The Trempealeau County Times protested a closed session where the Treampealeau County Board voted to give County Administrator Rebecca Glewen a newly $29,000 pay increase.
A story authored by Times editor Andrew Dannehy in the Times’ March 26, 2025 issue detailed the reasons behind the protest. According to the article, the pay increase puts Glewen’s annual salary at $150,000, up from the $121,492.80 she agreed to when hired last year.
The board’s approval to extend the contract was made at the board’s regular February meeting. The vote occurred in closed session, an action that was protested by the Times.
At the time, the newspaper was told it could not have access to the votes and was given no indication that a contract existed. The article said an attorney who specializes in open meeting laws said both were matters of public record, but the article did not name the attorney.
While the public was not allowed access to the vote following the meeting, that information was listed in the meeting minutes, which were approved on March 17. The minutes showed only one board member voted against offering the contract.
The contract was signed by both Glewen and Trempealeau County Board Chair John Aasen on March 7 but has not been approved by the full county board. The contract expires Dec. 31, 2026. Aasen did not respond to a request for comment before the Times went to press.
