66.0213(1)
(1)
Village or city powers. A village or city incorporated under
ss. 66.0201 to
66.0213 is a body corporate and politic, with powers and privileges of a municipal corporation at common law and conferred by these statutes.
66.0213(2)(a)(a) Ordinances in force in the territory incorporated or any part of the territory, to the extent not inconsistent with
chs. 61 and
62, continue in force until altered or repealed.
66.0213(2)(b)
(b) A county shoreland zoning ordinance enacted under
s. 59.692 that is in force in any part of the territory continues in force until altered under
s. 59.692 (7) (ad).
66.0213(3)
(3) Interim officers. All officers of the village or town embracing the territory that is incorporated as a village or city continue in their powers and duties until the first meeting of the board of trustees or common council at which a quorum is present. Until a village or city clerk is chosen and qualified all oaths of office and other papers shall be filed with the circuit court with which the petition was filed. The court shall deliver the oaths and other papers with the petition to the village or city clerk when that clerk qualifies.
66.0213(4)(a)(a) Within 10 days after incorporation of the village or city, the clerk of the circuit court with whom the petition was filed shall fix a time for the first election, and where appropriate designate the polling place or places, and name 3 inspectors of election for each place. The time for the election shall be fixed no less than 40 nor more than 50 days after the date of the certificate of incorporation issued by the secretary of state, irrespective of any other provision in the statutes. Nomination papers shall conform to
ch. 8 to the extent applicable. Nomination papers shall be signed by not less than 5% nor more than 10% of the total votes cast at the referendum election, and be filed no later than 15 days before the time fixed for the election. Ten days' previous notice of the election shall be given by the clerk of the circuit court by publication in the newspapers selected under
s. 66.0211 (2) and by posting notices in 3 public places in the village or city, but failure to give notice does not invalidate the election.
66.0213(4)(b)
(b) The election shall be conducted as prescribed by
ch. 6, except that no registration of voters may be required. The inspectors shall make returns to the clerk of the circuit court who shall, within one week after the election, canvass the returns and declare the result. The clerk shall notify the officers-elect and issue certificates of election. If the first election is on the first Tuesday in April the officers elected and their appointees shall commence and hold their offices as for a regular term. Otherwise they shall commence within 10 days and hold their offices until the regular village or city election and the qualification of their successors and the terms of their appointees expire as soon as successors qualify.
66.0213(5)
(5) Taxes levied before incorporation; how collected and divided. If a village or city is incorporated after the assessment of taxes in any year and before the collection of the taxes, the tax assessed shall be collected by the town treasurer of the town or the town treasurers of the different towns of which the village or city formerly constituted a part, and all moneys collected from the tax levied for town purposes shall be divided between the village or city and the town or the towns, as provided by
s. 66.0235 (13) (a) 1., for the division of property owned jointly by towns and villages.
66.0213(6)
(6) Reorganization of city as village. If the population of any city falls below 1,000 as determined by the United States census, the council may upon filing of a petition conforming to the requirements of
s. 8.40 containing the signatures of at least 15% of the electors submit at any general or city election the question whether the city shall reorganize as a village. If three-fifths of the votes cast on the question are for reorganization the mayor and council shall record the return in the office of the register of deeds, file a certified copy with the clerk of the circuit court, and immediately call an election, to be conducted as are village elections, for the election of village officers. Upon the qualification of the officers, the board of trustees shall declare the city reorganized as a village, and the reorganization is effective. The clerk shall certify a copy of the declaration to the secretary of state who shall file the declaration and endorse a memorandum of the declaration on the record of the certificate of incorporation of the city. Rights and liabilities of the city continue in favor of or against the village. Ordinances, so far as within the power of the village, remain in force until changed.
66.0215
66.0215
Incorporation of certain towns adjacent to 1st class cities. 66.0215(1)(1)
Petition. If the resident population of a town exceeds 5,000 as shown by the last federal census or by a census under
sub. (2), if the town is adjacent to a 1st class city and contains an equalized valuation in excess of $20,000,000 and if a petition signed by 100 or more persons, each an elector and taxpayer of the town, containing the signatures of at least 50% of the owners of real estate in the town and requesting submission of the question to the electors of the town, is filed with the clerk of the town, the procedure for becoming a 4th class city is initiated.
