66.0603 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also s.
157.50 (6) as to investment of municipal care funds.
66.0603 Annotation
Municipalities may only invest in certain specifically authorized bonds, securities, deposits, etc., and may not invest in mutual funds, even if the assets of the funds consist solely of statutorily-allowed bonds and securities.
77 Atty. Gen. 274.
66.0605
66.0605
Local government audits and reports. Notwithstanding any other statute, the governing body of a county, city, village or town may require or authorize a financial audit of a municipal or county officer, department, board, commission, function or activity financed in whole or part from municipal or county funds, or if any portion of the funds are the funds of the county, city, village or town. The governing body may require submission of periodic financial reports by the officer, department, board, commission, function or activity.
66.0605 History
History: 1977 c. 29;
1999 a. 150 s.
97; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0605.
66.0607
66.0607
Withdrawal or disbursement from local treasury. 66.0607(1)(1) Except as otherwise provided in
subs. (2) to
(5), in a county, city, village, town or school district, all disbursements from the treasury shall be made by the treasurer upon the written order of the county, city, village, town or school clerk after proper vouchers have been filed in the office of the clerk. If the statutes provide for payment by the treasurer without an order of the clerk, the clerk shall draw and deliver to the treasurer an order for the payment before or at the time that the payment is required to be made by the treasurer. This section applies to all special and general provisions of the statutes relative to the disbursement of money from the county, city, village, town or school district treasury except
s. 67.10 (2).
66.0607(2)
(2) Notwithstanding other law, a county having a population of 500,000 or more may, by ordinance, adopt any other method of allowing vouchers, disbursing funds, reconciling outstanding county orders, reconciling depository accounts, examining county orders, and accounting consistent with accepted accounting and auditing practices, if the ordinance prior to its adoption is submitted to the department of revenue, which shall submit its recommendations on the proposed ordinance to the county board of supervisors.
66.0607(3)
(3) Except as provided in
subs. (2),
(3m) and
(5), disbursements of county, city, village, town or school district funds from demand deposits shall be by draft or order check and withdrawals from savings or time deposits shall be by written transfer order. Written transfer orders may be executed only for the purpose of transferring deposits to an authorized deposit of the public depositor in the same or another authorized public depository. The transfer shall be made directly by the public depository from which the withdrawal is made. No draft or order check issued under this subsection may be released to the payee, nor is the draft or order check valid, unless signed by the clerk and treasurer. No transfer order is valid unless signed by the clerk and the treasurer. Unless otherwise directed by ordinance or resolution adopted by the governing body, a certified copy of which shall be filed with each public depository concerned, the chairperson of the county board, mayor, village president, town chairperson or school district president shall countersign all drafts or order checks and all transfer orders. The governing body may also, by ordinance or resolution, authorize additional signatures. In lieu of the personal signatures of the clerk and treasurer and any other required signature, the facsimile signature adopted by the person and approved by the governing body may be affixed to the draft, order check or transfer order. The use of a facsimile signature does not relieve an official from any liability to which the official is otherwise subject, including the unauthorized use of the facsimile signature. A public depository is fully warranted and protected in making payment on any draft or order check or transferring pursuant to a transfer order bearing a facsimile signature affixed as provided by this subsection notwithstanding that the facsimile signature may have been affixed without the authority of the designated persons.
66.0607(3m)
(3m) A county, city, village, town or school district may process periodic payments through the use of money transfer techniques, including direct deposit, electronic funds transfer and automated clearinghouse methods. The county, municipal or school district treasurer shall keep a record of the date, payee and amount of each disbursement made by a money transfer technique.
66.0607(4)
(4) Except as provided in
sub. (3m), if a board, commission or committee of a county, city, village, town or school district is vested by statute with exclusive control and management of a fund, including the audit and approval of payments from the fund, independently of the governing body, payments under this section shall be made by drafts or order checks issued by the county, city, village, town or school clerk upon the filing with the clerk of certified bills, vouchers or schedules signed by the proper officers of the board, commission or committee, giving the name of the claimant or payee, and the amount and nature of each payment.
66.0607(5)
(5) In a 1st class city, municipal disbursements of public moneys shall be by draft, order, check, order check or as provided under
sub. (3m). Checks or drafts shall be signed by the treasurer and countersigned by the comptroller. Orders shall be signed by the mayor and clerk and countersigned by the comptroller, as provided in the charter of the city. Disbursements of school moneys shall be as provided by
s. 119.50.
