Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
The Bonduel Village Board has three new faces after another trustee stepped down in the aftermath of a political squabble that was linked to village staff resignations.
Trustee Margie Qualheim followed Joan Kamps and Mary Barney in submitting her resignation from the village board Monday, just three months after her election.
All three trustees had come under harsh criticism from colleagues and residents in recent weeks because of a heightened sense of tension and animosity within the village government.
Police Chief Todd Chaney and Deputy Village Clerk Katrina Schroeder both announced plans to step down, blaming the same three trustees for infighting on the village board.
Qualheim, a political newcomer who was elected in April, said she reluctantly gave up her village board seat because the turmoil was making it impossible for her to function effectively on behalf of the voters.
“It was very difficult to do, because I’m not a quitter,” she said of her resignation. “It was the only way to settle this whole thing down.”
Kamps and Barney both submitted their resignations last week, one day after an emotional meeting in which Bonduel residents urged elected leaders to set aside their personal differences in the interest of the community.
Appointed to fill the three vacant village board seats are former Village Clerk Barb Wickman, Bonduel Civic Association organizer Gina Shatters and business owner Kevin Bartlett. All three were approved Monday by the remaining trustees on the seven-member board.
Each earning a village salary of $1,800 a year, the new appointees can continue until the current two-year term expires in April 2019.
Village President Sharon Wussow said she was glad to see that Qualheim, Kamps and Barney had followed the wishes of local residents by stepping down.
”We can move forward now,” Wussow said.
The village president called the new appointees a diverse group, noting that Wickman brings a depth of experience, while Shatters offers a younger voice and Bartlett provides a business owner’s perspective. In addition to Wussow, the rest of the board includes Dick Sibert, Luka Zischka and Shawn Thorne.
Since the April elections, the village board had experienced frequent disagreements over such issues as committee appointments and liquor license procedures.
Qualheim accused Wussow of scolding her for taking the wrong seat at her first village board meeting, and Wussow accused Qualheim of calling her a bully. Both women broke into tears at last week’s meeting with residents inside Bonduel High School.
Wickman, who served as village clerk for 16 years before retiring in 2014, said she stepped forward as an applicant for village board because she wanted to help end the bickering. With the other two new trustees, Wickman said, she believes she can help create a more positive environment for village staff and officials.
“We’re all partners in this. We’re a team,” she said. “So we need to support each other.”