Chapter 67

67.03 67.03 Grant of power to borrow; general limitations of indebtedness.

67.03(1) (1) 

67.03(1)(a) (a) Except as provided in s. 67.01 (9), municipalities may borrow money and issue municipal obligations therefor only for the purposes and by the procedure specified in this chapter. The aggregate amount of indebtedness, including existing indebtedness, of any municipality shall not exceed 5 percent of the value of the taxable property located in the municipality as equalized for state purposes except that the aggregate amount of indebtedness of any school district that offers no less than grades 1 to 12 and that at the time of incurring the debt is eligible to receive state aid under s. 121.08 shall not exceed 10 percent of the equalized value of the taxable property located in the school district.

67.03(1)(b) (b) Any school district about to incur indebtedness may apply to the state superintendent of public instruction for, and the state superintendent may issue, a certificate as to the eligibility of the school district to receive state aid under s. 121.08, which certificate shall be conclusive as to such eligibility for 30 days, but not beyond the next June 30.

67.03(2) (2) The amount so limited includes such indebtedness only as has been or may be incurred independently by a municipality for its own separate purposes; and does not include any indebtedness, in whole or in part, that has been or may be incurred independently by any other municipality for its own separate purposes, even though the territory and taxable property of either municipality constitutes the whole or a part of the territory and taxable property of the other.

67.03(2m) (2m) The issuance of refunding municipal obligations and the payment of municipal obligations so refunded shall be treated as if they occur simultaneously. The limitation on aggregate indebtedness under sub. (1) shall not include the amount of the refunded municipal obligation to the extent that provision is made for the payment of the refunded obligation.

67.03(3) (3) Whenever a municipality acquires a utility or other property of any kind that at the time is encumbered by mortgage, trust deed or otherwise, the municipality does not assume the payment of such encumbrance, nor does the encumbrance constitute any part of the amount limited by sub. (1). Neither is any deferred payment upon a municipal contract a part of said amount, if the contract expressly provides immunity for the municipality from all liability arising from such contract to make such payment.

67.03(4) (4) The last determination made by the department of revenue of the full value of the taxable property in any municipality under this section or s. 70.57 or 121.06 (1) shall be the equalized valuation of the taxable property.

67.03(5) (5) 

67.03(5)(a) (a) When the last determination made by the department of revenue of the full value of the taxable property in a municipality is not a true valuation of the taxable property therein because of a change in the territory thereof, the department of revenue, upon application in writing by the municipal clerk, in such form as the department prescribes, shall increase or decrease the last determination in such amount as in the best judgment of the department makes proper adjustment for the change in territory, and the resulting adjusted valuation shall be the equalized valuation of the taxable property in the municipality.

67.03(5)(b) (b) When a new municipality has been formed for which no determination of the full value of the taxable property therein has been made by the department of revenue, upon application in writing by the municipal clerk, in such form as the department prescribes, the department shall determine according to its best judgment from all sources of information available to it the full value of the taxable property in the municipality, and the resulting valuation shall be the equalized valuation of the taxable property in the municipality.

67.03(6) (6) The department of revenue may certify to the clerk of any municipality the full value of the taxable property of the municipality when the equalized valuation is requested for use in connection with municipal borrowing.

67.03(7) (7) 

67.03(7)(a) (a) For the purposes of indebtedness school districts which in successive years operate all grades to tenth, eleventh and twelfth as provided in s. 121.78 (2) (b) and (c) shall be considered school districts offering no less than grades one to 12.

67.03(7)(b) (b) For the purposes of indebtedness, a school district that does not operate one or more grades as a result of entering into a whole grade sharing agreement under s. 118.50 is considered to be operating those grades.

67.03(9) (9) For any technical college district, the bonded indebtedness for the purpose of purchasing school sites and the construction and equipping of school buildings may not exceed 2 percent of the value of its taxable property as equalized for state purposes.

67.03 History History: 1975 c. 39; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 36 s. 96 (4); 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (7); 1983 a. 207; 1985 a. 29 s. 3202 (43); 1985 a. 225; 1987 a. 69; 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 399; 1995 a. 27, 225; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 83; 2015 a. 55.

