State Treasurer of Wisconsin

Last updated
State Treasurer of Wisconsin
Seal of the Wisconsin State Treasurer.png
Seal of the Office of the State Treasurer
Incumbent
John Leiber
since January 3, 2023
Style
Member of Board of Commissioners of Public Lands
Seat Wisconsin State Capitol
Madison, Wisconsin
AppointerGeneral election
Term length Four years, no term limits
Constituting instrument Wisconsin Constitution of 1848, Article VI
Inaugural holder Jairus C. Fairchild
FormationJune 7, 1848
(175 years ago)
 (June 7, 1848)
Salary $72,551 [1]
Website Official page

The state treasurer of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. [2] Thirty-six individuals have held the office since statehood. The incumbent is John Leiber, a Republican.

Contents

Election and term of office

The state treasurer is elected on Election Day in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January. [3] There is no limit to the number of terms a state treasurer may hold. From 1848 to 1968, the state treasurer was elected to a two-year term in the November general election. Since 1970, following ratification of a constitutional amendment in April 1967, the state treasurer has been elected to a four-year term.

In the event of a vacancy in the office of the state treasurer, the governor may appoint a replacement to fill the remainder of the term. The state treasurer may be removed from office through an impeachment trial. [4]

Powers and duties

In Wisconsin, the state treasurer is the chief banker of state government, signing checks, share drafts, and other drafts drawn on state funds by the Department of Administration; this role extends to the State Investment Fund and the Public Employee Trust Fund, which are managed by independent state agencies. [5] [6] [7] The state treasurer also makes certified copies of deeds, bonds, and other documents filed with his or her office and promotes Wisconsin's unclaimed property program. [8] [9] Furthermore, the state treasurer assists in the administration of the County Mining Investment Fund and receives and deposits payments for certain Great Lakes fisheries-related surcharges into the Conservation Fund. [10] [11] [12] [13] Occasional functions performed by the state treasurer include approving the amounts and sureties filed with the Department of Administration in connection to the Department of Revenue's receipt of paid income and franchise taxes, receiving payments from the Banking Division in connection with liquidation proceedings of banks, acknowledging the satisfaction and discharge of certain mortgages involving the state, and conducting training conferences for municipal clerks and treasurers. [14] [15] [16]

Aside from the office's functional responsibilities, the state treasurer is a member of the Board of Directors of the Insurance Security Fund and of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. [17] [18]

Reduction of powers and office dissolution attempts

Since the 1990s, most duties vested in the state treasurer's office have gradually been eliminated or transferred to other state agencies. 1995 Wisconsin Act 27 eliminated the office's securities section, which had the responsibility of safekeeping securities purchased by the State of Wisconsin Investment Board. [19] 1997 Wisconsin Act 27 transferred the Division of Trust Lands and Investment to the Wisconsin Department of Administration. [20] Most notably, 2003 Wisconsin Act 33 transferred the cash and debt management functions of the state treasurer's office to the Department of Administration. [21] Moreover, 2011 Wisconsin Act 32 transferred the state's version of a 529 plan, known as EdVest, to the Department of Administration. The same act also transferred the Local Government Investment Pool and corresponding management services functions to the Department of Administration. [22] Later, 2013 Wisconsin Act 20 transferred the state treasurer's Unclaimed Property Program to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. [23] As a result of these interagency transfers, the office of State Treasurer in Wisconsin is institutionally the weakest directly elected member of the National Association of State Treasurers, according to state-by-state analyses published by the Council of State Governments, and the only state treasurer nationwide not responsible for cash management. [24]

On October 27, 2015, the Wisconsin State Assembly approved an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution to abolish the state treasurer's office, Assembly Joint Resolution 5 (AJR 5), with 63 "yea" votes and 33 "nay" votes. The Wisconsin State Senate approved AJR 5 on January 20, 2016. The first approval of the amendment was enrolled on March 15, 2016. Because this measure was approved by both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature, the Wisconsin Elimination of State Treasurer Amendment was placed on the 2018 spring general election ballot on April 3, 2018. [25] The referendum was defeated, with 62% of voters statewide choosing to retain the office with a "no" vote against amending the constitution to eliminate the office. [26]

List of state treasurers

Number of state treasurers of Wisconsin by party affiliation
PartyTreasurers
Republican 23
Democratic 9
Progressive 1
None1

This is a list of state treasurers of Wisconsin.

