The Monroe County Board of Supervisors recently held their periodic “Legislative Exchange” which is billed as an “Open Dialog between State Legislatures (sic), Monroe County Board Members and Department Heads”. These recurring meetings tentatively scheduled quarterly allow county leadership to express concerns about various topics that need to be shared with state and federal legislators for their “grassroots” knowledge and hopefully action.

This legislative exchange is a relatively recent cornerstone in the county’s approach to collaborative government where local government managers, local elected leaders, and other stakeholders are able to present issues directly to the legislators without bypassing the County Board. Through these sessions, Monroe County fosters an open dialog in an informal but official setting. No decisions are made, only information is exchanged.

County Board Chairman Cedric Schnitzler recognized the need for a dedicated platform that would allow county level concerns to be discussed directly with the legislators. In initiating this opportunity, Monroe County became the first in the state to host such an opportunity making Monroe County a model for civic engagement and innovative governing communications.

Originally designed to facilitate communication between State Legislators, County Board Members, and Department heads, this recent session showed a different and perhaps more valuable opportunity. There were three agenda topics of which only one was primarily county business; “Justice Programs Drug Court” which included an update on the ongoing program and a personal testimony from a recent Drug Court Program graduate highlighting the value, need, and success of the program. The County Board even presented her a certificate acknowledging her personal success! And, it was information the state legislators needed to hear first-hand rather than summarized in a written report.

The other two agenda items were from municipalities that presented issues to the State Legislators. Nicholas Morales representing the City of Tomah spoke on “Housing – Short Term Rentals” asking for considerations with the current state regulation on bed and breakfast rental properties. David Pierce, Chairman of Town of Greenfield, spoke on “Tax Appeals, Refunded & Rescinded Taxes” and how current state policies and procedures put local municipalities in a no-win situation. In both cases, the situations presented by one municipality could not be resolved at the county level but certainly affect cities and towns all across the state of Wisconsin.

State legislators attending included State Senator Brad Pfaff (D-32nd), Representative Nancy Van derMeer (R-70th) and Representative Jill Billings (D-95th). They appeared to take copious notes and enthusiastically participated in the question and answer sessions and then provided updates on current legislative efforts. There was a representative from US Senator Tammy Baldwin’s (D-WI) office but as most of the discussion was state rather than federal topics, he appeared to participate less. There were also a couple of representatives from the Wisconsin Counties Association that participated in the discussion and provided updates.

Other notable leaders in attendance included Monroe County Sheriff Wes Revels, Monroe County DA Kevin Croninger, Tomah Mayor Paul Dwyer, a significant number of Monroe County Board Members, many other leaders critical to the daily happenings of Monroe County, and a few private citizens. There were forty or more people present at the beginning of the event.

In this era of rancid partisan politics, it was noteworthy to see the state legislators appearing to work together on the issues presented. And, a representative of the Wisconsin Counties Association complimented the State Legislature. I hope this is “business as usual” and not eyewash for public consumption!

Monroe County Board Chairman Cedric Schnitzler and the entire Monroe County Board are to be complimented on their innovative (and evolving) approach to collaborative government. It promises tangible benefits for the community, positions the county at the forefront of legislative innovation, and reinforces the value of local voices in shaping public policy. A significant difference between this and the hearing sessions that legislators so often have on pending legislation in their districts is this is “bottom up” and not “top down”.

Monroe County has set the example, other counties in the Coulee Region and across the state need to follow! The next Monroe County Legislative Exchange is set for January 26, 2026.