67.03 Annotation A school district did not incur indebtedness by entering into a lease-purchase agreement for a new school when the district, by electing not to appropriate funds for the following fiscal year’s rental payment, had the option to terminate the agreement with no future payment obligation. Deick v. Unified School District of Antigo, 165 Wis. 2d 458, 477 N.W.2d 613 (1991).

67.03 Annotation An agreement to purchase park land whereby a county is to make deferred payments from an existing nonlapsing account, sufficient to cover the entire obligation, secured by mortgaging the property to the grantor, would not create an obligation within the ambit of ch. 67 nor constitute a debt in the context of Art. XI, s. 3. 63 Atty. Gen. 309.

67.03 Annotation Local government units cannot include the value of tax-exempt manufacturing machinery and specific processing equipment and tax exempt merchants’ stock-in-trade, manufacturers’ materials, and finished products and livestock in their property valuation totals for non-tax purposes, such as for municipal debt ceilings, tax levy limitations, shared tax distributions, and school aid payments. 63 Atty. Gen. 465.

67.035 67.035 Tax limitations not applicable to debt levies. All taxes levied or to be levied by any municipality proceeding under this chapter for the purpose of paying principal and interest on valid bonds or notes, other than noncapital notes, as defined in s. 38.16 (3) (a) 2r., now or hereafter outstanding shall be without limitation notwithstanding any legislative limitation now or heretofore existing, and all such limitations are repealed insofar as they apply to taxes levied or to be levied to pay principal and interest upon such bonds or notes.

67.035 History History: 1975 c. 80; 1977 c. 29; 1983 a. 27; 1993 a. 16; 2013 a. 20.

67.04 67.04 Purposes of issuing municipal bonds and notes.

67.04(1) (1) In this section:

67.04(1)(a) (a) “Ancillary charges” include site preparation expenditures, professional fees, legal claims directly attributable to asset acquisition and interest costs incurred prior to and during construction.

67.04(1)(ag) (ag) “Operating expenses” include wages, salaries, fringe benefits, materials, supplies, contractual services, equipment with a useful life of less than one year and other costs specified by the department of revenue by rule. “Operating expenses” do not include ancillary charges incurred in the acquisition, development or construction of real property or property with a useful life of one year or more.

67.04(1)(ar) (ar) “Project” means the acquisition, leasing, planning, design, construction, development, extension, enlargement, renovation, rebuilding, repair or improvement of land, waters, property, highways, buildings, equipment or facilities.

67.04(1)(b) (b) “Public purpose” means the performance of any power or duty of the issuing municipality.

67.04(2) (2) 

67.04(2)(a) (a) Subject to the limitations specified in ss. 67.03 and 67.045, any municipality may borrow money and issue bonds to finance any project undertaken for a public purpose.

67.04(2)(b) (b) Subject to the limitations specified in s. 67.03, any city with a population greater than 75,000 may borrow money and issue bonds to finance the cost of low-interest mortgage loans under s. 62.237.

67.04(3) (3) Subject to the limitations specified in s. 67.03, any municipality may refund municipal obligations including interest on them whether or not the obligations being refunded were issued for any purpose for which the municipal obligations might have been issued in the original instance, if the time for payment of bonds issued to refund bonds and notes authorized under this chapter does not extend beyond the period permitted under s. 67.07. Bonds issued to refund municipal obligations issued under ch. 66 shall be paid within the period permitted under s. 67.07, commencing on the original date of the refunding bonds.

67.04(4) (4) The legislature finds that contracting of debt under this chapter for any project constitutes a public purpose.

67.04(5) (5) 

67.04(5)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the proceeds of any municipal bonds or notes issued by a county under this chapter shall not be used to fund the operating expenses of the general fund of the county or to fund the operating expenses of any special revenue fund of the county that is supported by property taxes.

67.04(5)(b) (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to notes issued under s. 67.12 (1) to (8m) or to municipal bonds or notes issued by a county for any of the following purposes:

67.04(5)(b)1. 1. To comply with a court order or judgment.

67.04(5)(b)3. 3. To provide liability insurance, property insurance, or risk management services under s. 611.11 (4).

