Marathon County supervisors appoint Public Safety Committee chair, name vice chair

The Marathon County Board of Supervisors on an unspecified date appointed Supervisor Jean Mask as chair and Supervisor Yi Ling Zhang as vice chair of the board’s Public Safety Committee after voting down a motion to divide the question.

The motion to divide the question — which would have created separate votes for chair and vice chair — was made by Supervisor Sandalski and seconded by Supervisor Hartinger. The board defeated that motion; the subsequent joint motion to appoint Mask and Zhang was moved by Supervisor Fiffrick and seconded by Supervisor Robinson and "carried, but [was] not unanimous."

Supervisor Sandalski explained her vote against Zhang’s selection, saying she supported Mask for chair but was reluctant to back Zhang for vice chair because, in her words, "he doesn't show up for our ... public safety meetings." Supervisor Yi Ling Zhang responded during the meeting, saying in part, "I do attend the meetings virtually" and "I take the leadership roles very seriously," and that recent schedule changes have increased her in-person attendance.

The record shows the board handled the procedural question (the request to divide) separately from the substantive appointment and then voted on the single, joint motion to appoint both officers. No roll-call vote totals were stated in the transcript; the chair announced the appointment was carried but not unanimously.

The appointments place the Public Safety Committee under the leadership of Mask and Zhang, who will preside over committee business related to policing, emergency services and related public-safety matters.

The meeting then moved on to other business, including an ordinance amendment and a personnel resolution.