Milwaukee County

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Milwaukee County’s goal is to enrich your life by providing essential services that meet your needs and those of your family, neighbors, co-workers and friends.

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We enhance the quality of life in Milwaukee County through great public service.

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Milwaukee County is home to over 950,000 people living in one of 19 communities, which range in size from the City of Milwaukee, with 595,000 residents, to the Village of River Hills, with roughly 1,600 residents.

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Still a manufacturing stronghold, the region features 16 Fortune 1000 companies and thousands of others in the financial services, medical device, hospitality and retailing industries.

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Civil Service Commission

Human Resources>
Civil Service Commission

What We Do

The Civil Service Commission ensures the fair and impartial due process hearings for the suspension, demotion or discharge of County Behavioral Health Services employees in the classified service, considers requests for the transfer of county positions to or from the classified service, and exercises administrative control over the merit system, including promulgation of rules, pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes 63.01 to 63.03 and the Milwaukee County General Ordinances Civil Service Rules. These provide the authority for the Civil Service Commission Hearing Procedures.

Potential Civil Service Commission 2025 Meetings & Deadlines

Meeting December 19, 2024: Content Due December 2, 2024
Meeting January 16, 2025: Content Due December 30
Meeting February 20, 2025: Content Due February 3
Meeting March 20, 2025: Content Due March 3
Meeting April 17, 2025: Content Due March 31
Meeting May 15, 2025: Content Due April 28
Meeting June 12, 2025: Content Due May 27
Meeting July 17, 2025: Content Due June 30
Meeting August 21, 2025: Content Due August 4
Meeting September 18, 2025: Content Due August 29
Meeting October 16, 2025: Content Due September 29
Meeting November 20, 2025: Content Due November 3
Meeting December 18, 2025: Content Due December 1

Check out the submission guidelines.

How to File a Citizen Complaint

The Civil Service Commission does not offer or give legal advice. The citizen must seek legal advice from his or her own legal counsel. The citizen takes the position of prosecutor to present a disciplinary case against an employee before the Civil Service Commission Hearing Examiner. Any accused employee who comes before the hearing Examiner on a citizen complaint has the option of representing themselves or having legal counsel. Below are the M.C.G.O. Civil Service Rules related to citizen complaints.

Who Can File Charges

A. It shall be the duty of the department director to file charges against any person in the classified service and subordinate to that department director if, in that person's opinion, there is cause for demotion, suspension or discharge.

B. If a department director neglects or refuses to file charges, it shall be the duty of the Department of Human Resources Director to file charges if the Department of Human Resources Director believes that there is cause to file charges against any person in the classified service.

C. Any citizen, except those mentioned in A and B above or an individual acting in a representative capacity for any group or organization, may file charges against any person in the classified service, as long as:

The allegations contained in the charge are made under oath and formally notarized, and
Such allegations are supported by the affidavit of one or more witnesses who are alleged to have first-hand knowledge of the facts underlying the allegations

Civil Service Rules are used to determine the allegations of the employee for the administering of discipline. One or more of the rules must be stated in order for the Civil Service Commission to hear the allegations.

Upon filing of complaint, the executive secretary shall verify compliance of such complaint with 1 and 2 above; and, when so verified, the executive secretary shall place said complaint on the agenda for the Civil Service Commission's determination as to whether the charges are grave enough to warrant a hearing.

Contact the Commission

The Civil Service Commission staff are available to answer questions regarding the disciplinary process of Milwaukee County employees, transfer of positions to the unclassified service, or other questions you may have. Contact us at:

Milwaukee County Civil Service Commission
Milwaukee County Courthouse
901 N. 9th St., Room 210
Milwaukee, WI 53233

[email protected]

Commission Members

Brenda Ottesen, Chair - Term Expires 06/20/2028

Brenda Ottesen earned an MBA with a focus in Public Administration from Concordia University. Ms. Ottesen also has several professional certifications in Human Resources, Servant Leadership, and Emotional Intelligence.

In 2022 she retired from Milwaukee County after 28 years of service. During her tenure she managed several program areas with the Clerk of Circuit Court, Child Support, and Health and Human Services.

Janet Cleary, Vice Chair - Term Expires 08/01/2029

Ms. Janet Cleary earned her bachelor's degree in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University and her master's degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ms. Cleary is the Acting Field Placement and Licensure Coordinator with the College of Education at Marquette University.

She retired from the Milwaukee Public Schools in 2013 after 34 years of service in the Human Resources Department as a Manager in Staffing Services and Classified Staffing, Staffing Specialist and Supervising Dietitian.

Keshia Exum-Pryor - Term Expires 04/20/2027

Keshia Exum-Pryor holds a bachelor's degree in Human Resources and Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master's degree from Cardinal Stritch University. Ms. Exum-Pryor has over 18 years of human resources experience specializing in areas such as employee relations, benefits, safety, payroll, FMLA and ADA to name a few. Ms. Exum-Pryor is an experienced human resources executive who advocates for employees while maintaining the needs of employers. Ms. Exum-Pryor holds a certificate in Human Resources, she is certified with the Society of Human Resources Management as an HR Professional as well as the HR Certification Institute.

Dr. Elliott Moeser - Term Expires 04/20/2026

Dr. Elliott Moeser earned his bachelor's degree in Education, History and Sociology from Midland Lutheran College, his master's degree in History from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a doctorate in Educational Administration from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Dr. Moeser is the Executive Director for the 26 school district Closing the Achievement Gap Consortium. He is also an Associate Professor in Educational Administration at Concordia University.

Dr. Moeser has served as the Superintendent of five school districts, most recently for Richfield Joint School District No.1 in Richfield. He has served as Principal at Webster Stanley Middle School in Oshkosh and Assistant Principal at South Milwaukee Junior High School.

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