66.0215(2)
(2) Referendum. At the next regular meeting of the town board following the filing of the petition under
sub. (1), the board by resolution shall provide for a referendum by the electors of the town. The resolution shall conform to the requirements of
s. 5.15 (1) and
(2) and shall determine the numbers and boundaries of each ward of the proposed city and the time of voting, which may not be earlier than 6 weeks after the adoption of the resolution. The resolution may direct that a census be taken of the resident population of the territory on a day not more than 10 weeks previous to the date of the election, exhibiting the name of every head of a family and the name of every person who is a resident in good faith of the territory on that day, and the lot or quarter section of land on which that person resides, which shall be verified by the affixed affidavit of the person taking the census.
66.0215(3)
(3) Notice of referendum. Notice of the referendum shall be given by publication of the resolution in a newspaper published in the town, if there is one, otherwise in a newspaper designated in the resolution, once a week for 4 successive weeks, the first publication to be not more than 4 weeks before the referendum.
66.0215(4)
(4) Voting procedure. The referendum shall be conducted in the same manner as elections for supervisors of the town board. The question appearing on the ballot shall be "Shall the town of .... become a 4th class city?". Below the question shall appear 2 squares. To the left of one square shall appear the words "For a city" and to the left of the other square shall appear the words "Against a city". The inspectors shall make a return to the clerk of the town.
66.0215(5)
(5) Certificate of incorporation. If a majority of the votes are cast in favor of a city the clerk shall certify the fact to the secretary of state, together with the result of the census, if any, and 4 copies of a description of the legal boundaries of the town and 4 copies of a plat of the town. The secretary of state shall then issue a certificate of incorporation, and record the certificate in a book kept for that purpose. Two copies of the description and plat shall be forwarded by the secretary of state to the department of transportation and one copy to the department of revenue.
66.0215(6)
(6) City powers. A city incorporated under this section is a body corporate and politic, with the powers and privileges of a municipal corporation at common law and conferred by
ch. 62.
66.0215(7)(a)(a) Ordinances in force in the territory or any part of the territory, to the extent not inconsistent with
ch. 62, continue in force until altered or repealed.
66.0215(7)(b)
(b) A county shoreland zoning ordinance enacted under
s. 59.692 that is in force in any part of the territory continues in force until altered under
s. 59.692 (7) (ad).
66.0215(8)
(8) Interim officers. All officers of the town embracing the territory incorporated as a city continue in their powers and duties until the first meeting of the common council at which a quorum is present. Until a city clerk is chosen and qualified all oaths of office and other papers shall be filed with the town clerk, with whom the petition was filed, who shall deliver them with the petition to the city clerk when the city clerk is qualified.
66.0215(9)
(9) First city election. Within 10 days after incorporation of the city, the town board and the town clerk who received the petition shall fix a time for the first city election, designate the polling place or places, and name 3 inspectors of election for each place. Ten days' previous notice of the election shall be given by the clerk by publication in the newspapers selected under
sub. (3) and by posting notices in 3 public places in the city. Failure to give notice does not invalidate the election. The election shall be conducted as is prescribed by
chs. 5 to
12, except that no registration of voters may be required. The inspectors shall make returns to the board which shall, within one week after the election, canvass the returns and declare the result. The clerk shall notify the officers-elect and issue certificates of election. If the first election is on the first Tuesday in April the officers elected and their appointees commence and hold their offices as for a regular term. Otherwise they commence within 10 days and hold until the regular city election and the qualification of their successors, and the term of their appointees expires as soon as successors qualify.
66.0215 Annotation
"Adjacent" under sub. (1) means "contiguous", not "near". City of Waukesha v. Salbashian,
128 Wis. 2d 334,
382 N.W.2d 52 (1986).
66.0217
66.0217
Annexation initiated by electors and property owners. 66.0217(1)(1)
Definitions. In this section, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
66.0217(1)(a)
(a) "Assessed value" means the value for general tax purposes as shown on the tax roll for the year next preceding the filing of any petition for annexation.
66.0217(1)(b)
(b) "Department" means the department of administration.
66.0217(1)(c)
(c) "Legal description" means a complete description of land to be annexed without internal references to any other document, and shall be described in one of the following ways:
66.0217(1)(c)1.
1. By metes and bounds commencing at a monument at the section or quarter section corner or at the end of a boundary line of a recorded private claim or federal reservation in which the annexed land is located and in one of the following ways:
66.0217(1)(c)2.
