Brian Roebke photo
Brown County Supervisor Devon Coenen (right) discusses the county treasurer’s proposal to have towns and villages take over collection of taxes from the county at last week’s meeting of the Town of Wrightstown board in Greenleaf.
By Brian Roebke
Editor
Town of Wrightstown supervisors balked last week at a $9,857 invoice from the State Historical Society for on-site work done related to the now replaced Mallard Road Bridge.
The bill was for inspecting during four different months from May through August last year but no other information was given, including dates of service. “They were down there doing absolutely nothing,” Town Chairman Bill Verbeten said. “The old bridge was gone.
Supervisor Ron Diny didn’t think the historical society had anything to do with or say about the old bridge that was torn down in one day.
Supposedly they were documenting other similar bridges like the one that was torn down.
“We had paid that and the other bridge was in Ashwaubenon,” Diny said. “Why were they on site when the new one was being built and why did they think we were going to pay for that?”
Diny said flat out, “We are not paying that.”
He said if they want payment they need to attend the March meeting and explain what the town was being billed for.
Supposedly there was an agreement with the Corps of Engineers but this was the first anyone in town government had heard of that.
The town earlier had reluctantly paid for a study of the Ashwau-benon bridge but did so to keep the Mallard Road Bridge project on schedule.
“This stuff on top of this was ridiculous to me,” Diny said.
Ginny Hinz, the town’s accountant from CliftonLarsenAllen LLC presented a compilation of financial statements from the year ending Dec. 31.
The town is not required to do an annual independent audit because it has a separate clerk and treasurer.
Hinz is transitioning away from her current employer to her own independent firm and will continue working with the town that she’s worked with for more than 30 years.