Board votes to move into closed session on supervisor conduct referral

The Marathon County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to go into closed session to consider a supervisor conduct referral and related litigation strategy.

Supervisor Kerth moved — and Supervisor Lemmer seconded — a motion to convene in closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statute § 19.85(1)(c) and (g) to consider "financial, medical, social, or personal histories or disciplinary data of specific persons" and to confer with legal counsel about litigation strategy, specifically referencing Marathon County court case 2025 CM 682. Corporate counsel outlined the legal basis, saying the matters could "substantially" harm the reputation of the persons involved if discussed in public. The motion was carried on a roll call vote but was not unanimous.

The board’s clerk read the publicly posted meeting notice at the start of the session and the chair also reminded attendees to silence electronic devices. The meeting was the adjourned organizational session of the Marathon County Board of Supervisors (38 members) at the Marathon County Courthouse Assembly Room in Wausau. After the vote, staff noted outside counsel was present and the public broadcast would be turned off as the body entered closed session.

The action sends the matter of a conduct referral associated in the agenda with Supervisor Endres into closed deliberation under the cited statute. The transcript records several affirmative roll-call responses but attributes named votes only to Supervisor Arsdall and Supervisor Wilhelm; other 'I' responses on the roll call are recorded without an attached name. No substantive discussion of the underlying allegations or factual findings occurred on the public record; the board’s formal action was to move to the closed session described above.

The board did not announce any next public step for the referral before adjourning the public portion; the procedural next step recorded is the closed session itself.