Accommodation of county requirements
Currently, each municipality must make a good faith effort to accommodate the
tentative plan submitted by the county or counties in which it is located in adopting
its decennial ward plan. This bill requires that each municipality establish wards
that will permit creation of county supervisory districts in accordance with each
tentative plan unless the tentative plan would: 1) unduly dilute the voting strength
of a racial or language minority group; 2) require the creation of a ward composed of
noncontiguous territory, with limited exceptions; 3) require the creation of a ward
composed of territory that is not as compact as practicable; 4) unduly bifurcate a
manifest social, economic, or political community of interest; or 5) require the
creation of a ward that would unduly favor a particular person or political party.
Minimum populations for wards
Currently, a municipality having a population of less than 10,000 may create
a ward with no fewer than 300 inhabitants. A municipality having a population of
at least 10,000 but less than 39,000 may create a ward with no fewer than 600
inhabitants. A municipality having a population of at least 39,000 but less than
150,000 may create a ward with no fewer than 800 inhabitants. Every other
municipality may create a ward with no fewer than 1,000 inhabitants.
This bill eliminates these minimum ward population requirements.
Creation of wards that subdivide blocks
Under current law, with certain limited exceptions, municipal wards must
consist of whole census blocks. Currently, an institution such as a prison or center
for the developmentally disabled may itself be a whole census block. In this case,
unless one of the limited exceptions applies, the entire institution must be included
in a single municipal ward, even if all or most of the residents of the institution are
not eligible to vote in an election. The district in which such an institution is located
may, as a result, have a significantly lower voting population than the other districts
within the municipality in which the district is located.

This bill creates a new exception authorizing a municipality, in creating wards,
to subdivide any census block containing a state or federal institution that is used
to confine felons or that is a state center for the developmentally disabled.
Annexations
Current law requires an annexation ordinance to include certain information,
such as a description of the annexed territory. In addition, under current law, the
clerk of any city or village that annexes territory must immediately file with the
secretary of state a certified copy of the annexation ordinance, along with a plat
showing the annexed area. However, failure to make this required filing does not
invalidate an annexation ordinance.
Under this bill, every annexation ordinance must also identify the census block
number or numbers of the annexed territory and each municipality from which the
territory was detached. In addition, this bill provides that an annexation of territory
by a city or village that establishes a municipal boundary that subdivides a census
block is invalid until the city or village furnishes to the secretary of state a certified
copy of the annexation ordinance, a plat showing the annexed area, and an estimate
of the population of the area according to the most recent federal decennial census.
Filing of copies of municipal ward plans
Currently, within five days after adoption of a decennial ward plan, each
municipality is required to transmit a copy of the plan to the county clerk or board
of election commissioners of each county in which the municipality is located. If the
population of the municipality exceeds 10,000, the municipality is required to send
a copy to the legislative reference bureau.
Under this bill, a municipality need only file a ward plan with the county clerk
or board of election commissioners and the county clerk or board of election
commissioners must send to the legislative reference bureau a copy of the ward plan
no later than ten days after receipt. The legislative reference bureau must then
provide copies of each ward plan to the elections board. The bill clarifies that copies
may be filed in either electronic or paper format. In addition, the bill provides that,
if any municipality or county fails to file a ward plan within the time prescribed by
law, the municipality or county is liable to the elections board, the legislature and the
legislative service agencies for additional costs incurred in recording ward data as
a result of the delay.
Filing of final county supervisory district plans
Currently, the chairperson of each county board of supervisors must file with
the secretary of state a copy of the final county supervisory district plan. This bill
requires the secretary of state to forward a copy of the supervisory district plan to
the legislative reference bureau and requires the legislative reference bureau to
forward a copy to the elections board. The bill also clarifies that copies may be filed
in either electronic or paper format.

