CHAPTER 64
OTHER FORMS OF CITY GOVERNMENT
SUBCHAPTER I
CITY MANAGER PLAN
64.01 How to organize under ss.
64.01 to
64.15.
64.02 Other laws, bylaws and ordinances in force.
64.03 Petition for adoption; contents; question to be voted upon.
64.04 Council, when elected; qualification of electors; nominations.
64.05 Term of council members.
64.07 Powers of council; its organization; quorum; meetings.
64.08 Council members, their duties and compensation.
64.09 City manager; qualifications, selection, removal.
64.10 City departments, boards and commissions.
64.11 Powers of city manager, appointments.
64.12 City manager to present monthly reports and accounts.
64.13 First council may revise appropriations already made; state commission work continued.
64.14 City may return to its former government.
64.15 Village manager plan.
SUBCHAPTER II
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
64.25 City commission plan; adoption; cities applicable to.
64.26 Terms of officers in commission cities.
64.27 Law applicable; existing ordinances, etc.; territorial limits; vested rights; liabilities.
64.28 Election of mayor and council members; terms; eligibility.
64.29 Council; powers; duties; president; quorum; vote.
64.30 Organization of city government.
64.32 Offices; council may create or abolish.
64.34 City comptroller; financial statement; publication; annual examination.
64.35 Existing appropriations; powers concerning.
64.36 Boards and commissions.
64.37 Abandonment of commission plan.
64.38 Application of commission plan statutes.
64.39 Number of alderpersons in 2nd and 3rd class cities; election of officers in 2nd class cities.
64.40 Increasing membership of council in commission cities.
CITY MANAGER PLAN
64.01
64.01
How to organize under ss. 64.01 to 64.15. 64.01(1)(1)
Any city of the second, third or fourth class may reorganize under the provisions of ss.
64.01 to
64.15, either by enactment of a charter ordinance or by a petition and referendum election as provided by s.
66.0101. Such petition and election shall be governed by s.
9.20 (1) to
(6).
64.01(2)
(2) When adopted in the manner hereinbefore provided, the provisions of ss.
64.01 to
64.15 shall take effect and become operative on the third Tuesday in April.
64.01(3)
(3) Any village qualified under s.
61.189 to become a city may organize under ss.
64.01 to
64.15 by the adoption of a charter ordinance or by a petition and referendum election as provided by s.
66.0101. Such petition and election shall be governed by s.
9.20 (1) to
(6).
64.01 History
History: 1999 a. 150 s.
672;
2015 a. 197 s.
51.
64.02
64.02
Other laws, bylaws and ordinances in force. 64.02(1)(1)
Any law applicable to any city before its reorganization and not inconsistent with the provisions of ss.
64.01 to
64.15 shall apply to and govern such reorganized city.
64.02(2)
(2) Any bylaw, ordinance, or resolution lawfully passed and in force in any such city at the time of its reorganization shall remain in force until altered or repealed by the council elected under the provisions of ss.
64.01 to
64.15.
64.02(3)
(3) The territorial limits of such city shall remain the same as under its former organization.
64.02(4)
(4) All rights and property of every description which were vested in such city under its former organization shall remain the same under the reorganization here contemplated.
64.02(5)
(5) No right or liability either in favor of or against such reorganized city, and no suit or prosecution of any kind shall be affected by such change of government unless otherwise provided.
64.03
64.03
Petition for adoption; contents; question to be voted upon. 64.03(1)(1)
Every ordinance or resolution for the adoption of ss.
64.01 to
64.15, and every petition for a special election on the same, shall state the number of members of which the council herein provided for shall be composed, the term of office of its members, which term shall not exceed 2 years, whether they shall be nominated and elected from aldermanic districts or from the city at large, and the compensation, if any, which they shall receive.
64.03(2)
(2) At every election for the adoption of ss.
64.01 to
64.15, the question to be submitted shall be substantially as follows: “Shall the city of (name) be reorganized under ss.
64.01 to
64.15 of the statutes, providing for the city manager plan, with a council composed of (number stated in petition) members, to be elected from the city (at large), or (by aldermanic districts) as provided in petition for terms of (number) year(s)?"
64.03(3)
(3) Nothing herein shall be construed to impugn the authority of a city to exercise its home rule power to provide a different method of electing members of the council by districts or otherwise, or by a combination of methods, or the number or terms thereof.
64.03 History
History: 1971 c. 304 s.
29 (1).
64.04
64.04
Council, when elected; qualification of electors; nominations. 64.04(1)(1)
At the election held as provided by law upon the first Tuesday in April next succeeding the adoption of the provisions of ss.
64.01 to
64.15, there shall be elected a council composed as provided in the ordinance or resolution adopted by the council or in the petition and election as provided by s.