2. If the land is located in a recorded and filed subdivision or in an area subject to a certified survey map, by reference as described in
s. 236.28 or
s. 236.34 (3).
66.0217(1)(d)
(d) "Owner" means the holder of record of an estate in possession in fee simple, or for life, in land or real property, or a vendee of record under a land contract for the sale of an estate in possession in fee simple or for life but does not include the vendor under a land contract. A tenant in common or joint tenant is an owner to the extent of his or her interest.
66.0217(1)(e)
(e) "Petition" includes the original petition and any counterpart of the original petition.
66.0217(1)(f)
(f) "Real property" means land and the improvements to the land.
66.0217(1)(g)
(g) "Scale map" means a map that accurately reflects the legal description of the property to be annexed and the boundary of the annexing city or village, and that includes a graphic scale on the face of the map.
66.0217(2)
(2) Direct annexation by unanimous approval. If a petition for direct annexation signed by all of the electors residing in the territory and the owners of all of the real property in the territory is filed with the city or village clerk, and with the town clerk of the town or towns in which the territory is located, together with a scale map and a legal description of the property to be annexed, an annexation ordinance for the annexation of the territory may be enacted by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of the governing body of the city or village without compliance with the notice requirements of
sub. (4). In an annexation under this subsection, subject to
sub. (6), the person filing the petition with the city or village clerk and the town clerk shall, within 5 days of the filing, mail a copy of the scale map and a legal description of the territory to be annexed to the department and the governing body shall review the advice of the department, if any, before enacting the annexation ordinance.
66.0217(3)
(3) Other methods of annexation. Subject to
s. 66.0307 (7), territory contiguous to a city or village may be annexed to the city or village in the following ways:
66.0217(3)(a)
(a)
Direct annexation by one-half approval. A petition for direct annexation may be filed with the city or village clerk if it has been signed by either of the following:
66.0217(3)(a)1.
1. A number of qualified electors residing in the territory subject to the proposed annexation equal to at least the majority of votes cast for governor in the territory at the last gubernatorial election, and either of the following:
66.0217(3)(a)1.a.
a. The owners of one-half of the land in area within the territory.
66.0217(3)(a)1.b.
b. The owners of one-half of the real property in assessed value within the territory.
66.0217(3)(a)2.
2. If no electors reside in the territory subject to the proposed annexation, by either of the following:
66.0217(3)(a)2.a.
a. The owners of one-half of the land in area within the territory.
66.0217(3)(a)2.b.
b. The owners of one-half of the real property in assessed value within the territory.
66.0217(3)(b)
(b)
Annexation by referendum. A petition for a referendum on the question of annexation may be filed with the city or village clerk signed by a number of qualified electors residing in the territory equal to at least 20% of the votes cast for governor in the territory at the last gubernatorial election, and the owners of at least 50% of the real property either in area or assessed value. The petition shall conform to the requirements of
s. 8.40.
66.0217(4)(a)(a) An annexation under
sub. (3) shall be initiated by publishing in the territory proposed for annexation a class 1 notice, under
ch. 985, of intention to circulate an annexation petition. The notice shall contain:
66.0217(4)(a)1.
1. A statement of intention to circulate an annexation petition.
66.0217(4)(a)2.
2. A legal description of the territory proposed to be annexed and a copy of a scale map.
66.0217(4)(a)3.
3. The name of the city or village to which the annexation is proposed.
66.0217(4)(a)4.
4. The name of the town or towns from which the territory is proposed to be detached.
66.0217(4)(a)5.
5. The name and post-office address of the person causing the notice to be published who shall be an elector or owner in the area proposed to be annexed.
66.0217(4)(a)6.
6. A statement that a copy of the scale map may be inspected at the office of the town clerk for the territory proposed to be annexed and the office of the city or village clerk for the city or village to which the territory is proposed to be annexed.
66.0217(4)(b)
(b) The person who has the notice published shall serve a copy of the notice, within 5 days after its publication, upon the clerk of each municipality affected, upon the clerk of each school district affected and upon each owner of land in a town if that land will be in a city or village after the annexation. Service may be either by personal service or by certified mail with return receipt requested. If required under
sub. (6) (a), a copy of the notice shall be mailed to the department as provided in that paragraph.