   Democratic    Republican    Progressive

#ImageState TreasurerPartyTook officeLeft office [note 1]
1 Jairus C Fairchild.png Jairus C. Fairchild Democratic June 7, 1848 [27] January 5, 1852
2 Edward H. Janssen [note 2] DemocraticJanuary 5, 1852 [27] January 7, 1856
3 Charles Kuehn DemocraticJanuary 7, 1856 [27] January 4, 1858
4 Samuel Dexter Hastings.png Samuel D. Hastings Republican January 4, 1858 [27] January 1, 1866
5 William E. Smith.jpg William E. Smith RepublicanJanuary 1, 1866 [27] January 3, 1870
6 Henry Baetz 1873.png Henry Baetz RepublicanJanuary 3, 1870 [27] January 5, 1874
7 Ferdinand Kuehn.png Ferdinand Kuehn DemocraticJanuary 5, 1874 [27] January 7, 1878
8 RWGuenther.jpg Richard Guenther RepublicanJanuary 7, 1878 [27] January 2, 1882
9 Edward C. McFetridge RepublicanJanuary 2, 1882 [27] January 3, 1887
10 Henry B. Harshaw RepublicanJanuary 3, 1887 [27] January 5, 1891
11 John Hunner DemocraticJanuary 5, 1891 [27] January 7, 1895
12 Sewell A. Peterson RepublicanJanuary 7, 1895 [27] January 2, 1899
13 James Ole Davidson (Wisconsin Governor).png James O. Davidson RepublicanJanuary 2, 1899 [27] January 5, 1903
14 John J. Kempf.png John J. Kempf [note 3] RepublicanJanuary 5, 1903July 30, 1904 [29]
15 Thomas M. Purtell [note 4] RepublicanJuly 30, 1904 [29] January 2, 1905
16 John J. Kempf.png John J. KempfRepublicanJanuary 2, 1905 [27] January 7, 1907
17 Andrew H. Dahl RepublicanJanuary 7, 1907 [27] January 6, 1913
18 Henry Johnson Treasurer.jpeg Henry Johnson RepublicanJanuary 6, 1913 [27] January 1, 1923
19 Solomon Levitan, c.1922.jpg Solomon Levitan RepublicanJanuary 1, 1923 [27] January 2, 1933
20 Robert Kirkland Henry (Wisconsin Congressman).jpg Robert K. Henry DemocraticJanuary 2, 1933 [30] January 4, 1937
21 Solomon Levitan, c.1922.jpg Solomon Levitan Progressive January 4, 1937 [31] January 2, 1939
22 John M. Smith (8253035977) (1).jpg John M. Smith [note 5] RepublicanJanuary 2, 1939 [32] August 17, 1947 [29]
vacantAugust 17, 1947August 19, 1947
23 John L. Sonderegger [note 4] [note 6] RepublicanAugust 19, 1947 [29] September 30, 1948 [29]
vacantSeptember 30, 1948October 1, 1948
24Clyde M. Johnston [note 7] noneOctober 1, 1948 [29] January 3, 1949
25 Warren R. Smith [note 5] RepublicanJanuary 3, 1949 [33] December 4, 1957 [29]
vacantDecember 4, 1957December 5, 1957
26 Dena A. Smith [note 4] RepublicanDecember 5, 1957 [29] January 5, 1959
27 Eugene M. Lamb DemocraticJanuary 5, 1959 [34] January 2, 1961
28Dena A. Smith [note 5] RepublicanJanuary 2, 1961 [35] February 20, 1968 [29]
vacantFebruary 20, 1968February 21, 1968
29 Harold W. Clemens [note 4] RepublicanFebruary 21, 1968 [29] January 4, 1971
30 Charles P. Smith DemocraticJanuary 4, 1971 [36] January 7, 1991
31 Cathy Zeuske RepublicanJanuary 7, 1991 [37] January 3, 1995
32 Jack Voight RepublicanJanuary 3, 1995 [38] January 3, 2007
33 Dawn Marie Sass.jpg Dawn Marie Sass DemocraticJanuary 3, 2007 [39] January 3, 2011
34 Kurt W. Schuller RepublicanJanuary 3, 2011January 5, 2015
35 Matt Adamczyk RepublicanJanuary 5, 2015January 7, 2019
36 Sarah Godlewski Photo.jpg Sarah Godlewski DemocraticJanuary 7, 2019January 2, 2023
37 John Leiber RepublicanJanuary 3, 2023Incumbent

Notes

  1. When there is no evidence to the contrary, it is assumed that state treasurers left office the same day their successors were sworn in.
  2. Contemporary newspaper accounts indicate that the second state treasurer's surname was "Jansson"; [28] recent editions of the Wisconsin Blue Books, however, list his surname as "Jansen". [29]
  3. Failed to give the required bond.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Appointed to fill vacancy.
  5. 1 2 3 Died in office.
  6. Resigned to become state insurance commissioner.
  7. Appointed from staff.

See also

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