FOX 11 Investigates: Proposal to add duties to treasurer's office
MADISON (WLUK) -- The role of Wisconsin State Treasurer comes with few official duties but it is a position the people of Wisconsin voted overwhelmingly to keep.
An effort to eliminate the office failed last year. Now, there a new state treasurer in office and a new effort to give her more responsibilities.
The once-powerful treasurer's office is located in the basement of the Wisconsin State Capitol.
FOX 11 Investigates traveled to Madison to sit down with the newly-elected treasurer Sarah Godlewski.
When asked what exactly she does, Godlewski replied, "I think a good way of thinking about the state treasurer is exactly like a chief financial officer of a company."
"It's really kind of that check and balance because right now, the way that the Legislature and the governor work, they literally will tax you, Robert. They will then spend your money and they also account for your money. We would never do that in business," she added.
The Democrat was elected in November. She led the campaign to keep the treasurer's office last spring.
Lawmakers had been slowly removing duties from the office over the last two decades. Last April, a constitutional amendment to eliminate the position went to voters. Sixty-two percent of voters chose to keep the position.
"That's a landslide victory in Wisconsin. It wasn't close. People want this office," Godlewski said.
One of Godlewski's first tasks was to find out what she could actually do as the state treasurer. According to a memo from the Legislative Reference Bureau, there are 16 powers and duties of the office, including serving on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, promoting the state's unclaimed property program and training local clerks and treasurers.
Godlewski says she'd like to see other duties added to the office.
"I just don't want to do things because we did it in the past. I want to make sure whatever we do moving forward is going to be the best thing for Wisconsinites," she said.
"I honestly did not feel that that referendum question would fail," said State Rep. Michael Schraa, R-Oshkosh.
Schraa was one of the lawmakers who pushed to eliminate the office.
This is what he told FOX 11 Investigates last year:
"I believe that it was pass by a strong majority. If it doesn't, I will be the first one out of the box writing legislation to try to put some authority and power back into the position," Schraa said in 2018.
One year later, Schraa says things have changed.
"There's no appetite with any of my colleagues on the Republican side to put any additional responsibilities back into that office," Schraa said. "I did come out before the referendum question came out and said that I would be the first one to come up with a bill to put more responsibilities back into that office if the referendum question failed. But if I don't have support from my colleagues, it's kind of a moot point."
While the Republican-controlled legislature is not likely to introduce a bill to add duties to the state treasurer's office, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is.
Evers wants to add three staff members to the treasurer's office and quadruple its budget over the next two years: from the current $116,700 to $467,000 in 2021.
In 2007, the treasurer's office budget was $5.3 million.
Evers also wants to move the office out of the basement and give the treasurer more duties.
"We actually are going to be asking her to take one of the leads on the issue of figuring out how to allow college students to refinance their student loans and I think that's a perfect place for her to start. In order to do those duties, we want to make sure that she has a staff available to do that," Evers said.
"I think it's a good starting point," said Republican Jack Voight, who served as the state treasurer from 1995 to 2007.
He says he'd like to see even more resources put towards the office.
"I think they need to show that this office is relevant and that person should be working for the citizens on the financial matters in the state," Voight said.
The governor's budget proposal still has to make its way through the Legislature. Schraa says that's not likely.
When asked if he sees any reason to move forward with the governor's budget request for the treasurer's office, Schraa replied, "Absolutely not. No."
"If the current state treasurer believes that she's got some great ideas that would help make government more efficient, with some responsibilities. I'm all ears. I'm open," he added.
FOX 11 Investigates asked the treasurer for her thoughts on the budget proposal and process.
"The governor's budget, I think, does a good job of helping to fulfill the request of the people which is to re-empower this office to be the fiscal watchdog," Godlewski said.
The budget process will likely take months to complete. The state treasurer says she's not waiting until then to get to work. She says she'll do everything she can with the limited duties she has to make an impact on the state.