Ontario board preparing for clerk’s retirement in late 2026
By Pat Mulvaney
For the County Line
The Ontario Village Board is beginning the process of preparing for long-time village clerk Terri Taylor’s retirement late next year.
At Monday’s village board meeting, board members scheduled a personnel committee meeting for later this month to determine the hiring procedure for a new clerk, including a list of qualifications and a salary range. However, Taylor has given the board plenty of notice to prepare for her departure, which is tentatively set for late 2026.
Taylor, who began her 29-year tenure with the village in 1996, said she plans to stay on to help her replacement become acclimated to the position before she fully retires.
In other business, the board approved two disbursements for a $406,000 improvement project at the wastewater treatment plant. The project entails installing a chemical feed system to mitigate phosphorus discharge from the plant to meet DNR regulations, as well as replacing some outdated equipment.
The disbursements, totaling over $31,000, are being paid through a 1.32% low-interest loan through the DNR’s Clean Water Fund that includes $223,738 in principal forgiveness. Payments on the loan will result in a $4.44 monthly increase on customer bills.
The village did have to secure short-term interim financing with Community First Bank to cover project costs until the DNR funding is available, which should be within the next few months.
The board also approved a $2,000 quote from Mike Wolf of Tomah to make repairs on N. Church Street, which received damage from a water break this past winter.
In other business, the board approved a three-year contract with Chimney Rock Appraisal of Mondovi to provide assessment services to the village. The village will pay $4,500 per year for the service.
The board decided to seek bids after its former appraiser, Associated Appraisals, doubled its annual fee from $5,000 to $10,000. Chimney Rock’s bid was $900 less than the only other bidder.
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