Two Republicans running for Marathon Co. treasurer
Marathon County treasurer Audrey Jensen will defend her seat from challenger Connie Beyersdorf in an upcoming Republican primary election scheduled this Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Both candidates were interviewed this past week.
Audrey Jensen
Audrey Jensen, appointed county treasurer in 2014, was elected to the position in 2015 and is running for her second term.
Jensen said a priority in a new term is to continue to work with county taxpayers struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic to pay their property taxes in a timely fashion.
Jensen said state law “does not have a lot of wishy-washy-ness” to when people have to make final payments on their property taxes (July 21), but, after having conversations with people, she has arranged to have 50 taxpayers make monthly property tax payments without an interest penalty.
Jensen said her office has tried to tell people struggling to pay their taxes about other government programs, including Food Stamps, that can help balance their home budgets. She will direct taxpayers to other county agencies, such as the Aging Disability Resource Center (ADRC), so they can apply for assistance.
The treasurer said people typically have suffered some setback when they get behind on their property taxes.
“People get in a car crash or they lose a job,” she said. “It’s not a happy situation.”
Jensen said that in her last two years in office she acquired a cash and coin counting machine that has speeded up transactions in the treasurer’s office. The machine is routinely loaned out to other county departments, she said.
Jensen said there is a possibility that county property tax payments may drop as a result of the COVID-19 economic downturn, but that has yet to be seen how many people will become delinquent on their taxes.
“It’s really hard to tell how it will all play out,” she said.
Jensen said she will operate the treasurer’s office over the next two years pretty much following what she has done in the past three years.
“I hope to continue all of the things I have been doing,” she said.
Jensen, an Oshkosh native, received a bachelor of science degree from UWStevens Point in geography. She worked in Waupaca and Lincoln counties before working as year in Marathon County as a GIS map developer.
Jensen lives in Wausau with her husband and two children. She is a member of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Wausau, and volunteers as a Cub Scout and Girl Scout adult leader. She volunteers in connection with youth sports.
Connie Beyersdorf
Connie Beyersdorf, Wausau, a lifelong resident of Marathon County, said she has the needed personal skills to run the county treasurer’s offi ce. “In addition to my enthusiasm, I will bring to the position strong communication skills, training, flexibility and the ability to encourage others to work cooperatively with the department,” she said. Beyersdorf works as an office manager at Brickner Motors, Wausau, and reports seven years experience as an appointed and elected clerk and clerk/treasurer in the towns of Texas and Rib Mountain. She is familiar with subdivision ordinances, tax collections, tax assessments, Board of Review, budgets and financial reporting.
The candidate said she holds a degree in accounting and is completing a degree in human resources management.
Beyersdorf volunteers as a Cub Scouts Pack leader and is an officer in Wausau School District PTO committees. She is an active member of a local snowmobile club.
Connie Beyersdorf