Time schedule for establishing election districts in 1st class city school
systems
Currently, within 60 days after a first class city (currently, only Milwaukee)
adopts an aldermanic district plan, the board of school directors of the city must
adopt an election district plan. Under this bill, a first class city board of school
directors must adopt an election district plan within 60 days after adoption of a
decennial ward plan rather than an aldermanic district plan.
Town ward numbering
Currently, when a town is divided into wards, the annual town meeting and
special town elections must be held in the first ward. The bill deletes that
requirement.
Incorporation of census corrections
Currently, decennial ward plans, as well as decennial county supervisory and
city aldermanic district plans, are based on the federal decennial census. The
statutes do not treat the issue of corrections issued by the U.S. bureau of the census.
Under this bill, ward plans and aldermanic district plans must reflect the census
results, including any corrections, for the populations of counties, municipalities,
and census blocks on April 1 of the year of the census, if corrections are issued prior
to adoption of a decennial ward plan, or, in the case of a municipality that is affected
by a correction but is not divided into wards, if the corrections are issued prior to
adoption of a county supervisory district plan. Under the bill, an official correction
does not include the substitution of an estimate for an actual population count.
Territory included within ward plans
Currently, each municipality's decennial ward plan must include all territory
within the municipality on August 1 of the year following the federal decennial
census. This bill instead provides that each plan must include all territory within
the municipality on the date of adoption of a tentative supervisory district plan by
the county in which the territory is located.
Effective date of certain annexation or detachment actions
Currently, during the period from April 1 to June 30 of the year following a
federal decennial census, if a city or village takes an annexation or detachment
action affecting land that is the subject of certain ordinances or resolutions
expressing the city's or village's intent not to annex or detach territory, the
annexation or detachment is effective on July 1 of that year or at such later date as
may be specified in the ordinance or resolution. The bill repeals that provision.
The bill also makes other minor technical changes in the law to facilitate the
decennial ward plan adoption and legislative, county, and municipal redistricting
process.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB63, s. 1 1Section 1. 5.15 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,7,52 5.15 (1) (a) Every city, village and town in this state shall by ordinance or
3resolution of
its common council or village or town board, respectively, be divided into
4wards as provided in this section, except as authorized in sub. (2). The boundaries
5of the wards established under this section, and the number assigned to each ward,
6are intended to be as permanent as possible, and to this end each ward shall when
7created contain a population at a convenient point within the applicable population
8range limitation under sub. (2) (b), with due consideration for the known trends of
9population increase or decrease within that part of the municipality in which the
10ward is located. Once established, the boundaries of each ward shall remain
11unchanged until a further decennial federal census of population indicates that the
12population of a ward is then above or below the applicable population range
13limitation or until the ward boundaries are required to be changed to permit creation
14of supervisory or aldermanic districts of substantially equal population or to enhance
15the participation of members of a racial or language minority group in the political
16process and their ability to elect representatives of their choice , except as authorized
17or required under this section
. If the population of a ward has increased above the
18maximum of its applicable population range limitation or if the population of a ward
19must be decreased for a reason specified in this paragraph, the ward shall be divided
20into 2 or more wards or the boundaries of the ward shall be changed in compliance
21with sub. (2) (b). If the population of a ward has decreased below the minimum of

1its population range or if
the population of a ward must be increased for a reason
2specified in this paragraph, whenever possible, the ward shall, if possible, be
3combined with an adjoining ward, or the underpopulated ward and one adjoining
4ward shall be combined and together subdivided into 2 or more wards in compliance
5with sub. (2).