67.04(5)(b)4. 4. To pay unfunded prior service liability contributions under the Wisconsin retirement system, or to pay unfunded prior service liability with respect to an employee retirement system, if all of the net proceeds of the note will be used to pay for such contributions or payments.

67.04 History History: 1983 a. 207, 236, 368, 538; 1987 a. 197; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 227; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2003 a. 78; 2007 a. 115.

67.045 67.045 Debt issuance conditions.

67.045(1) (1) The governing body of a county may not issue bonds under s. 67.05 or promissory notes under s. 67.12 (12) unless one or more of the following apply:

67.045(1)(a) (a) A referendum is held, following the procedures in s. 67.05 (3), that approves the debt issuance.

67.045(1)(b) (b) The governing body of the county adopts a resolution that sets forth its reasonable expectations that issuance of the debt will not cause the county to increase the debt levy rate, as defined in s. 59.605 (1) (b).

67.045(1)(c) (c) Issuance of the debt was authorized by an initial resolution adopted by the governing body of the county prior to August 12, 1993.

67.045(1)(d) (d) The debt is issued for the purposes under s. 67.05 (7) (c), (cc), (f), (h) or (i).

67.045(1)(e) (e) The debt is issued to fund or refund outstanding municipal obligations, interest on outstanding municipal obligations, or the payment of related issuance costs or redemption premiums.

67.045(1)(f) (f) The governing body adopts a resolution to issue the debt by a vote of at least three-fourths of the members-elect, as defined in s. 59.001 (2m).

67.045(1)(g) (g) The debt is issued by a county having a population of 750,000 or more to pay unfunded prior service liability with respect to an employee retirement system.

67.045(1)(h) (h) The debt is issued for the purpose of acquiring or installing energy efficient equipment.

67.045(2) (2) 

67.045(2)(a) (a) The department of revenue shall promulgate rules that set forth the standards to be used by the governing body of a county in adopting a resolution under sub. (1) (b). The rules shall permit the reasonable exercise of local self-determination and debt management and prohibit the consideration of unreasonable assumptions that may cause an increase in the debt levy rate, as defined in s. 59.605 (1) (b).

67.045(2)(b) (b) The standards in the rules under par. (a) shall address issues including all of the following:

67.045(2)(b)1. 1. The equalized value of taxable property in the county.

67.045(2)(b)2. 2. The annual debt service on the debt being issued.

67.045(2)(b)3. 3. The treatment of anticipated refunding of balloon payments.

67.045(2)(b)4. 4. Variable rate obligations.

67.045(2)(b)5. 5. Past and anticipated revenues that may abate a debt levy.

67.045(2)(b)6. 6. The amount of state aid that may be received in future years.

67.045 History History: 1993 a. 16; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2007 a. 115; 2009 a. 2; 2017 a. 207 s. 5.

67.05 67.05 Bond issues; procedure.

67.05(1) (1) Initial resolution by governing body. If any municipality seeks to issue a bond under s. 67.04, the governing body of the municipality shall, prior to the issuance of the bond, adopt a resolution that states the purpose for and maximum amount of the borrowing. The resolution adopted under this section shall be known as the initial resolution. If a permissive referendum on the bond issue is allowed under this section, the governing body shall, within 15 days after the initial resolution is adopted, publish a class 1 notice under ch. 985 stating the purpose and maximum principal amount of the bond issue and describing the opportunity and procedure for submitting a petition requesting a referendum on the bond issue.

67.05(2) (2) Initial resolution by electors.

67.05(2)(a) (a) The electors of any town, common school district, union high school district, whether such district is joint or otherwise, or of any municipality other than a county, a city, a village, a technical college district or a board of park commissioners, may at any annual meeting, or at a special meeting of such electors called for the purpose, adopt the initial resolution prescribed by sub. (1) without any prior adoption thereof by the governing body of such municipality. The vote in such case shall be made by ballot in substantially the following form:

For bonds ⬜ Against bonds ⬜

67.05(2)(b) (b) The electors of a city may adopt the initial resolution prescribed by sub. (1) in the manner provided by s. 9.20.

67.05(3) (3) Referendum procedure. Whenever a referendum is held under this section, the following procedures shall be used:

67.05(3)(a) (a)

67.05(3)(a)1. 1. The clerk of the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held shall publish a type A notice under s. 10.01 (2) (a) on the 4th Tuesday before the referendum is held.

