MONROE — Voter turnout was down in the April 5 election this week compared to last year, area officials said. But that didn’t stop voters from approving a number of critical school referendums — including those in Brodhead, South Wayne and Argyle — and a slate of nearly a dozen new members to the 31-member, Green County Board.
According to Green County Clerk Arianna Voegeli, 7,427 voters — about 38% of registered voters — cast a ballot for the spring primary. That’s down markedly from the 8,792 who voted in the April, 2021 race. That year’s race, she said, included a number of high-profile contests, including the one for Circuit Court judge.
For the first time this spring, voters faced a number of election-law changes in Wisconsin, among them one that prohibited someone from dropping off another person’s ballot, and the issue has raised questions for many county clerks who must interpret and implement the new rules.
“The rule is definitely new and a court order put it into effect this year,” she said. “We did have a few phones calls on that on election day.”
However, she added that the rule may have only impacted only a couple ballots, if any. The vote totals for all races in both counties were scheduled to be finalized in canvassing sessions for both Green and Lafayette County on Tuesday.
In Lafayette County, 3,283 voters, about 36% of registered voters, cast a ballot, said County Clerk Carla Jacobson. That’s down slightly compared to 3,256 in April 2021, or about 34%.
“It was a very quiet day for us on election day, very smooth,” said Jacobson.
In Brodhead, voters agreed to allow the school district to exceed state revenue limits by $1.75 million each year for three years — on a non-recurring basis. That would help Brodhead’s elementary, middle, and high schools maintain its existing district facilities and programs into 2025. And in Argyle, voters agreed to allow the district to exceed the revenue limit to shore up its budget by $490,000 for the next four budget years, running from the 2022/2023 year through 2025/2026.
Voters also approved a referendum for the Black Hawk District in South Wayne. That question called for funding an $8.5 million renovation plan to the main building, including the office areas. Unofficial totals were 460 yes votes to 386 who voted no, said District Administrator Willy Chambers. The news was especially welcome after the failure in 2021 of a much more expansive, $14.5 million referendum question.
“I’m pretty happy with the result,” said Chambers. “I’m glad the school district is going to step forward and put some money in the facility and the future for our students.”
School ballot questions were popular this year, as most Wisconsin districts are limited in their ability to raise revenue. While the most recent state school budget approved additional funding for education overall, revenue limits weren’t raised at the same time, forcing more districts to ask for additional money, he said.
At the Green County Board, officials will welcome a dozen elected members to the governing body — including write-in candidate Will Omeichen — due to the many incumbents who opted to step down rather than seek re-election.
“That’s a little unusual for us to have so many,” said Voegeli.
In the Monroe school board race, voters re-elected incumbents Rich Deprez and Dylan McGuire. Erik Ekdahl also was elected as a newcomer to fill a vacant seat.
As for city government, the nine-member Monroe Common Council welcomes to its ranks newcomers Lynne Hardy, Mary Jane Grenzow and Heidi Treuthardt. And the city will have a new mayor to replace Louis Armstrong, who is stepping down after one term.
Alderwoman Donna Douglas, who ran unopposed for the top job, will take over as mayor — the first female to hold the position in the city. A new common council member will be appointed to fill her vacant seat.
“I am elated with the vote of confidence that the citizens of Monroe have shown on Tuesday’s election for me,” said mayor-elect Douglas. “I consider the community my extended family. The experience and knowledge I have gained in various capacities on governmental boards has provided leadership skills to serve our community, with the best interests of continued growth and development, in a bright and vibrant future.”
Grenzow, a former newspaper editor who works for Green County Development Corporation, said she is grateful that voters elected her. “I think addressing housing in our community is one very important way to help Monroe grow and thrive,” she said. “I’m also very interested to hear ideas from residents on how we can make our city even stronger.”
The Green County Board of Canvass will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the courthouse downtown to certify the primary results.
The new Green County Board members include: District 2, Melissa Even; District 5, Margaret (Peg) Sheaffer; District 7, Brenda Carus; District 16, Isaiah Carlson; District 23, David Bristow; District 25, Todd Larson; District 28, Will Omeichen (write-In); District 14, Kristi Leonard (incumbent); District 24, Kurt Schafer; District 30, Dawn Marie Sass (incumbent) and District 31, Kathy Pennington.