SB63, s. 2 6Section 2. 5.15 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,7,257 5.15 (1) (b) Except as authorized in sub. (2) (a), within 60 days after the receipt
8of a tentative supervisory district plan and written statement, if any, from the county
9board of each county in which a municipality is located, the governing body of the
10municipality shall adjust its wards according to the schedule shown in sub. (2). All
11territory contained within the municipality, and only the territory so contained, on
12August 1 following the year of the federal decennial census the date of adoption of
13a tentative supervisory district plan under s. 59.10 (2) (a) or (3) (b) 1. by the county
14in which the territory is located
shall be contained within a ward established under
15the division ordinance or resolution
. Except as authorized in sub. (2), each ward shall
16consist of whole blocks, as utilized by the U.S. bureau of the census in the most recent
17federal decennial census of population
. To suit the convenience of the voters residing
18therein each ward shall, as far as practicable, be kept compact and observe the
19community of interest of existing neighborhoods and other settlements. All territory
20within a ward shall be contiguous, except for island territory as defined in sub. (2)
21(f) 3.
surrounded by water or noncontiguous territory that is separated by the
22territory of another municipality, by water, or by both from the major part of the
23municipality to which the noncontiguous territory belongs.
Enactment or adoption
24of a division ordinance or resolution requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the
25members of the governing body.
SB63, s. 3
1Section 3. 5.15 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,8,202 5.15 (1) (c) The Unless adjusted under sub. (2) (fm), (6) (a), or (7) or unless a
3division is required to effect an act of the legislature redistricting legislative districts
4under article IV, section 3, of the constitution or redistricting congressional districts,
5the
wards established by municipal governing bodies in a division ordinance or
6resolution enacted or adopted
under this section on the basis of the published results
7of each federal decennial census of population
shall govern the adjustment of
8supervisory districts under s. 59.10 (2) (a) and (3) (b) 2. and of aldermanic districts
9under s. 62.08 (1) for the purpose of local elections beginning on January 1 of the 2nd
10year commencing after the year of the census until revised under this section on the
11basis of
to correlate with the results of the next decennial census of population unless
12adjusted under sub. (2) (f) 4., (6) (a) or (7), or unless adjusted, as a matter of statewide
13concern, in the enactment of legislative districts under article IV, section 3, of the
14constitution on the basis of the most recent decennial census of population
. The
15populations of wards under each decennial ward division shall be determined on the
16basis of the federal decennial census of population and any official corrections to the
17census issued on or before the date of adoption of the ward division to reflect the
18correct populations of the municipality and the blocks within the municipality on
19April 1 of the year of the census. In this paragraph, an official correction does not
20include the substitution of an estimate for an actual population count
.
SB63, s. 4 21Section 4. 5.15 (2) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is created to read:
SB63,8,2522 5.15 (2) (b) (intro.) Except for wards created to reflect an act of the legislature
23redistricting legislative districts under article IV, section 3, of the constitution or
24redistricting congressional districts and except as authorized under pars. (c) and (fm)
25and sub. (7), wards shall contain no more than the following numbers of inhabitants:
SB63, s. 5
1Section 5. 5.15 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,9,32 5.15 (2) (b) 1. In any city in which the population is at least 150,000, each ward
3shall contain not less than 1,000 nor more than
4,000 inhabitants.
SB63, s. 6 4Section 6. 5.15 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,9,65 5.15 (2) (b) 2. In any city in which the population is at least 39,000 but less than
6150,000, each ward shall contain not less than 800 nor more than 3,200 inhabitants.
SB63, s. 7 7Section 7. 5.15 (2) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,9,108 5.15 (2) (b) 3. In any city, village or town in which the population is at least
910,000 but less than 39,000, each ward shall contain not less than 600 nor more than
102,100 inhabitants.
SB63, s. 8 11Section 8. 5.15 (2) (b) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,9,1312 5.15 (2) (b) 4. In any city, village or town in which the population is less than
1310,000, each ward shall contain not less than 300 nor more than 1,000 inhabitants.
SB63, s. 9 14Section 9. 5.15 (2) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,9,2015 5.15 (2) (bm) Every city electing the members of its common council from
16aldermanic districts shall assemble the blocks wholly or partially contained within
17the city into wards that will enable the creation of aldermanic districts that are
18substantially equal in population. If a block is partly contained within the city, the
19city shall divide the block to form a ward containing the portion of the block that lies
20within the city.
