KAUKAUNA — Kaukauna’s embattled municipal judge has resigned, and a former city judge has been hired temporarily to replace her.
Municipal Judge Carly Windorff announced her resignation Jan. 2, 2023 in a letter to the city council. Her resignation was effective immediately.
Former Kaukauna municipal judge John Van Drunen has been approved to temporarily act as substitute judge and fill the sudden vacancy to prevent further disruption to the municipal court, City Attorney Kevin W. Davidson told Kaukauna Community News.
“While Judge Van Drunen’s appointment is temporary until a more permanent substitute judge can be appointed to fill the remainder of the current term, he was available to immediately take the bench for court dates that have already been scheduled,” Davidson said in a statement.
The controversy first spilled into public view last September when city officials accused Windorff of judicial misconduct after they say she hired her sister as a clerk in violation of ethics rules applicable to all judges in the state and posted an inappropriate message on Facebook.
(READ MORE: City leaders accuse Kaukauna municipal judge of ethics violations)
At the time, the city also filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Judicial Commission against Windorff.
(READ MORE: Concerns over Kaukauna municipal court have been simmering for months)
The complaint came following concerns raised in August by Mayor Tony Penterman over lack of consistent customer service in Kaukauna’s municipal court.
But in a 14-page memo sent to Penterman on Sept. 14, 2022 and obtained by Kaukauna Community News, Windorff responded by proposing a restructuring plan that included a jump in her pay from roughly $11,000 to more that $90,000 a year for the part-time, elected position.
Windorff said she believed that an immediate increase to the hours of the court clerk, and the addition of a bailiff, would empower the court to better serve our community.
(READ MORE: Pay and court staffing add to conflict between Kaukauna officials and municipal judge)
In her memo, Windorff compared the judge salary with city department heads and noted it is the lowest. She also
compares the municipal judge salary with circuit court judges who she notes make roughly $155,023 per year, which she calculates to be $75/hour.
But in a staff memo responding to Windorff obtained by Kaukauna Community News, staff said that the comparison of judge to private attorney or circuit court judge which have vastly different qualifications is not a fair comparison.
Staff also said the judge is an elected position and does not have the workload or expectations of a hired department head.
(PREVIOUSLY: City leaders accuse Kaukauna municipal judge of ethics violations)
(PREVIOUSLY: Concerns over Kaukauna municipal court have been simmering for months)
(PREVIOUSLY: Pay and court staffing add to conflict between Kaukauna officials and municipal judge)
(PREVIOUSLY: Calls for Kaukauna’s municipal judge to recuse herself go unheeded)
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