66.0607(6)
(6) Withdrawal or disbursement of moneys deposited in a public depository as defined in
s. 34.01 (5) by a treasurer as defined in
s. 34.01 (7), other than the elected, appointed or acting official treasurer of a county, city, village, town or school district, shall be by endorsement, written order, draft, share draft, check or other draft signed by the person or persons designated by written authorization of the governing board as defined in
s. 34.01 (1). The authorization shall conform to any statute covering the disbursement of the funds. A public depository is fully warranted and protected in making payment in accordance with the latest authorization filed with it.
66.0607(7)
(7) No order may be issued by a county, city, village, town, special purpose district, school district, cooperative education service agency or technical college district clerk in excess of funds available or appropriated for the purposes for which the order is drawn, unless authorized by a resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the entire membership of the governing body.
66.0609
66.0609
Financial procedure; alternative system of approving claims. 66.0609(1)(1) The governing body of a village or of a city of the 2nd, 3rd or 4th class may by ordinance enact an alternative system of approving financial claims against the municipal treasury other than claims subject to
s. 893.80. The ordinance shall provide that payments may be made from the city or village treasury after the comptroller or clerk of the city or village audits and approves each claim as a proper charge against the treasury, and endorses his or her approval on the claim after having determined that all of the following conditions have been complied with:
66.0609(1)(a)
(a) That funds are available for the claim pursuant to the budget approved by the governing body.
66.0609(1)(b)
(b) That the item or service covered by the claim has been duly authorized by the proper official, department head or board or commission.
66.0609(1)(c)
(c) That the item or service has been actually supplied or rendered in conformity with the authorization described in
par. (b).
66.0609(1)(d)
(d) That the claim is just and valid pursuant to law. The comptroller or clerk may require the submission of proof to support the claim as the officer considers necessary.
66.0609(2)
(2) The ordinance under
sub. (1) shall require that the clerk or comptroller file with the governing body not less than monthly a list of the claims approved, showing the date paid, name of claimant, purpose and amount.
66.0609(3)
(3) The ordinance under
sub. (1) shall require that the governing body of the city or village obtain an annual detailed audit of its financial transactions and accounts by a public accountant licensed under
ch. 442 and designated by the governing body.
66.0609(4)
(4) The system under
sub. (1) is operative only if the comptroller or clerk is covered by a fidelity bond of not less than $5,000 in villages and 4th class cities, of not less than $10,000 in 3rd class cities, and of not less than $20,000 in 2nd class cities.
66.0609(5)
(5) If an alternative procedure is adopted by ordinance in conformity with this section, the claim procedure required by
ss. 61.25 (6),
61.51,
62.09 (10),
62.11 and
62.12 and other relevant provisions, except
s. 893.80, is not applicable in the city or village.
66.0611
66.0611
Political subdivisions prohibited from levying tax on incomes. No county, city, village, town, or other unit of government authorized to levy taxes may assess, levy or collect any tax on income, or measured by income, and any tax so assessed or levied is void.
66.0611 History
History: 1999 a. 150 s.
562; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0611.
66.0613
66.0613
Assessment on racing prohibited. Notwithstanding
subch. V of ch. 77, no county, town, city or village may levy or collect from any licensee, as defined in
s. 562.01 (7), any fee, tax or assessment on any wager in any race, as defined in
s. 562.01 (10), or on any admission to any racetrack, as defined in
s. 562.01 (12), except as provided in
s. 562.08.
66.0613 History
History: 1987 a. 354;
1991 a. 39;
1999 a. 150 s.
564; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0613.
66.0615
66.0615
Room tax; forfeitures. 66.0615(1)(a)
(a) "Commission" means an entity created by one municipality or by 2 or more municipalities in a zone, to coordinate tourism promotion and development for the zone.
66.0615(1)(d)
(d) "Municipality" means any city, village or town.
66.0615(1)(dm)
(dm) "Sponsoring municipality" means a city, village or town that creates a district either separately or in combination with another city, village, town or county.
66.0615(1)(e)
(e) "Tourism" means travel for recreational, business or educational purposes.