SB63, s. 10 21Section 10. 5.15 (2) (ce) of the statutes is created to read:
SB63,9,2522 5.15 (2) (ce) If a block contains a facility that is owned or operated by this state
23or by the federal government and that is used to confine persons convicted of felonies
24or if a block contains a center for the developmentally disabled, the city, village, or
25town may divide the block in assembling into wards.
SB63, s. 11
1Section 11. 5.15 (2) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,10,102 5.15 (2) (cm) Any division of blocks under this section on the basis of population
3shall be based on the best evidence available. In this paragraph, "best evidence"
4includes, but is not limited to, the population of the block and other information
5received from the U.S. bureau of the census and such data as number of housing
6units, utility connections and vehicle registrations or a special census conducted
7locally. For Except as provided in sub. (6) (a), for each ward so established, the
8population estimate shall be correlated with the results of the most recent federal
9decennial census of population, so that the total population reported for all wards in
10the municipality agrees with the census results.
SB63, s. 12 11Section 12. 5.15 (2) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 5.15 (2) (d) (intro.) and
12amended to read:
SB63,10,1913 5.15 (2) (d) (intro.) Every municipality shall make a good faith effort to
14accommodate the tentative plan submitted by the county or counties in which it is
15located under s. 59.10 (2) (a) or (3) (b) 1., and shall
divide itself into wards authorized
16under par. (b)
in such a manner that will permit the creation of county supervisory
17districts in accordance with the population requirements for the plan specified in
18tentative plan submitted by the county or counties in which it is located under s.
1959.10 (2) (a) or (3) (b) 1. unless the tentative plan would:
SB63, s. 13 20Section 13. 5.15 (2) (d) 1. to 5. of the statutes are created to read:
SB63,10,2221 5.15 (2) (d) 1. Unduly dilute the voting strength of a racial or language minority
22group.
SB63,10,2523 2. Require the creation of a ward composed of noncontiguous territory, except
24territory that is separated from the municipality by another municipality or by
25water, or both.
SB63,11,2
13. Require the creation of a ward composed of territory that is not as compact
2as practicable.
SB63,11,43 4. Unduly bifurcate a manifest social, economic, or political community of
4interest.
SB63,11,65 5. Require the creation of a ward that would unduly favor a particular
6individual or political party.
SB63, s. 14 7Section 14. 5.15 (2) (e) of the statutes is repealed.
SB63, s. 15 8Section 15. 5.15 (2) (f) of the statutes is repealed.
SB63, s. 16 9Section 16. 5.15 (2) (fm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB63,11,1710 5.15 (2) (fm) If territory becomes a part of a city, village, or town after the date
11on which the county in which the territory is located adopts a tentative supervisory
12district plan under s. 59.10 (2) (a) or (3) (b) 1., the city, village, or town may designate
13the territory as a separate ward or may add the territory to an existing ward until
14the city, village, or town adopts a subsequent decennial ward plan, unless the
15boundaries of the ward are adjusted to reflect an act of the legislature redistricting
16legislative districts under article IV, section 3, of the constitution or redistricting
17congressional districts.
SB63, s. 17 18Section 17. 5.15 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,11,2219 5.15 (2) (g) If a block is affected by an a valid annexation or detachment which
20establishes a municipal boundary that subdivides the block, the municipalities in
21which the block is contained shall incorporate only the portion of the block contained
22within their boundaries in their ward plans division ordinances or resolutions.