66.0217(5)(a)(a) An annexation petition under this section shall state the purpose of the petition, contain a legal description of the territory proposed to be annexed and have attached a scale map. The petition shall also specify the population of the territory. In this paragraph, "population" means the population of the territory as shown by the last federal census, by any subsequent population estimate certified as acceptable by the department or by an actual count certified as acceptable by the department.
66.0217(5)(b)
(b) No person who has signed a petition may withdraw his or her name from the petition. No additional signatures may be added after a petition is filed.
66.0217(5)(c)
(c) The circulation of the petition shall commence not less than 10 days nor more than 20 days after the date of publication of the notice of intention to circulate. The annexation petition is void unless filed within 6 months of the date of publication of the notice.
66.0217(6)(a)(a)
Annexations within populous counties. No annexation proceeding within a county having a population of 50,000 or more is valid unless the person publishing a notice of annexation under
sub. (4) mails a copy of the notice to the clerk of each municipality affected and the department within 5 days of the publication. The department may within 20 days after receipt of the notice mail to the clerk of the town within which the territory lies and to the clerk of the proposed annexing village or city a notice that in its opinion the annexation is against the public interest and that advises the clerks of the reasons the annexation is against the public interest as defined in
par. (c). The annexing municipality shall review the advice before final action is taken.
66.0217(6)(c)
(c)
Definition of public interest. For purposes of this subsection "public interest" is determined by the department after consideration of the following:
66.0217(6)(c)1.
1. Whether the governmental services, including zoning, to be supplied to the territory could clearly be better supplied by the town or by some other village or city whose boundaries are contiguous to the territory proposed for annexation which files with the circuit court a certified copy of a resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of the governing body indicating a willingness to annex the territory upon receiving an otherwise valid petition for the annexation of the territory.
66.0217(6)(c)2.
2. The shape of the proposed annexation and the homogeneity of the territory with the annexing village or city and any other contiguous village or city.
66.0217(7)(a)1.1. Within 60 days after the filing of the petition under
sub. (3), the common council or village board may accept or reject the petition and if rejected no further action may be taken on the petition. Acceptance may consist of adoption of an annexation ordinance. Failure to reject the petition obligates the city or village to pay the cost of any referendum favorable to annexation.
66.0217(7)(a)2.
2. If the petition is not rejected the clerk of the city or village with whom the annexation petition is filed shall give written notice of the petition by personal service or registered mail with return receipt requested to the clerk of any town from which territory is proposed to be detached and shall give like notice to any person who files a written request with the clerk. The notice shall indicate whether the petition is for direct annexation or whether it requests a referendum on the question of annexation.
66.0217(7)(a)3.
3. If the notice indicates that the petition is for a referendum on the question of annexation, the clerk of the city or village shall file the notice as provided in
s. 8.37. If the notice indicates that the petition is for a referendum on the question of annexation, the town clerk shall give notice as provided in
par. (c) of a referendum of the electors residing in the area proposed for annexation to be held not less than 42 days nor more than 72 days after the date of personal service or mailing of the notice required under this paragraph. If the notice indicates that the petition is for direct annexation, no referendum shall be held unless within 30 days after the date of personal service or mailing of the notice required under this paragraph, a petition conforming to the requirements of
s. 8.40 requesting a referendum is filed with the town clerk as provided in
s. 8.37, signed by at least 20% of the electors residing in the area proposed to be annexed. If a petition requesting a referendum is filed, the clerk shall give notice as provided in
par. (c) of a referendum of the electors residing in the area proposed for annexation to be held not less than 42 days nor more than 72 days after the receipt of the petition and shall mail a copy of the notice to the clerk of the city or village to which the annexation is proposed. The referendum shall be held at a convenient place within the town to be specified in the notice.
66.0217 Note
NOTE: Subd. 3. is shown as affected by two acts of the 1999 legislature and as merged by the revisor under s. 13.93 (2) (c).
66.0217(7)(b)
(b)
Clerk to act. If more than one town is involved, the city or village clerk shall determine as nearly as is practicable which town contains the most electors in the area proposed to be annexed and shall indicate in the notice required under
par. (a) that determination. The clerk of the town so designated shall perform the duties required under this subsection and the election shall be conducted in the town as are other elections.
66.0217(7)(c)
(c)
Publication of notice. The notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the area proposed to be annexed on the publication day next preceding the referendum election and one week prior to that publication.
