03/17/2026
There was recently a post on the Ellsworth, WI Community Happenings page that has gotten a lot of activity.
After reading the post and the comments, I feel there is a need to address some of the false claims.
1. Some of the comments stated that there were village board members who were not village residents;
This is incorrect. All members of the board are village residents. The only instances I have seen in which a non-resident would be allowed is; a)if they became a non-resident mid-term and are allowed to hold the seat until someone is appointed, however, this is not allowed in WI. b) they become a temporary resident of another municipality due to extenuating circumstances, but intend to move back to the village limits.
2. It was stated that Village President Beissel changed an employee's residency requirements for a village staff member.
This is incorrect. In July of 2013, the state of Wisconsin passed 66.0502, making it unlawful and prohibiting local governments from forcing employees to reside within city/county limits as a condition of employment. The only exception being emergency personnel have a required response.
3. It was stated in the comments that we host meetings just to get paid.
While I can't speak for some of the other board members, I take the time off work to attend meetings and to review every packet, multiple times if necessary, prior to every board and committee meeting. And while we do get a per diem, it is still usually a pay cut when having to take time away from my career and businesses. I do this because I felt the need to step up when no one else would... not to get paid. To say otherwise is false.
4. In the comments, there were concerns about the village not hiring local contractors. While I agree local first would be ideal, understand that if local contractors don't bid, we can't hire them. Municipalities are required to award public construction contracts to the lowest responsible bidder, not necessarily to the bidder offering the absolute lowest price. So if a local contractor has bid significantly higher or is deemed irresponsible (e.g., has failed to finish a previous project or lacks necessary equipment), we may not be legally able to use them.
5. TIDs are complicated, until they aren't. They are often the only way to get things moving in the right direction in development. i.e., If you want commercial development, you need residential development, and if you want residential development, you need commercial development. Often, for small municipalities, TIDS are the only way to get the ball moving for a developer, and you need that first one to get a project underway to show others that our town is worth their investment.
6. There are concerns about bringing in industry. Some people brought up companies that have allegedly tried to come to Ellsworth and been turned away by the village board. Look at the lawsuits and scandals those companies have faced. Many of these people are the same who don't want increased traffic through our village. Understand that the village owns very little land that would be suitable for any increase in commercial development. So what is next? If you want the village to control the growth, it needs to control the land. Should the village buy commercial/industrial property? Maybe, if the right one becomes available. How can we incentivise commercial property owners with underperforming space to improve performance? I'm all ears in this one.
If you ever have any questions about Village of Ellsworth board activities due not hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer any questions and address concerns.
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