2023 Wisconsin Act 12

12,43 Section 43 . 62.623 (3) of the statutes is created to read:

62.623 (3) In any employee retirement system of a 1st class city that is located in a county with a population of more than 750,000 and that has elected to become a participating employer in the Wisconsin Retirement System under s. 40.21 (1), except as otherwise provided in sub. (2), irrespective of the funding status of the retirement system, the employer shall pay the remaining balance of actuarially determined normal cost contributions each year that is not covered by the employee contributions.

12,44 Section 44 . 62.625 of the statutes is created to read:

62.625 Amortization period for employer contributions. Notwithstanding any provision of law or actuarial rule, beginning in the calendar quarter of the year that a tax is first imposed under s. 77.701 (1), in any retirement system of a 1st class city, the required annual employer contribution shall be calculated using a 30-year amortization period and an annual investment return assumption that is the same as or less than the annual investment return assumption used by the Wisconsin Retirement System for participating employees, as defined in s. 40.02 (46). Future unfunded actuarial accrued liability due to factors such as market returns and standard actuarial practices may be amortized on the basis of standard actuarial practices. The amortization period and investment return assumptions in this section shall supersede any amortization period and investment return assumption adopted by the actuary or retirement board of the retirement system of the city. No trustee or administrator of a retirement system of a 1st class city shall be subject to liability for complying with this section.

12,45 Section 45 . 62.90 of the statutes is created to read:

62.90 Provisions applicable to certain cities with special sales tax authority. All of the following apply to a 1st class city:

(1) With regard to the budget of the 1st class city, all of the following apply:

(a) The total amount of budgeted expenditures related to cultural or entertainment matters or involving partnerships with nonprofit groups, other than a charter school authorized by the common council of the city of Milwaukee under s. 118.40, may not be greater than 5 percent of the total amount of budgeted expenditures for the budget period.

(b) When each department of the 1st class city prepares an estimate of the department's needs for the ensuing fiscal period, it shall also provide a proposal to reduce the department's budget for the ensuing fiscal period by an amount equal to a total of 5 percent of the department's base level for its budget for the current fiscal period.

(2) The common council may enact an ordinance or adopt a resolution that includes new program spending only upon a two-thirds vote of all of the members of the common council. This subsection does not apply to a program that is intended to reduce expenditures or consolidate or reorganize existing services into a different administrative structure without increasing expenditures. If the 1st class city imposes a tax under s. 77.701 (1) and subsequently repeals the tax, this subsection does not apply after the repeal.

(3) The common council may enact an ordinance or adopt a resolution that increases the total number of positions in the city only upon a two-thirds vote of all of the members of the common council. If the 1st class city imposes a tax under s. 77.701 (1) and subsequently repeals the tax, this subsection does not apply after the repeal.

(4) The 1st class city may not use moneys raised by levying taxes for any of the following:

(a) Developing, operating, or maintaining a rail fixed guideway transportation system, as defined in s. 85.066 (1).

(b) Funding any position for which the principal duties consist of promoting individuals or groups on the basis of their race, color, ancestry, national origin, or sexual orientation.

(5) (a) The 1st class city shall maintain a level of law enforcement and fire protective and emergency medical service that is at least equivalent to that provided in the 1st class city in the previous year, as measured by the number of full-time equivalent law enforcement officers, as defined in s. 165.85 (2) (c), employed by the 1st class city and the daily staffing level of the paid fire department, as defined in s. 213.10 (1g), not including law enforcement officers or fire fighters whose positions are funded by grants received from the state or federal government. The 1st class city may use any reasonable method of estimating the number of full-time equivalent law enforcement officers employed by the 1st class city and the daily staffing level of the paid fire department for the year, but may consider only positions that are actually filled.

(b) In any year in which moneys available under s. 77.701 (2) (c) are available for expenditure under this paragraph, the 1st class city shall use the moneys to increase the number of law enforcement officers, as defined in s. 165.85 (2) (c), employed by the 1st class city and the daily staffing level of the paid fire department of the 1st class city above the number and daily staffing level provided in the 1st class city on April 1, 2023. This paragraph does not apply in any year after the 1st class city employs 1,725 law enforcement officers, including 175 detectives, and maintains a daily staffing level not fewer than 218 members of the paid fire department.

