The WEC ruled on four Kronenwetter election complaints - from 2024
Almost two years after some of them were filed, the WEC upheld some and dismissed others against former Kronenwetter clerk Bobbi Jo Birk-LaBarge
Four election complaints were filed by Kronenwetter officials and residents between March and November of 2024 with the Wisconsin Election Commission.
And then, for awhile, nothing really happened.
The complaints were filed against then-clerk Bobbi Jo Birk-LaBarge, and came from board member Ken Charneski, future village president David Baker (who has since resigned from the role), and residents Faye Buchberger and Daniel Kindelberger.
The complaints came at a time following a period in which Kronenwetter struggled with staff turnover. The Wausonian launched an investigation into a major staff exodus from the village of Kronenwetter back in 2022.
LaBarge and Charneski often found themselves at odds during her time at the village. Charneski even sued the village at one point, naming LaBarge and an interim village administrator over their withholding of attorney bills the village paid. (It also included then-contracted village attorney Lee Turonie, who was later dismissed from the case since non-government officials aren’t subject to open meetings laws.)
Earlier this month, on Feb. 16, the Wisconsin Election Commission finally acted on the complaints. While many election complaints were dismissed around that time, the Kronenwetter election complaints received closer scrutiny from the WEC.