64.03. Any person possessing the qualifications of an elector in such city shall be eligible to election as council member. If the provisions of ss.
64.01 to
64.15 are adopted at the regular spring election, the council elected at that election shall have all of the powers and duties of the council elected on the first Tuesday in April next succeeding the adoption of ss.
64.01 to
64.15.
64.04(2)
(2) Except as herein otherwise provided, candidates for council member shall be nominated and elected after the manner provided by law for the nomination and election of other municipal officers and all provisions of the statutes relating to city primary and general elections not inconsistent with the provisions of ss.
64.01 to
64.15 shall apply to such elections for cities reorganized under ss.
64.01 to
64.15 the same as to cities organized under general law.
64.05
64.05
Term of council members. 64.05(1)(1)
The term of office of such council member shall begin on the third Tuesday in April. If the term of council member as determined by the election is 2 years, the term of a bare majority of the members elected at the first election after the adoption of ss.
64.01 to
64.15, consisting of those members receiving the highest number of votes, shall be 2 years and that of the remaining members shall be one year. At the expiration of the terms of office of the council members, successors shall be elected for the full term.
64.05 History
History: 1985 a. 135 s.
83 (1), (2).
64.06
64.06
Recall. Any council member may be recalled from office in accordance with the provisions of s.
9.10. This method of removal shall be in addition to the other methods provided by law.
64.06 History
History: 1985 a. 135 s.
83 (1).
64.07
64.07
Powers of council; its organization; quorum; meetings. 64.07(1)(1)
The council shall possess and exercise all legislative and general ordinance powers imposed and conferred by general law or special charter upon the mayor and common council and the various boards and commissions not inconsistent with ss.
64.01 to
64.15, and in force in such city at the time of its reorganization and such additional powers as are hereinafter imposed and conferred, but such council shall not have the power to enact special executive or administrative orders, it being the intent of ss.
64.01 to
64.15 to separate the legislative and executive powers of city government.
64.07(2)
(2) At its first meeting the city council shall select by majority vote one of its members to act as president. The president shall be the presiding officer of the council and shall have a vote but shall have no veto power.
64.07(3)
(3) A majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum, and a majority vote of all the members of the council shall be necessary to adopt any ordinance or resolution.
64.07(4)
(4) The ayes and noes shall be called and recorded on the vote upon every ordinance and resolution.
64.07(5)
(5) The council shall provide by ordinance for the time of holding regular meetings and special meetings shall be called by the president or by any 2 council members or by the city manager.
64.07(6)
(6) All meetings of the council or of any committee thereof, whether regular or special, shall be open to the public.
64.07 History
History: 1985 a. 135 s.
83 (2).
64.08
64.08
Council members, their duties and compensation. The council members shall devote such time to the duties of their office as the interests and general welfare of the city demand and shall receive such compensation as determined in the petition, ordinance or resolution provided for in s.
64.03. The council shall have power by ordinance to fix the salary of their successors in office.
64.08 History
History: 1985 a. 135 s.
83 (2).
64.09
64.09
City manager; qualifications, selection, removal. 64.09(1)(1)
The council first elected after the reorganization of a city under the provisions of ss.
64.01 to
64.15 shall as soon after the reorganization as possible engage for an indefinite term a city manager who shall have charge of the executive side of the city government and who shall be responsible for the efficiency of its administration.
64.09(2)
(2) The city manager shall be elected purely on merit. In electing the city manager the council shall give due regard to training, experience, executive and administrative ability, and efficiency and general qualifications and fitness for performing the duties of the office, and no person shall be eligible to the office of city manager who is not by training, experience, ability, and efficiency well qualified and generally fit to perform the duties of such office. No weight or consideration shall be given by the council to nationality, political, or religious affiliations, or to any other considerations except merit and direct qualifications for the office.
64.09(3)
(3) Residence in the city or state shall not be a qualification for the office of city manager.
64.09(4)
(4) The council may advertise for applicants in such newspapers, magazines, advertising agencies, employment bureaus or other advertising mediums and for such length of time as it shall deem necessary to secure applications from the available persons best qualified to fill such office.
64.09(5)
(5) Except as provided in s.
19.36 (7), the applications, records, recommendations and qualifications of all applicants for the office of city manager shall be immediately placed and thereafter kept on file and shall be matters of public record and open to the examination and inspection of the public at all reasonable times.
64.09(6)
(6) The salary of the city manager shall be fixed by the council.
64.09(7)
(7) The council shall have the power to remove the city manager at any time that the city manager's conduct of the city administration becomes unsatisfactory and to engage a successor after the manner prescribed in this section, but such city manager shall serve until a successor is elected and qualifies.