SB63, s. 18 23Section 18. 5.15 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,12,1424 5.15 (4) (a) The division ordinance or resolution shall number all wards in the
25municipality in with unique whole numbers in consecutive order, beginning with the

1number one, shall designate the polling place for each ward, and shall describe the
2boundaries of each ward consistent with the conventions set forth in s. 4.003. The
3ordinance or resolution shall be accompanied by a list of the block numbers used by
4the U.S. bureau of the census that are wholly or partly contained within each ward,
5with any block numbers partly contained within a ward identified, and a map of the
6municipality which illustrates the revised ward boundaries. If the legislature, in an
7act redistricting legislative districts under article IV, section 3, of the constitution,
8or in redistricting congressional districts, establishes a district boundary that does
9not coincide with the boundary of a ward established under an ordinance or
10resolution, the municipal governing body shall, no later than May 15 of the 2nd year
11following the year of the federal decennial census of population on which the act is
12based, amend the ordinance or resolution to reflect the act. The amended ordinance
13or resolution shall designate the polling place for any ward that is created to reflect
14the legislative act.
SB63, s. 19 15Section 19. 5.15 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,13,916 5.15 (4) (b) Within 5 days after adoption or enactment of an a division ordinance
17or resolution under this section or any amendment thereto, the municipal clerk shall
18transmit file one copy of the ordinance or resolution to or the amendment with the
19county clerk of each county in which the municipality is contained located,
20accompanied by the list and map specified in par. (a). If the population of the
21municipality exceeds 10,000, the municipal clerk shall furnish one copy to the
22legislative reference bureau at the same time
a ward division includes territory that
23was annexed to the municipality after January 1 of the year of the federal decennial
24census of population, the municipal clerk shall identify, for each annexation, the
25block number or numbers and the municipality or municipalities from which the

1territory was detached. No later than 10 days after receipt of a copy of a division
2ordinance or resolution, accompanied by the list and map specified in par. (a), the
3county clerk shall file with the legislative reference bureau one copy of the ordinance
4or resolution, accompanied by the list and map. Upon receipt, the legislative
5reference bureau shall provide the board with one copy of each ordinance or
6resolution received under this section, accompanied by the list and map
. Each copy
7filed under this paragraph shall identify the name of the municipality and the county
8or counties in which it is located. A copy may be filed under this paragraph either
9in electronic or paper format.
SB63, s. 20 10Section 20. 5.15 (4) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
SB63,13,2311 5.15 (4) (c) If a municipal clerk fails to file a copy of a division ordinance or
12resolution, accompanied by the list and map specified in par. (a), within the time
13period prescribed under par. (b), the municipality is liable to the state for any
14additional costs that are incurred by the elections board and by the legislature and
15legislative service agencies in recording ward data and that are caused by the
16untimely filing. If a county clerk fails to file a copy of a division ordinance or
17resolution, accompanied by the list and map specified in par. (a), within the time
18period prescribed under par. (b), the county is liable to the state for any additional
19costs that are incurred by the elections board and by the legislature and legislative
20service agencies in recording ward data and that are caused by the untimely filing.
21The legislative reference bureau may compile all additional costs for which a
22municipality or county is liable under this paragraph and may submit a statement
23of these costs to the appropriate municipal or county clerk.
SB63, s. 21 24Section 21. 5.15 (5) of the statutes is repealed.
SB63, s. 22 25Section 22. 5.15 (6) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,14,6
15.15 (6) (a) Following any municipality-wide special federal census of
2population, the governing body of the municipality in which the special census was
3held may, by ordinance or resolution, adjust the ward boundaries to correlate with
4the results of the census
, but no ward line adjustment may cross the boundary of an
5assembly district. The municipal clerk shall transmit file copies of the ordinance or
6resolution in compliance with sub. (4) (b).
SB63, s. 23 7Section 23. 5.15 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB63,14,158 5.15 (7) If a new town is created or if part of a town is annexed to a city or village
9during a decennial period after the period for ward adjustments under sub. (1) (b),
10the town board of any the new town to which territory is attached or of the town from
11which territory is detached, without regard to the time provisions of sub. (1) (b), may,
12by ordinance or resolution, adjust the wards in that town, but no ward line
13adjustment may cross the boundary of an assembly district. The town clerk shall
14transmit file copies of the ordinance or resolution making the adjustment in
15compliance with sub. (4) (b).
SB63, s. 24 16Section 24. 5.15 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:
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