66.0217(7)(d)
(d)
How conducted. The referendum shall be conducted by the town election officials but the town board may reduce the number of election officials for that election. The ballots shall contain the words "For annexation" and "Against annexation" and shall otherwise conform to the provisions of
s. 5.64 (2). The election shall be conducted as are other town elections in accordance with
chs. 6 and
7 to the extent applicable.
66.0217(7)(e)
(e)
Canvass; statement to be filed. The election inspectors shall make a statement of the holding of the election showing the whole number of votes cast, and the number cast for and against annexation, attach their affidavit to the statement and immediately file it in the office of the town clerk. They shall file a certified statement of the results in the office of the clerk of each other municipality affected.
66.0217(7)(f)
(f)
Costs. If the referendum is against annexation, the costs of the election shall be borne by the towns involved in the proportion that the number of electors of each town within the territory proposed to be annexed, voting in the referendum, bears to the total number of electors in that territory, voting in the referendum.
66.0217(7)(g)
(g)
Effect. If the result of the referendum is against annexation, all previous proceedings are nullified. If the result of the referendum is for annexation, failure of any town official to perform literally any duty required by this section does not invalidate the annexation.
66.0217(8)(a)(a) An ordinance for the annexation of the territory described in the annexation petition under
sub. (3) may be enacted by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of the governing body not less than 20 days after the publication of the notice of intention to circulate the petition and not later than 120 days after the date of filing with the city or village clerk of the petition for annexation or of the referendum election if favorable to the annexation. If the annexation is subject to
sub. (6) the governing body shall first review the reasons given by the department that the proposed annexation is against the public interest. Subject to
s. 59.692 (7), an ordinance under this subsection may temporarily designate the classification of the annexed area for zoning purposes until the zoning ordinance is amended as prescribed in
s. 62.23 (7) (d). Before introduction of an ordinance containing a temporary classification, the proposed classification shall be referred to and recommended by the plan commission. The authority to make a temporary classification is not effective when the county ordinance prevails during litigation as provided in
s. 59.69 (7).
66.0217(8)(b)
(b) The ordinance may annex the territory to an existing ward or may create an additional ward.
66.0217(8)(c)
(c) The annexation is effective upon enactment of the annexation ordinance. The board of school directors in a 1st class city is not required to administer the schools in any territory annexed to the city until July 1 following the annexation.
66.0217(9)(a)(a) The clerk of a city or village which has annexed territory shall file immediately with the secretary of state a certified copy of the ordinance, certificate and plat, and shall send one copy to each company that provides any utility service in the area that is annexed. The clerk shall record the ordinance with the register of deeds and file a signed copy of the ordinance with the clerk of any affected school district. Failure to file, record or send does not invalidate the annexation and the duty to file, record or send is a continuing one. The ordinance that is filed, recorded or sent shall describe the annexed territory and the associated population. The information filed with the secretary of state shall be utilized in making recommendations for adjustments to entitlements under the federal revenue sharing program and distribution of funds under
ch. 79. The clerk shall certify annually to the secretary of state and record with the register of deeds a legal description of the total boundaries of the municipality as those boundaries existed on December 1, unless there has been no change in the 12 months preceding.
66.0217(9)(b)
(b) Within 10 days of receipt of the ordinance, certificate and plat, the secretary of state shall forward 2 copies of the ordinance, certificate and plat to the department of transportation, one copy to the department of administration, one copy to the department of revenue, one copy to the department of public instruction, one copy to the department, one copy to the department of natural resources, one copy to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection and 2 copies to the clerk of the municipality from which the territory was annexed.
66.0217(9)(c)
(c) Any city or village may direct a survey of its present boundaries to be made, and when properly attested the survey and plat may be filed in the office of the register of deeds in the county in which the city or village is located. Upon filing, the survey and plat are prima facie evidence of the facts set forth in the survey and plat.
66.0217(10)
(10) Qualifications of electors and owners; elector determination. 66.0217(10)(a)(a) Under this section, qualifications as to electors and owners shall be determined as of the date of filing a petition, except that all qualified electors residing in the territory proposed for annexation on the day of a referendum election may vote in the election. Residence and ownership shall be bona fide and not acquired for the purpose of defeating or invalidating the annexation proceedings.
