OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Organizers of the petitions to recall Winneconne school board members say they plan to appeal to the Wisconsin Elections Commission after their petitions were rejected Monday due to improper registration.
Board Clerk Kari Flagg ruled the recall petition signatures targeting Winneconne School Board President Kati Calewarts and Vice President Dean Ackmann insufficient.
In documents obtained Tuesday, Flagg stated that petitioners improperly registered in July, saying they gave the paperwork to former administrator Peggy Larson rather than to Flagg directly. Recall organizers dispute the findings.
To recall a board member, organizers must first register with the school board clerk. That registration kicks off a 60-day period during which signatures are collected.
Recall organizer Bob Ronk questioned how else organizers were supposed to submit the documentation, noting that Flagg does not have a designated office or office hours.
"Flagg does not have an office, nor does she have office hours," Ronk said, "By suggesting that she needed to receive those documents directly, and since she doesn't have a school district provided office, the only other alternative was at her home."
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Wisconsin law states that "...all nomination papers shall be in the physical possession of the filing officer by the statutory deadline. Physical possession means the filing officer shall have taken possession of the original nomination papers. No other format is acceptable."
In her written decision, Flagg acknowledged that historically, administrative staff have accepted such documents. However, she said those past actions were also unlawful and that she never gave administrative staff permission to accept documentation on her behalf.
NBC 26 reached out to Board Clerk Kari Flagg but did not receive a response. We're told recall organizers are filing with the Wisconsin Elections Commission to dispute Flagg's ruling.
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