Oak Creek Clerk Spent Career Quietly Helping City

The work of a city clerk and those in the clerk’s office largely goes unseen to the residents of its community.

That’s just fine with Pam Bauer, who has worked in the clerk’s office for the past 22 years, including the last three-and-a-half as the department’s leader. She’s never asked for any attention, preferring to keep her head down and serve the public to the best of her ability.

But the spotlight on some of her tasks – most notably on what is arguably a clerk’s most important job, administering elections - has only shone brighter in recent years.

And then there is all the other services a clerk’s office provides – liquor licensing, city government meetings, workers compensation and insurance claims, record keeping and filing of contracts, just to name a few.

Despite the increasing scrutiny, Bauer has been widely praised for her managing of the Oak Creek clerk’s office during a period of continued growth for the city. Even in a rough economy, new business development has persisted and Oak Creek’s population increased. 

“It is a full-time-plus position. There is no downtime at all in this office. You’re juggling five different things at once and constantly shifting gears,” she said.

Bauer says it feels like the work never stops, and it’s part of the reason why she announced she would retire from her position effective Oct. 28, which coincidentally, is her birthday.

Bauer, a lifelong Oak Creek resident, has spent her entire professional career in government. For ten-plus years, she did secretarial work for the local FBI office. Following that was a stint at the law firm of the South Milwaukee city attorney. She began her tenure in Oak Creek City Hall in 1989.

One governmental title she never expected to hold was that of “elected official.” But that’s exactly what she did in 2008.

Unlike many communities, Oak Creek’s treasurer and city clerk are elected. When former city clerk Beverly Buretta retired, Bauer, then a deputy clerk, decided to give it a go, and for the first time, she found herself knocking on doors and collecting signatures to get on the ballot. She won in 2008 and then again in 2010.

“It was something I never, ever expected in my entire life,” Bauer said. "Just working for the city was great in and of itself.

“But I’m always up for a challenge.”

The next clerk will be elected in April; the candidate filing period begins Dec. 1.

Mayor Dick Bolender and Oak Creek aldermen felt her position, along with that of the city treasurer, was important enough that they voted to lengthen the term from two to three years.

Bolender said Bauer would be greatly missed.

"Pam Bauer is probably one of the most knowledgable people in city government. If there’s a person that you can go to and get correct information, it’s Pam Bauer," Bolender said. "The loss of her will be very, very hard to take. You hate to see somebody like that leave."

Deputy City Clerk Christa Miller said she was grateful to have Bauer around as a mentor.

“When I started working with the city of Oak Creek in 2008, I didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “What I found was an excellent city clerk with over two decades of knowledge and know-how to help me with my way. For the past three years, Pam has guided me through the duties performed by the city clerk’s office, still allowing me the freedom to explore other ways to accomplish them. I could not have succeeded to the point I have without her.”