66.0615(1)(f)
(f) "Tourism entity" means a nonprofit organization that came into existence before January 1, 1992, and provides staff, development or promotional services for the tourism industry in a municipality.
66.0615(1)(h)
(h) "Zone" means an area made up of 2 or more municipalities that, those municipalities agree, is a single destination as perceived by the traveling public.
66.0615(1m)(a)(a) The governing body of a municipality may enact an ordinance, and a district, under
par. (e), may adopt a resolution, imposing a tax on the privilege of furnishing, at retail, except sales for resale, rooms or lodging to transients by hotelkeepers, motel operators and other persons furnishing accommodations that are available to the public, irrespective of whether membership is required for use of the accommodations. A tax imposed under this paragraph is not subject to the selective sales tax imposed by
s. 77.52 (2) (a) 1. and may not be imposed on sales to the federal government and persons listed under
s. 77.54 (9a). A tax imposed under this paragraph by a municipality shall be paid to the municipality and may be forwarded to a commission if one is created under
par. (c), as provided in
par. (d). Except as provided in
par. (am), a tax imposed under this paragraph by a municipality may not exceed 8%. Except as provided in
par. (am), if a tax greater than 8% under this paragraph is in effect on May 13, 1994, the municipality imposing the tax shall reduce the tax to 8%, effective on June 1, 1994.
66.0615(1m)(am)
(am) A municipality that imposes a room tax under
par. (a) is not subject to the limit on the maximum amount of tax that may be imposed under that paragraph if any of the following apply:
66.0615(1m)(am)1.
1. The municipality is located in a county with a population of at least 380,000 and a convention center is being constructed or renovated within that county.
66.0615(1m)(am)2.
2. The municipality intends to use at least 60% of the revenue collected from its room tax, of any room tax that is greater than 7%, to fund all or part of the construction or renovation of a convention center that is located in a county with a population of at least 380,000.
66.0615(1m)(am)3.
3. The municipality is located in a county with a population of less than 380,000 and that county is not adjacent to a county with a population of at least 380,000, and the municipality is constructing a convention center or making improvements to an existing convention center.
66.0615(1m)(am)4.
4. The municipality has any long-term debt outstanding with which it financed any part of the construction or renovation of a convention center.
66.0615(1m)(b)1.1. If a single municipality imposes a room tax under
par. (a), the municipality may create a commission under
par. (c). The commission shall contract with another organization to perform the functions of a tourism entity if no tourism entity exists in that municipality.
66.0615(1m)(b)2.
2. If 2 or more municipalities in a zone impose a room tax under
par. (a), the municipalities shall enter into a contract under
s. 66.0301 to create a commission under
par. (c). If no tourism entity exists in any of the municipalities in the zone that have formed a commission, the commission shall contract with another organization in the zone to perform the functions of the tourism entity. Each municipality in a single zone that imposes a room tax shall levy the same percentage of tax. If the municipalities are unable to agree on the percentage of tax for the zone, the commission shall set the percentage.
66.0615(1m)(b)3.
3. A commission shall monitor the collection of room taxes from each municipality in a zone that has a room tax.
66.0615(1m)(b)4.
4. A commission shall contract with one tourism entity from the municipalities in the zone to obtain staff, support services and assistance in developing and implementing programs to promote the zone to visitors.
66.0615(1m)(c)1.1. If a commission is created by a single municipality, the commission shall consist of 4 to 6 members. One of the commission members shall represent the Wisconsin hotel and motel industry. Members shall be appointed under
subd. 3.
66.0615(1m)(c)2.a.a. If the commission is created by more than one municipality in a zone, the commission shall consist of 3 members from each municipality in which annual tax collections exceed $1,000,000, 2 members from each municipality in which annual tax collections exceed $300,000 but are not more than $1,000,000 and one member from each municipality in which annual tax collections are $300,000 or less. Except as provided in
subd. 2. b., members shall be appointed under
subd. 3.
66.0615(1m)(c)2.b.
b. Two additional members, who represent the Wisconsin hotel and motel industry, shall be appointed to the commission by the chairperson of the commission, shall serve for a one-year term at the pleasure of the chairperson and may be reappointed.
66.0615(1m)(c)3.
3. Members of the commission shall be appointed by the principal elected official in the municipality and shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the members of the municipality's governing body who are present when the vote is taken. Commissioners shall serve for a one-year term, at the pleasure of the appointing official, and may be reappointed.
