City Times Staff

STEVENS POINT — Portage County Treasurer Tom Mallison has announced his resignation from government, effective on Nov. 26. due to his department being understaffed.

In his resignation letter to the county, Mallison states that “The treasurer’s office has been understaffed for the majority of the past two years that I have been treasurer. When I have asked for assistance in my department due to this understaffing, the Finance Treasury Coordinator was moved into my office.”

However, while the help was appreciated, according to Mallison, the amount of assistance available was limited. Mallison states that county officials have offered help in the form of Limited Term Employment (LTE) positions, but that such help is simply not enough.

You can read the full letter here: MallisonResignationLetter

By stepping away from the position, Mallison hopes that real conversations start on how to best staff the department, comparing a lack of staffing to the the full-time staffing of the treasury departments of Wood County and the City of Stevens Point.

“Due to this work environment, I have started to have issues with my health, and this is a price my family and I are no longer willing to pay.” states Mallison in his resignation letter.

According to County Executive Chris Holman, the county is already putting together short and long-term plans to work through the situation, and an interim-treasurer will be appointed by the County Board next week. All municipal clerks, treasurers, and county officials have been notified of the situation.

“Tax season is upon us, so I feel it is important to notify the public in order to make our community aware of the situation,” stated Holman in a press release. “As always we will work to streamline our operations, and will strive to keep things working as smoothly as possible for everyone.”

Mallison thanked the citizens of Portage County for allowing him to serve as treasurer, as well on the county board for almost a decade.

‘This will no doubt be a considerable challenge for everyone, but I am confident we will successfully navigate the next few months and beyond,” stated Holman. “I wish treasurer Mallison the best as he moves on, and I thank him for his time in service to the county both as treasurer, and as a county board supervisor.”