Wausau City Hall. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — In a wide-ranging news conference at Wausau City Hall on Monday, Mayor Doug Diny confirmed the Department of Justice seized his and his wife’s cell phones last week. “There were five agents there [my apartment] and three or four here [City Hall,]” said Diny. “It was a significant Department of Justice effort.”
Diny said multiple electronics were taken including cell phones, but he’s not missing a beat as the city prepares for in-person, absentee voting and finalizes the 2025 budget. “We are continuing business as usual. I think it’s important to focus on what’s important. Right now the budget is #1 and we have an election coming up. You can see- we have election material in here [Council Chambers]. This will be the early voting location starting [Tuesday.] This is an unfortunate distraction.”
Diny adds that he has not been interviewed by the Department of Justice, adding that there was” very little [opportunity to speak]” during the raid. “We were not harmed, and it was a traumatic experience.”
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The raid is part of an ongoing investigation by the DOJ into Diny’s removal of the municipal dropbox outside City Hall in late September. While it was locked shut and unable to receive anything including a ballot, it wasn’t bolted down to the sidewalk. Diny wheeled it into his office, noting that anyone could have walked off with it. That led to a back-and-forth with City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde, who said she had authorized its use under the authority granted by a State Supreme Court decision in July.
About ten days later Diny returned the box to Bernarde’s charge. It has since been bolted down and opened. Diny adds that he doesn’t know what stage the investigation is in, or when the findings will be released. He also confirmed that he has received death threats, including some that he’s turned over to the Wausau PD for investigation.
MAYOR PROMISES WHEEL TAX VETO
Diny also addressed a proposal put forward by the engineering department for a $25 per vehicle wheel tax, or registration fee, saying he would not sign any budget that includes the added tax. He adds that the list of proposed cuts and fee increases released last week remains fluid. “It is not a be-all, end-all list.”
That list included closing one city poll, eliminating operations at the Sylvan Hill tubing area, and increasing fees for some police and fire services. Diny notes that budget details can change quickly as estimates become finalized numbers, such as the cost of next year’s health insurance coverage for city employees. Those initial numbers came in high but after negotiating with other providers, those costs came down.
The city council will consider the final draft of the budget in late November.
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