(bm) By December 31 of the 10th year beginning after the 1st class city first imposes a tax under s. 77.701 (1), the 1st class city shall attain a staffing level of not fewer than 1,725 law enforcement officers, as defined in s. 165.85 (2) (c), including 175 detectives, in its police department and shall attain a daily staffing level of not fewer than 218 members of the paid fire department, as defined in s. 213.10 (1g).

(c) Section 66.0608 (2m) applies to the 1st class city.

(6) The 1st class city shall obtain an independent audit of its office of violence prevention and shall submit the results of that audit to the legislature in the manner provided under s. 13.172 (2).

(7) The 1st class city shall identify all buildings that the 1st class city has the authority to sell and that are not being used by the 1st class city and prepare a plan for the use or sale of these buildings. The city shall submit that plan to the joint committee on finance in the manner provided under s. 13.172 (2).

(8) Beginning January 1, 2024, the school board of the 1st class city school district that is located in the 1st class city shall ensure that not fewer than 25 school resource officers are present at schools within the school district during normal school hours and that school resource officers are available during before-school and after-school care, extracurricular activities, and sporting events as needed. In addition, beginning January 1, 2024, the school board of the 1st class city school district that is located in the 1st class city shall ensure that the school resource officers complete the 40-hour course sponsored by the National Association of School Resource Officers. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the school board of the 1st class city school district that is located in the 1st class city shall consider the statistics it receives under s. 118.124 (3) (a) when deciding at which schools to place school resource officers required under this subsection. The 1st class city school district and the 1st class city shall agree to an apportionment of the costs of meeting the requirements of this subsection. In this subsection, “law enforcement officer" means a person who is employed by the state or a political subdivision of the state for the purpose of detecting and preventing crime and enforcing laws or ordinances and who is authorized to make arrests for violations of the laws or ordinances that the person is employed to enforce, and “school resource officer” means a law enforcement officer who is deployed in community-oriented policing and assigned by the law enforcement agency, as defined in s. 165.83 (1) (b), that employs him or her to work in a full-time capacity in collaboration with a school district.

12,46 Section 46 . 66.0144 of the statutes is created to read:

66.0144 Advisory referenda. No city, village, or town may conduct a referendum for advisory purposes, except as provided under s. 66.0305 (6), 66.0307 (4) (e), 66.0420 (12) (b) 2., 66.0422 (3) (b), or 196.204 (2m) (b) 2. or for an advisory referendum regarding capital expenditures proposed to be funded by the property tax levy of the city, village, or town.

12,47 Section 47 . 66.0145 of the statutes is created to read:

66.0145 No preferences in hiring or contracting. (1) In this section, “political subdivision” means a county, city, village, or town.

(2) Unless required to secure federal aid, no political subdivision may discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment on the basis of, race, color, ancestry, national origin, or sexual orientation in making employment decisions regarding employees of a political subdivision or contracting for public works.

12,48 Section 48 . 66.0435 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

66.0435 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) In addition to the license fee provided in pars. (a) and (b), each licensing authority shall collect from each unit occupying space or lots in a community in the licensing authority, except from recreational mobile homes as provided under par. (cm), from manufactured and mobile homes that constitute improvements to real property under s. 70.043 (1), from recreational vehicles as defined in s. 340.01 (48r), and from camping trailers as defined in s. 340.01 (6m), a monthly municipal permit fee computed as follows:

12,49 Section 49 . 66.0435 (3) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:

66.0435 (3) (g) Failure to timely pay the tax prescribed in this subsection shall be treated as a default in payment of personal property tax and is subject to all procedures and penalties applicable under chs. 70 and 74.

12,50 Section 50 . 66.0435 (9) of the statutes is amended to read:

66.0435 (9) Municipalities; monthly municipal permit fees on recreational mobile homes and recreational vehicles. A licensing authority may assess monthly municipal permit fees at the rates under this section on recreational mobile homes and recreational vehicles, as defined in s. 340.01 (48r), except recreational mobile homes and recreational vehicles that are located in campgrounds licensed under s. 97.67, recreational mobile homes that constitute improvements to real property under s. 70.043 (1), and recreational mobile homes or recreational vehicles that are located on land where the principal residence of the owner of the recreational mobile home or recreational vehicle is located, regardless of whether the recreational mobile home or recreational vehicle is occupied during all or part of any calendar year.

