Marathon County logo. MWC file photo.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Marathon County “Community for All” resolution went down after an 18-18 tied vote among the 36 supervisors present at Tuesday’s voting meeting.
Supervisors spent over 90 minutes debating the measure, including a call for Clerk Kim Trueblood to read the measure in its entirety. Many of those who spoke made the same points that have been discussed over the last few months; with those in favor calling it a way to attract young talent and make everyone feel welcome and those against questioning the need for the document.
Board Chairman Kurt Gibbs waited until everyone else had taken their turn before giving his thoughts, saying he kept an open mind on the resolution until recently and has given both sides careful consideration before he cast a yes vote on the measure.
“[My vote comes simply because of this-] if you read the resolution, if you read the resolution,” he said, putting emphasis on the second ‘read.’ “What does it do? It recognizes each and every one of you out there in Marathon County. It spells out every possible individual whether they be an ‘R’ [Republican] or a ‘D’ [Democrat].”
Gibbs added that some were clinging to misinformation and misnomers in making their case. That includes arguments about the resolution having a hidden agenda, such as opening to door to redistribution of wealth and property. “There’s been arguments that this is the preface for future action. I say to that- we will discuss those future actions when they come up; as this board has always done.
“I understand that there may not be enough support to pass this resolution but I urge each and every one of you to read the resolution and then listen and talk to the citizens that have provided communication to you. Where there is misinformation, have those discussions with those individuals [to] understand where that misinformation is coming from. Finally, I ask you to vote your conscious,” he added.
The measure required a simple majority to pass. The county’s Diversity Affairs Commission does have a regularly scheduled meeting for Wednesday at 12:30 at the Courthouse. Chair Yee Leng Xiong emphasized that while discussion about the resolution is agendized, at this time they have no plans to bring another version of the resolution forward.
“We’re just talking about the next steps. We are not planning on bringing another resolution. I want to clarify that for any individuals that may have any questions. Once again it’s just a discussion,” said Xiong.