66.0615(1m)(c)4.
4. The commission shall meet regularly, and, from among its members, it shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary.
66.0615(1m)(c)5.
5. The commission shall report any delinquencies or inaccurate reporting to the municipality that is due the tax.
66.0615(1m)(d)1.1. A municipality that first imposes a room tax under
par. (a) after May 13, 1994, shall spend at least 70% of the amount collected on tourism promotion and development. Any amount of room tax collected that must be spent on tourism promotion and development shall either be spent directly by the municipality on tourism promotion and development or shall be forwarded to the commission for its municipality or zone if the municipality has created a commission.
66.0615(1m)(d)2.
2. If a municipality collects a room tax on May 13, 1994, it may retain not more than the same percentage of the room tax that it retains on May 13, 1994. If a municipality that collects a room tax on May 1, 1994, increases its room tax after May 1, 1994, the municipality may retain not more than the same percentage of the room tax that it retains on May 1, 1994, except that if the municipality is not exempt under
par. (am) from the maximum tax that may be imposed under
par. (a), the municipality shall spend at least 70% of the increased amount of room tax that it begins collecting after May 1, 1994, on tourism promotion and development. Any amount of room tax collected that must be spent on tourism promotion and development shall either be spent directly by the municipality on tourism promotion and development or shall be forwarded to the commission for its municipality or zone if the municipality has created a commission.
66.0615(1m)(d)3.
3. A commission shall use the room tax revenue that it receives from a municipality to promote and develop tourism, including the support of a convention center, in the zone or in the municipality.
66.0615(1m)(d)4.
4. The commission shall report annually to each municipality from which it receives room tax revenue the purposes for which the revenues were spent.
66.0615(1m)(d)5.
5. The commission may not use any of the room tax revenue to construct or develop a lodging facility.
66.0615(1m)(e)1.1. Subject to
subd. 2., a district may adopt a resolution imposing a room tax under
par. (a) in an amount not to exceed 3% of total room charges. A majority of the authorized members of the district's board may vote that, if the balance in a special debt service reserve fund of the district is less than the requirement under
s. 229.50 (5), the room tax imposed by the district under this subdivision is 3% of total room charges beginning on the next January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1 after the payment and this tax is irrepealable if any bonds issued by the district and secured by the special debt service reserve fund are outstanding. A room tax imposed by a district under this subdivision applies within the district's jurisdiction, as specified in
s. 229.43, and the proceeds of the tax may be used only for the district's debt service on its bond obligations. If a district stops imposing and collecting a room tax, the district's sponsoring municipality may impose and collect a room tax under
par. (a) on the date on which the district stops imposing and collecting its room tax.
66.0615(1m)(e)2.
2. In addition to the room tax that a district may impose under
subd. 1., if the district's only sponsoring municipality is a 1st class city, the district may adopt a resolution imposing an additional room tax. The additional percentage of room tax under this subdivision shall be equal to the percentage of room tax imposed by the sponsoring municipality on the date on which the sponsoring municipality agrees to stop imposing and collecting its room tax, as described under
s. 229.44 (15). A district shall begin collecting the additional room tax imposed under this subdivision on the date on which the sponsoring municipality stops imposing and collecting its room tax. A room tax imposed by a district under this subdivision applies only within the borders of the sponsoring municipality and may be used for any lawful purpose of the district.
66.0615(1m)(f)1.1. The department of revenue shall administer the tax that is imposed under
par. (a) by a district and may take any action, conduct any proceeding and impose interest and penalties.
66.0615(1m)(f)2.
2. Sections 77.51 (14) (c),
(f) and
(j) and
(14g),
77.52 (3),
(4),
(6) and
(18),
77.58 (1) to
(5) and
(7),
77.59,
77.60,
77.61 (2),
(5),
(8),
(9) and
(12) to
(14) and
77.62, as they apply to the taxes under
subch. III of ch. 77, apply to the tax described under
subd. 1.
66.0615(1m)(f)3.
