City of Marshfield. MWC file photo.
NR _Statement Marshfield Municipal Court_032122
MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU) — Former Marshfield Municipal Clerk of Courts Susan Carlson is free on a $5,000 signature bond following a court appearance in Wood County on Monday.
Carlson is suspected of pocketing some $70,000 in citation payments that were supposed to go to the city. The missing funds were discovered when the new Clerk of Courts took over following Carlson’s retirement in early 2021, and an investigation was immediately opened.
In a statement City Administrator Steve Barg said the Clerk of Courts operates independently from City Administration by design to minimize outside influence. Instead, the position reports solely to the Municipal Judge. He called the situation “a failure in the supervision of the former municipal clerk’s duties by the Judge.”
Barg added that he is working to develop a process, within the framework provided by the state, to assume oversight of the financial responsibilities of the municipal clerk’s position. Auditors are still working to determine the exact amount that the city lost in the scheme.
RELATED: Former Marshfield Clerk Accused of Stealing Citation Payments
The city does have insurance to cover such losses, and Barg says they will make a claim.
Further court action in the case has not been scheduled. Court records indicate that Carlson has requested a new Judge.
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