12,51 Section 51 . 66.0441 of the statutes is created to read:

66.0441 Quarries extracting certain nonmetallic minerals. (1) Construction. (a) Nothing in this section may be construed to affect the authority of a political subdivision to regulate land use for a purpose other than quarry operations.

(b) Subject to pars. (c) and (d), nothing in this section may be construed to exempt a quarry from a regulation of general applicability placed by a political subdivision that applies to other property in the political subdivision that is not a quarry unless the regulation is inconsistent with this section.

(c) Nothing in this section may be construed to exempt a quarry from the application, outside of a nonmetallic mining licensing permit, of a requirement imposed by a political subdivision under ch. 349, a regulation of general applicability placed by a political subdivision that regulates access to property from roads for which the political subdivision is the maintaining authority, or a restriction on the use of roads for which the political subdivision is the maintaining authority.

(d) Nothing in this section may be construed to exempt a quarry from a restriction placed by a political subdivision regulating a nonconforming use under s. 59.69 (10), 60.61 (5), or 62.23 (7).

(2) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Active quarry” means a quarry that has operated during the preceding 12-month period.

(am) “Conditional use permit” means a form of approval, including a special exception or other special zoning permission, granted by a political subdivision pursuant to a zoning ordinance for the operation of a quarry.

(b) “Nonmetallic mining licensing ordinance” means an ordinance that is enacted by a political subdivision specifically regulating the operation of a quarry and that is not enacted pursuant to zoning authority.

(c) “Nonmetallic mining licensing permit” means a form of approval that is granted by a political subdivision pursuant to a nonmetallic mining licensing ordinance and that is specifically related to the operation of a quarry.

(d) “Permit” means a form of approval granted by a political subdivision for the operation of a quarry.

(e) “Political subdivision” means a city, village, town, or county.

(f) “Public works project” means a federal, state, county, or municipal project that involves the construction, maintenance, or repair of a public transportation facility or other public infrastructure and in which nonmetallic minerals are used.

(g) “Quarry” means the surface area from which nonmetallic minerals, including soil, clay, sand, gravel, and construction aggregate, that are used primarily for a public works project or a private construction or transportation project are extracted and processed.

(h) “Quarry operations” means the extraction and processing of minerals at a quarry and all related activities, including blasting, vehicle and equipment access to the quarry, and loading and hauling of material to and from the quarry.

(2m) Effective dates of certain ordinances. For purposes of sub. (3) (a) 3., the date on which a town or county enacts a zoning ordinance that requires a conditional use permit for a quarry operator to conduct quarry operations is the date the ordinance becomes effective, except as follows:

(a) If a town that previously did not have a general zoning ordinance enacts a general zoning ordinance requiring a conditional use permit to conduct quarry operations and the town ceases to be covered by a county general zoning ordinance that required a conditional use permit to conduct quarry operations, a conditional use permit for a quarry in effect at the time of the transition from county zoning to town zoning shall continue in effect and the conditional use permit shall be treated as if it was originally issued by the town. For purposes of a conditional use permit subject to this paragraph, the date of the adoption of the town ordinance shall be deemed to be the date the conditional use permit was issued by the county but only with respect to requirements that were included in the county ordinance on the date the conditional use permit was issued and that were adopted in the town ordinance.

(b) If a town that has a general zoning ordinance requiring a conditional use permit to conduct quarry operations repeals its zoning ordinance and becomes subject to a county general zoning ordinance under s. 59.69 (5) (c) and the county zoning ordinance requires a conditional use permit to conduct quarry operations, a conditional use permit for a quarry in effect at the time of the transition from town zoning to county zoning shall continue in effect and the conditional use permit shall be treated as if it was originally issued by the county. For purposes of a conditional use permit subject to this paragraph, the date of the adoption of the county ordinance shall be deemed to be the date the conditional use permit was issued by the town but only with respect to requirements that were included in the town ordinance on the date the conditional use permit was issued and that were adopted in the county ordinance.