3. From the appropriation under
s. 20.835 (4) (gg), the department of revenue shall distribute 97.45% of the taxes collected under this paragraph for each district to that district, no later than the end of the month following the end of the calendar quarter in which the amounts were collected. The taxes distributed shall be increased or decreased to reflect subsequent refunds, audit adjustments and all other adjustments. Interest paid on refunds of the tax under this paragraph shall be paid from the appropriation under
s. 20.835 (4) (gg) at the rate under
s. 77.60 (1) (a). Any district that receives a report along with a payment under this subdivision or
subd. 2. is subject to the duties of confidentiality to which the department of revenue is subject under
s. 77.61 (5).
66.0615(1m)(f)4.
4. Hotels and motels and the department of revenue may not collect taxes under this paragraph for any district after the calendar quarter during which all bonds issued by the district under
subch. II of ch. 229 during the first 60 months after April 26, 1994, and any bonds issued to fund or refund those bonds, are retired or for more than 2 years if bonds have not been issued during that time, except that the department may collect from hotels and motels taxes that accrued before that calendar quarter, or before the end of that 2-year period, and interest and penalties that relate to those taxes. If taxes are collected and no bonds are issued, the district may use the revenue for any lawful purpose.
66.0615(1m)(f)5.
5. Persons who are subject to the tax under this subsection, if that tax is administered by the department of revenue, shall register with the department. Any person who is required to register, including any person authorized to act on behalf of a person who is required to register, who fails to do so is guilty of a misdemeanor.
66.0615(2)
(2) As a means of enforcing the collection of any room tax imposed by a municipality or a district under
sub. (1m), the municipality or district may exchange audit and other information with the department of revenue and may do any of the following:
66.0615(2)(a)
(a) If a municipality or district has probable cause to believe that the correct amount of room tax has not been assessed or that the tax return is not correct, inspect and audit the financial records of any person subject to
sub. (1m) pertaining to the furnishing of accommodations to determine whether the correct amount of room tax is assessed and whether any room tax return is correct.
66.0615(2)(b)
(b) Enact a schedule of forfeitures, not to exceed 5% of the tax under
sub. (1m) or
par. (c), to be imposed on any person subject to
sub. (1m) who fails to comply with a request to inspect and audit the person's financial records under
par. (a).
66.0615(2)(c)
(c) Determine the tax under
sub. (1m) according to its best judgment if a person required to make a return fails, neglects or refuses to do so for the amount, in the manner and form and within the time prescribed by the municipality or district.
66.0615(2)(d)
(d) Require each person who is subject to
par. (c) to pay an amount of taxes that the municipality or district determines to be due under
par. (c) plus interest at the rate of 1% per month on the unpaid balance. No refund or modification of the payment determined may be granted until the person files a correct room tax return and permits the municipality or district to inspect and audit his or her financial records under
par. (a).
66.0615(2)(e)
(e) Enact a schedule of forfeitures, not to exceed 25% of the room tax due for the previous year under
sub. (1m) or
par. (c) or $5,000, whichever is less, to be imposed for failure to pay the tax under
sub. (1m).
66.0615(3)
(3) The municipality shall provide by ordinance and the district shall provide by resolution for the confidentiality of information obtained under
sub. (2) but shall provide exceptions for persons using the information in the discharge of duties imposed by law or of the duties of their office or by order of a court. The municipality or district may provide for the publishing of statistics classified so as not to disclose the identity of particular returns. The municipality or district shall provide that persons violating ordinances or resolutions enacted under this subsection may be required to forfeit not less than $100 nor more than $500.
66.0615 History
History: 1983 a. 189,
514;
1993 a. 263,
467,
491;
1999 a. 9;
1999 a. 150 ss.
565 to
567; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0615.
66.0615 Annotation
A city was authorized to enact a room tax; the gross receipts method was a fair and reasonable way of calculating the tax. Blue Top Motel, Inc. v. City of Stevens Point,
107 Wis. 2d 392,
320 N.W.2d 172 (1982).
66.0617(1)(a)
(a) "Capital costs" means the capital costs to construct, expand or improve public facilities, including the cost of land, and including legal, engineering and design costs to construct, expand or improve public facilities, except that not more than 10% of capital costs may consist of legal, engineering and design costs unless the political subdivision can demonstrate that its legal, engineering and design costs which relate directly to the public improvement for which the impact fees were imposed exceed 10% of capital costs. "Capital costs" does not include other noncapital costs to construct, expand or improve public facilities or the costs of equipment to construct, expand or improve public facilities.
66.0617(1)(b)
(b) "Developer" means a person that constructs or creates a land development.
