AB878: Bill Text

LRB-5111/1

GMM:skg:ks

1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE

1995 Assembly BILL 878

February 13, 1996 - Introduced by Representatives Skindrud, Jensen and Hasenohrl, cosponsored by Senators Welch and Wineke. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB878,1,3 An Act to amend 43.52 (1m) and 43.64 (2) of the statutes; relating to: the establishment of a new library or participation in a joint library by a town and exemption from the county library levy of a city, town, village or school district.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a municipality (any city, village, town or tribal government or any school district that maintained a public library before December 17, 1971) may establish, equip and maintain a public library and may levy a tax or appropriate money to provide a library fund to maintain the public library. Current law also permits 2 or more contiguous municipalities to create a joint library by agreement of their governing bodies. Current law requires, however, that before a town may establish a new public library or participate in a joint library, the town must obtain the approval of the county library board, if any, and the county board of supervisors. This bill permits a town to establish a new library or to participate in a joint library on 90 days' notice to the county library board, if any, and county board of supervisors, without obtaining the approval of those county boards.

Under current law, the county board of supervisors of a county expending money for library services may levy a tax to provide funds for those services. Any city, town, village or school district in the county shall, however, on application to the county board, be exempted from the tax levy if the city, town, village or school district appropriates and expends for its own library fund during the year for which the county levy is made a sum at least equal to its share of the county library levy in the prior year. This bill requires a city, town, village or school district to be exempted from the county library levy on notice to the county board, not on application to the county board. The bill also requires that notice to be provided by October 1 of the year for which the county levy is made.

For further information see the 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:

AB878, s. 1 Section 1. 43.52 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB878,2,9 43.52 (1m) On and after April 10, 1986, any town desiring intending to establish a new public library or to participate in a joint library under s. 43.53 shall in addition to the requirement under sub. (1) obtain the approval of provide notice of the town's intent to the county library board, if one exists, and to the county board of supervisors before final action is taken. The county library board and the county board of supervisors shall render decisions within 90 days of the request being received The town may establish the new public library or begin participation in the joint library under s. 43.53 no sooner than 90 days after the date of the notice.

AB878, s. 2 Section 2. 43.64 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB878,2,20 43.64 (2) Any city, town, village or school district in a county levying a tax for public library service under sub. (1) shall, upon written application notice to the county board of the county provided by October 1 of the year for which the county tax levy is made, be exempted from the tax levy, if the city, town, village or school district making the application appropriates and expends for a library fund during the year for which the county tax levy is made a sum at least equal to the city's, town's, village's or school district's share of the sum levied by the county board for public library service under sub. (1) in the prior year. In this subsection, "library fund" means the funds raised by the city, town, village or school district by tax levy or appropriation under s. 43.52 (1).

AB878,2,21 (End)