its City Attorney, though there is a movement to change that.
Discussions started at the committee level two weeks ago. Mayor Matt Zacher says he expects the topic to come up at the Council level as well. “We’ll open up the floor and see what everybody thinks.”
He says he can see both sides of the discussion. “The upside to it is it’s an elected position. So you keep a little separation between executive and judicial [powers], but at the same time, they are a lawyer. Their job should be relatively black and white, ‘this is good, this isn’t. This is OK, this isn’t.'”
“If somebody is here and they are elected, or if they are hired, the job isn’t going to change a whole lot,” added Zacher. “You don’t have to have someone on staff at all times. Typically you have paperwork you can bring to them and say ‘hey is this done the way it needs to be?'”
Zacher says he could also see where having an in-house attorney makes staff too reliant on that person and their expertise. “I want everyone to grow to their fullest potential. If you don’t know something, [there are] mechanisms to educate yourself, get that information. That’s my personal thing.”
That comes from his experience as a small business owner, where he says he found just as much success handling legal issues by researching and drafting things on his own, then having an attorney look them over. “Take care of as much as I possibly can, and hire them for an hour to look it over. Then move forward and pay them for the hour. I look at it that way.
“Again, if the city feels more comfortable having somebody here five days a week, that’s their prerogative,” added Zacher.
Zacher says their research has shown there are only about 17 communities that have an elected attorney. “It’s an appointed or hired position for everyone else.”
The change would require an amendment to the city charter, meaning a 2/3rds majority vote will be required.
Other topics Zacher discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- Mow your lawns, people!
2:40- City attorney
9:02- Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference
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