MONROE — In one of the only contested county races on the 2024 ballot, a former state treasurer is vying for the Green County treasurer job, along with another prominent woman who also has government experience.
Republican Jane Butts is running against Democrat Dawn Sass to fill the seat being vacated by incumbent Sherri Hawkins, who opted not to run again.
Butts has lived in Green County her entire life. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Sass has lived in Green County since 2007, when she moved to the portion of Belleville that is within the county boundaries.
Sass was elected the 33rd — and only the third — woman to the post of Wisconsin State Treasurer in November 2006. She also is in her third term as County Board Supervisor for District 30. Butts, meanwhile, has served as town clerk and treasurer in her career.
Both women cite the treasurer’s role in tracking land and land sales in Green County as a top priority for the county treasurer’s office.
“(As state treasurer) I updated the policies and procedures for claiming unclaimed property to make it easier for the citizens of Wisconsin and helped upgrade the Local Government Investment Pool software to make it more user friendly,” Sass said recently, in an email questionnaire.
Land information and the technologies that facilitate it must be constantly updated, both candidates agreed.
“This office coordinates land information with the county, for local and state governments, federal government and the constituents within Green County,” Sass said. “The opportunities this presents is keeping up with legislative changes, growing requests for services/projects, and how to fund them.”
Butts emphasizes that, for the most part, there are fewer “issues” in the county-level race, as the duties of the treasurer are well-detailed in state law and county board rules.
“I would work with the current Treasurer office team to continue the high-quality service already established in their office,” said Butts. “I would like to become a respected team leader to compliment the ongoing customer service, financial management obligations, and accurate record keeping skills already served by the Treasurer office.”
Sass praised the ongoing work of the current treasurer, Hawkins, and vowed to continue her legacy in the future, if elected.
“I was on the finance committee during my first two terms as Green County Board Supervisor and I know that the staff does an excellent job helping the residents of Green County,” Sass said. “The out-going treasurer has done a respectable job during her twenty-three years, so I do not see any issues looking from the outside in.”
Still, both women concede that more can always be done to improve how local and county governments respond to taxpayers.
“Those duties (of treasurer) include receipt and disburse monies from all sources; keep accurate financial records; produce and print tax bills; collect postponed and delinquent real estate taxes; maintain accurate records of all tax collections; exercise investment authority as delegated by the County Board,” Butts said. “I would work with the current Treasurer office team to continue the high-quality service already established in their office.”
Election Day nationwide is on Tuesday, although early voting has already begun in Wisconsin and many other states. Green County clerk Arianna Voegeli, District Attorney Craig Nolen, and Register of Deeds Deanna Miller-Young all appear on the ballot unopposed.
Election Day is Tuesday and early voting interest has been robust in Green County, according to Voegeli.
“Early voting really continues to be a popular option,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of it and there’s a lot of early interest from the city of Monroe.”