Left, Mike Wiza at Monday’s Common Council meeting. (City-Times photo)

By Brandi Makuski

Mayor Andrew Halverson and two Stevens Point Council Members on Monday were formally appointed to serve on an oversight committee for a new municipal court.

Appointments for Alderwoman Joanne Suomi of district 2 and 4th district Council Member Mike Wiza, as well as Halverson, were approved by the Common Council Monday night. Neither Suomi nor Wiza recused themselves from voting with the majority in favor of the appointments.

The oversight committee was formed when city leaders passed a new ordinance creating the municipal court last month. According to the ordinance, the committee will be comprised of three Stevens Point and two Village of Plover representatives and is responsible only for overseeing the court’s annual budget and appointing the first judge to preside over municipal court cases. Under the ordinance the committee must meet for the first time by mid-March.

Halverson said Wiza, who currently serves as chairman for the Portage County Judicial/General Government Committee, had specifically requested being involved with the oversight committee, and Suomi was tapped because of her expressed interest in the court itself.

Roger Trebiatowski said he was surprised Halverson had chosen Wiza and Suomi because neither currently serve on the city’s Finance Committee.

“Ultimately, for this committee it’ll be a financial matter,” Trzebiatowski said. “I would much rather see at least one member to be a participant of finance (committee) in this as we move forward.”

Council President Jerry Moore said he didn’t agree with the appointments because both Wiza and Suomi simultaneously serve on the City Council and County Board- a potential conflict of interest, he said.

“Nothing personal to either one of you but I think there’s a conflict of interest between circuit court and municipal court,” Moore said. “I think that could lead to some very compromising situations. I don’t think it would be bad if one (Council Member) or the other was on there, but I don’t think having two members of both legal bodies (on the oversight committee) is a good idea.”

Alderman Mike Phillips agreed with Moore, saying both Wiza and Suomi were “too involved in both sides of the street”.

Trzebiatowski, Moore and Phillips all voted against the appointments, which Halverson said he didn’t understand because he felt his choices were practical.

“I didn’t really look at it from a county perspective,” Halverson said. “I will tell you I looked at it from Mr. Wiza’s point of view, which is he has been involved with judicial matters and the processes. But from a municipal court perspective, scheduling in particular, knowing the difficulties of scheduling proceedures within courts, I felt Mr. Wiza’s presence would add to the dialogue, especially in discussing the potential of a judge.”