Niggemann appointed as Dunn County treasurer
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Lynn Niggemann
By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — Lynn Niggemann, who currently serves as the administrator-clerk-treasurer in Colfax, has been appointed by the Dunn County Board as Dunn County treasurer.
The treasurer is one of the elected positions, along with the county clerk and the register of deeds, noted Vaughn Hedlund, county board supervisor from Boyceville and chair of the Dunn County Committee on Administration, at the Dunn County Board’s April 16 meeting.
A. Sifia Jevne, who previously served as the treasurer, accepted a position in the Dunn County finance department, he said.
The plan is to appoint someone as the treasurer until the fall election, because the treasurer’s position will come up for election this November, Hedlund said, adding that the treasurer’s position comes up for election every four years.
In the last 12 years, Dunn County has had four different treasurers.
If Jevne had remained as county treasurer, she would have had to run for election in November in order to retain the position.
Jevne was appointed as treasurer in April of 2021 to fill the unexpired term of former Dunn County Treasurer Doris Meyer.
Meyer, of Colfax, was appointed as county treasurer in September of 2017 to fill the unexpired term of Dunn County Treasurer Megan Mittlestadt, who resigned in July of that year.
Mittelstadt was appointed as county treasurer in January of 2014 following the resignation of Cindy Kopp.
In November of 2012, Kopp, who had served as deputy treasurer for 16 years, won the election for treasurer and had defeated Mittelstadt in the August primary.
Kopp filled the position of treasurer following the retirement of long-time Dunn County Treasurer Mary Erpenbach.
Candidates
The county received applications from eight good candidates and decided to interview three of those candidates, Hedlund said.
Larry Bjork, county board supervisor from the Town of Spring Brook, wondered why the board had not been introduced to the candidates and why the county board did not have a role in the interview process.
The person who is appointed as the treasurer will have “a leg up” in the election, Bjork said.
That is the way the process works — the Committee on Administration interviews the applicants and then makes a recommendation to the county board, said Kelly McCullough, county board supervisor from Menomonie and chair of the Dunn County Board.
The process seems skewed, Bjork said.
Gary Stene, county board supervisor from Colfax, serves as a trustee on the Colfax Village Board, and in years past, he has served as village president.
“We hated to lose her,” he said, adding that Dunn County was “rustling” away the village’s administrator-clerk-treasurer.
“She has done a great job for the village of Colfax. I’m sure she will do a good job here,” Stene said.
Bjork asked if the county board could meet the person who was going to be appointed as treasurer.
25 years
Niggemann came up to the podium to address the Dunn County Board.
For 25 years, Niggemann said, she has been working in government positions, first at UW-Stout for eight years, then with the City of Menomonie for eight years, and finally with the Village of Colfax for eight years.
Niggemann said she and her family live about 12 miles from Menomonie and that she has had experience doing all of the jobs that are part of the county treasurer’s job duties.
Her position as county treasurer will begin on May 28, Niggemann said.
Bjork asked if she planned to take out nomination papers for the treasurer’s position.
The Dunn County treasurer is up for election in November and then will be sworn into office in January.
“That is the plan,” Niggemann said.
“I am giving up a job I love for a new opportunity,” she said.
Pay raise
The three elected positions of treasurer, county clerk and register of deeds currently pay $72,422 per year.
Based on a resolution approved by the Dunn County Board at the February 21 meeting, the candidates filling the positions of county clerk, treasurer and register of deeds will receive $90,553 in 2025, will receive $94,854 in 2026, will receive $99,359 in 2027 and will receive $104,079 in 2028.
During the February 21 meeting, Bjork noted that state statutes do not list any requirements for treasurer and that anyone who could manage to get himself or herself elected as treasurer would not have to actually have any relevant job training or experience.
Bjork said he wished that the county could hire a county clerk, a treasurer and a register of deeds rather than rely on whoever decided to run for office.
State law allows townships to change from an elected clerk and treasurer to an appointed clerk and treasurer and also allows the two positions to be combined and then to be an appointed position, but the provision does not exist for counties.
Appointing Niggemann as treasurer should alleviate some of Supervisor Bjork’s concerns about unqualified people getting themselves elected, McCullough said at the April 15 meeting.
The Committee on Administration found someone who is highly qualified, he said.
The Dunn County Board voted unanimously to appoint Lynn Niggemann as the Dunn County Treasurer.
Colfax
Niggemann began working as the administrator-clerk-treasurer in Colfax in November of 2014.
She holds two bachelor’s degrees: one in general business administration from UW-Stout, and one in accounting from UW-Eau Claire.
While she was attending UW-Stout, Niggemann worked at Corey Insurance, then at UW-Stout in dining services. After that, she moved up to Stout’s administration accounts payable office and then to grant accounting.
From there, she went to work for the City of Menomonie as the treasurer and comptroller.
Niggemann and her husband, Jesse, have three children, Dustin, who graduated from Colfax High School in May of 2022, and Autumn and Tucker, who are both currently students at Colfax High School.
Jesse Niggemann owns Lakeland Organics and produces organic seed corn, and he also grows organic corn, soybeans, hay and oats.
