Iola’s board imbroglio

IOLA – The Village of Iola board has voted to approve the resignation of Mark McCoy at their Jan. 14 meeting. He has been a member of the board for about three years and is the owner of Mark McCoy’s Flat Tracker Tap on 160 W. State St. in Iola.
McCoy said he was asked to join the board by the former village clerk to whom he agreed because he had just gotten to town and wanted to be involved in the community.
Along with the village board he also became a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club.
He has owned Mark McCoy’s Flat Tracker Tap for three and a half years, previously coming from Mosinee.
There are several events that have led to the resignation, which McCoy said he is still very upset about.

McCoy said he received a letter dated Jan. 7 that stated:
“This letter is to inform you that at the Tuesday, January 14th, 2025, the Iola Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting, the Trustees of the Iola Village Board will be holding a closed session regarding possible legal action regarding 105 S. Main St., Iola WI and your status as a Trustee for the Village of Iola. Having you at this meeting would present a conflict of interest because you are a voting member of the Iola Village Board of Trustees. On behalf of the Iola Village Board of Trustees, you are kindly being asked to recuse yourself from this meeting, to prevent any conflict of interest during this review process of all applicants.”
McCoy said this was the second time he was asked to recuse himself from a closed session, Krogwold said the first time was June 2024 when the matter of a liquor license came up for Mark McCoy’s Flat Tracker Tap and Thirsty Perch.
The buildings in question have led to a lawsuit and hefty fines for McCoy due to ordinance violations through the Village of Iola.
The buildings he owns that are under ordinance violations are 105 S. Main St. and at 119 S. Main St.
McCoy bought the building at 119 S. Main St. for $100. Krogwold said it was purchased from the village while he was on the board.
The building was set to be razed but as part of the sales contract, McCoy had to obtain a permit and fix the building up. Krogwold said that if failing to do so, the building would revert back to the village.
Krogwold said since McCoy did not make noticeable improvements by the date he had promised, which was Nov. 1, 2023, that the village would be able to take the building back, which was stated in a letter from village attorney Bruce Meagher.
McCoy instead used the building to put up banners for his bar, which Krogwold said is an ordinance violation.
The ordinance states:
“In the Central Business District, the establishment occupying the building may erect and maintain a single, flat, freestanding advertising sign, relating to its business, in the front yard, or in the side yard on the street side of a corner lot.”
A business owner can only put a sign up on a business if that is indeed the business itself.
The fine is $30 per day for each day the signs remain up and currently the fine is up to almost $12,000.
“I won’t pay a penny of it because I’ve pointed out all the other violations that the village themselves breaks,” said McCoy.
Krogwold said had McCoy requested a conditional-use permit that there would have been no fines for these signs as they would no longer be an ordinance violation, this information was given to McCoy in a letter from village attorney Meagher on Dec. 4, 2023.
McCoy said there are signs on the several buildings in town that are no longer in business and have continued to stay up, including the bakery, the general store and the Norseman Motel.
There is also an ordinance that does not allow for unregistered vehicles within village limits; however, McCoy said there is a truck parked at the welcome sign coming in off Highway 49.
McCoy said he believes the board was going to vote him from his seat after using the lawsuits and ordinance violations to smear his name and character.
McCoy said he started questioning a lot of things when he got on the board.
“I found out that they’re not very nice to new people or new businesses or new ideas or anything like that,” he said. “As a business owner they bullied me and tried to shut me up and all kinds of crap, you know what I mean? And then [the village] sued me for this other building that I bought for a hundred bucks. It’s just really weird, I feel like I’m fighting everyday just to keep my head above water.”
McCoy said in order to fight the current violations it is very time consuming and expensive.
“Now, actually though, I think I can be more effective by sitting in the audience,” McCoy said. “We’ve got a lot of problems going on.”
As of right now, McCoy’s building at 119 S. Main St. has stopped accumulating fines said Krogwold because the amount owed is part of a settlement that is owed to the village.
The building at 105 S. Main St. is currently still accruing fines and was the subject of the closed session meeting Jan. 14, where the village board decided not to take action at that time.