(3) Limitations on local regulation. (a) Permits. 1. In this paragraph, “substantial evidence” means facts and information, other than merely personal preference or speculation, directly pertaining to the requirements that an applicant must meet to obtain a nonmetallic mining licensing permit and that a reasonable person would accept in support of a conclusion.

2. Consistent with the requirements and limitations in this subsection, except as provided in subd. 3., a political subdivision may require a quarry operator to obtain a conditional use permit or nonmetallic mining licensing permit to conduct quarry operations.

3. A political subdivision may not require a quarry operator of an active quarry to obtain a conditional use permit or nonmetallic mining licensing permit to conduct quarry operations unless prior to the establishment of quarry operations the political subdivision enacts an ordinance that requires the permit. A political subdivision that requires a quarry operator to obtain a nonmetallic mining licensing permit under this subdivision may not impose a requirement in the nonmetallic mining licensing permit pertaining to any matter regulated by an applicable zoning ordinance or addressed through conditions imposed or agreed to in a previously issued and effective conditional use permit. Any requirement imposed in a nonmetallic mining licensing permit shall be related to the purpose of the ordinance requiring the nonmetallic mining licensing permit and shall be based on substantial evidence. The duration of a nonmetallic mining licensing permit may not be shorter than 5 years.

(b) Applicability of local limit. If a political subdivision enacts a nonmetallic mining licensing ordinance requirement regulating the operation of a quarry that was not in effect when quarry operations began at an active quarry, the ordinance requirement does not apply to that quarry or to land that is contiguous to the land on which the quarry is located, if the contiguous land has remained continuously under common ownership, leasehold, or control with land on which the quarry is located from the time the ordinance was enacted; can be shown to have been intended for quarry operations prior to the enactment of the ordinance; and is located in the same political subdivision.

(c) Hours of operation. A political subdivision may not limit the times, including days of the week, that quarry operations may occur if the materials produced by the quarry will be used in a public works project that requires construction work to be performed during the night or an emergency repair.

(d) Blasting. 1. In this paragraph, “affected area” means an area within a certain radius of a blasting site that may be affected by a blasting operation, as determined using a formula established by the department of safety and professional services by rule that takes into account a scaled-distance factor and the weight of explosives to be used.

2. Except as provided under subds. 3. and 4. and s. 101.02 (7y), a political subdivision may not limit blasting at a quarry.

3. A political subdivision may require the operator of a quarry to do any of the following:

a. Before beginning a blasting operation at the quarry, provide notice of the blasting operation to each political subdivision in which any part of the quarry is located and to owners of dwellings or other structures within the affected area.

b. Before beginning a blasting operation at the quarry, cause a 3rd party to conduct a building survey of any dwellings or other structures within the affected area.

c. Before beginning a blasting operation at the quarry, cause a 3rd party to conduct a survey of and test any wells within the affected area.

d. Provide evidence of insurance to each political subdivision in which any part of the quarry is located.

e. Provide copies of blasting logs to each political subdivision in which any part of the quarry is located.

f. Provide maps of the affected area to each political subdivision in which any part of the quarry is located.

g. Provide copies of any reports submitted to the department of safety and professional services relating to blasting at the quarry.

4. A political subdivision may suspend a permit for a violation of the requirements under s. 101.15 relating to blasting and rules promulgated by the department of safety and professional services under s. 101.15 (2) (e) relating to blasting only if the department of safety and professional services determines that a violation of the requirements or rules has occurred and only for the duration of the violation as determined by the department of safety and professional services.

5. Nothing in this section exempts a quarry operator from applicable limitations on the time of day during which blasting activities may be conducted that are imposed by rules promulgated by the department of safety and professional services.

(e) Quarry permit requirements. 1. A political subdivision may not add a condition to a permit during the duration of the permit unless the permit holder consents.

2. If a political subdivision requires a quarry to comply with another political subdivision's ordinance as a condition for obtaining a permit, the political subdivision that grants the permit may not require the quarry operator to comply with a provision of the other political subdivision's ordinance that is enacted after the permit is granted and while the permit is in effect.

