City attorney Sue Schill, running for re‑election, backs ordinance recodification and says office should be appointed

Sue Schill, the incumbent city attorney for Wisconsin Rapids and a candidate for re‑election, told Sunup Wisconsin that her top priorities include a recodification of the city's ordinances to make them easier to access and revise, expanded training for staff and council on Wisconsin’s public records and open meetings laws, and additional support for municipal prosecutions.

“I'd like to be able to say that I could take a 3‑month sabbatical and just concentrate on all of the ordinances,” Schill said, describing a planned recodification tied to a new city website that she said will make ordinances easier to search online. She told the hosts the recodification will likely be time‑intensive and involve outside professionals to improve clarity and usability.

Schill said the city will continue training department heads and council members on public records and open meetings compliance. “Most of it is just a creature of state law,” she said, describing training to clarify what records must be kept, what may be discarded and when closed‑session exemptions apply.

On municipal court operations and prosecutions, Schill said the court handles ordinance and traffic violations and that she has been managing prosecutions since an assistant left for a judgeship. She said she is “definitely looking at … having an assistant to assist with that” because the prosecution workload is time‑consuming.

Asked about proposals to convert the city attorney from an elected to an appointed position, Schill said she favors appointment. “I think it's a professional position. I think you should have the … best person with the qualifications. I think it's something that the council should choose,” she said, adding that elected municipal attorneys are now rare compared with the past. At the same time she said she is running for re‑election and would serve another term if voters choose.

Why it matters: The structure and oversight of the city attorney's office affect who provides legal advice to elected officials and how sensitive matters such as closed sessions and prosecutorial priorities are managed. Schill’s emphasis on recodification and training is framed as improving transparency and consistency in how ordinances are applied.

Schill also highlighted her experience as a local attorney and ongoing engagement with municipal peers as a reason voters should re‑elect her. The interview did not include formal policy proposals with funding specifics or firm timelines; implementation details such as budget impacts and specific contractors for recodification were not specified.

The episode invited other local candidates to appear on the program and urged viewers to engage with the League of Women Voters' questions used for the segment. Schill remains the incumbent and is seeking another four‑year term.