3. a. A town may not require, as a condition for granting a permit to a quarry operator, that the quarry operator satisfy a condition that a county requires in order to grant a permit that is imposed by a county ordinance enacted after the county grants a permit to the quarry operator.

b. A county may not require, as a condition for granting a permit to a quarry operator, that the quarry operator satisfy a condition that a town requires in order to grant a permit that is imposed by a town ordinance enacted after the town grants a permit to the quarry operator.

12,52 Section 52 . 66.0602 (1) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

66.0602 (1) (am) “Joint fire department" means a joint fire department organized under s. 61.65 (2) (a) 3. or 62.13 (2m) (1m), or a joint fire department organized by any combination of 2 or more cities, villages, or towns under s. 66.0301 (2).

12,52g Section 52g. 66.0602 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

66.0602 (1) (cm) “Tax incremental base” has the meaning given in s. 66.1105 (2) (j).

12,52m Section 52m. 66.0602 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

66.0602 (1) (d) “Valuation factor" means a percentage equal to the greater of either the percentage change in the political subdivision's January 1 equalized value due to new construction less improvements removed between the previous year and the current or zero 0 percent. For a tax incremental district created after December 31, 2024, the valuation factor includes 90 percent of the equalized value increase due to new construction that is located in a tax incremental district, but does not include any improvements removed in a tax incremental district.

12,52s Section 52s. 66.0602 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

66.0602 (1) (e) “Value increment” has the meaning given in s. 66.1105 (2) (m).

12,53b Section 53b. 66.0602 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

66.0602 (3) (a) If a political subdivision transfers to another governmental unit responsibility for providing any service that the political subdivision provided in the preceding year, the levy increase limit otherwise applicable under this section to the political subdivision in the current year is decreased to reflect the cost that the political subdivision would have incurred to provide that service, as determined by the department of revenue. The levy increase limit adjustment under this paragraph applies only if the transferor and transferee file a notice of service transfer with the department of revenue.

12,53c Section 53c. 66.0602 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

66.0602 (3) (b) If a political subdivision increases the services that it provides by adding responsibility for providing a service transferred to it from another governmental unit that provided the service in the preceding year, the levy increase limit otherwise applicable under this section to the political subdivision in the current year is increased to reflect the cost of that service, as determined by the department of revenue. The levy increase limit adjustment under this paragraph applies only if the transferor and transferee file a notice of service transfer with the department of revenue.

12,53d Section 53d. 66.0602 (3) (dm) of the statutes is amended to read:

66.0602 (3) (dm) If For a tax incremental district created before January 1, 2025, if the department of revenue does not certify a value increment for a tax incremental district for the current year as a result of the district's termination, the levy increase limit otherwise applicable under this section in the current year to the political subdivision in which the district is located is increased by an amount equal to the political subdivision's maximum allowable levy for the immediately preceding year, multiplied by a percentage equal to 50 percent of the amount determined by dividing the value increment of the terminated tax incremental district, calculated for the previous year, by the political subdivision's equalized value, exclusive of any tax incremental district value increments, for the previous year, all as determined by the department of revenue.

12,53h Section 53h. 66.0602 (3) (dq) of the statutes is created to read:

66.0602 (3) (dq) 1. For a tax incremental district created after December 31, 2024, if the department of revenue does not certify a value increment for the tax incremental district for the current year as a result of the district's termination, the levy increase limit otherwise applicable under this section in the current year to the political subdivision in which the district is located is increased by all of the following amounts:

a. An amount equal to the political subdivision's maximum allowable levy for the immediately preceding year, multiplied by the amount determined by dividing 10 percent of the equalized value increase of the terminated tax incremental district, calculated as provided in subd. 2., by the political subdivision's equalized value, less any tax incremental district value increments, for the previous year, all as determined by the department of revenue.

b. If the life span of the tax incremental district was 75 percent or less of the length of the expected life span of the tax incremental district, measured as the period between the year the tax incremental district was created and the expected year of termination, as designated under s. 66.1105 (4m) (b) 2m., an additional amount equal to the political subdivision's maximum allowable levy for the immediately preceding year, multiplied by the amount determined by dividing 15 percent of the equalized value increase of the terminated tax incremental district, calculated as provided in subd. 2., by the political subdivision's equalized value, less any tax incremental district value increments, for the previous year, all as determined by the department of revenue.