67.05(3)(a)2. 2. If the referendum is not held in conjunction with a national, state, county or municipal election, the clerk of the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held shall publish a type E notice under s. 10.01 (2) (e) on the 4th Tuesday before the referendum is held. If the referendum is a county or municipal referendum and is not held in conjunction with a national, state, county or municipal election, the municipal clerk of each municipality in which the referendum is held shall publish a type E notice on the 4th Tuesday before the referendum is held.

67.05(3)(a)3. 3. The clerk of the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held shall publish type B and C notices under s. 10.01 (2) (b) and (c) on the day before the referendum is held.

67.05(3)(a)4. 4. If the referendum is not held in conjunction with a national, state, county or municipal election, the clerk of the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held shall publish a type D notice under s. 10.01 (2) (d) on the day before the referendum is held. If the referendum is a county or municipal referendum and is not held in conjunction with a national, state, county or municipal election, the municipal clerk of each municipality in which the referendum is held shall publish a type D notice on the day before the referendum is held.

67.05(3)(a)5. 5. The date for publication of any notice may be changed as provided in s. 10.04 (3) (a).

67.05(3)(a)6. 6. In villages, towns and school districts, posting may be substituted for publication as provided in s. 10.05.

67.05(3)(a)7. 7. Whenever the clerks of more than one jurisdiction are required under this section to publish the same notice on the same day, they may publish one notice only and share the cost under s. 10.07 (1).

67.05(3)(am) (am) The question on which the referendum is held shall be filed as provided in s. 8.37.

67.05(3)(b) (b) The clerk of the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held shall prepare or arrange for the preparation of the ballots. If the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held is not a city, village, or town, and the clerk of the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held prepares the ballots, the clerk shall deliver the ballots to the municipal clerk of each city, village, or town which is wholly or partly contained within the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held. The form of the ballot shall correspond with the form prescribed by the elections commission under ss. 5.64 (2) and 7.08 (1) (a).

67.05(3)(c) (c) Absentee ballots shall be distributed by the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of each municipality which is contained within the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held.

67.05(3)(d) (d) The question shall contain a statement of the purpose for which bonds are to be issued and the maximum amount of the bonds to be issued.

67.05(3)(e) (e) Election officials appointed under s. 7.30 (4) shall conduct the election in each municipality which is contained within the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held.

67.05(3)(f) (f) If a special purpose district calls a referendum to be held in conjunction with a state, county, municipal or judicial election, the polling places for the state, county, municipal or judicial election shall be the polling places for the special purpose district referendum and the municipal election hours shall apply. If no state, county, municipal or judicial election is held on the day of the special purpose district referendum, the governing body of the special purpose district may select the polling places to be used, except as otherwise provided in s. 120.06 (9) (b) in the case of a school district. If a polling place located in the special purpose district that was utilized at the most recent spring or general election is not utilized by the special purpose district, the governing body of the special purpose district shall post a notice on the door of the polling place indicating all polling places open for voting. The municipal clerk of each municipality in which a polling place is located shall provide the necessary equipment to operate the polling place.

67.05(3)(g) (g) The returns shall be canvassed by the board of canvassers of each municipality which is contained within the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held. When a referendum is held in a special purpose district, the board of canvassers shall canvass and certify the returns of the referendum to the clerk of the district in which the referendum is held. The board of canvassers of the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held shall then determine the result of the referendum. If the jurisdiction does not have a board of canvassers, the clerk of the jurisdiction shall appoint 2 reputable citizens who with the clerk shall constitute the board of canvassers. The board of canvassers may return defective returns to the municipal board of canvassers in the manner provided in s. 7.60 (3). The board of canvassers shall prepare a statement showing the number of votes cast for and against the question and shall prepare a determination showing the result of the referendum. Each statement and determination shall be attested by each of the canvassers. The board of canvassers shall file the statement and determination in the office of the clerk of the jurisdiction.

67.05(3)(h) (h) The cost of the election shall be borne as provided in ss. 5.68 and 7.03.

67.05(3)(i) (i) Any special purpose district may delegate any duty which is imposed upon the clerk of the district in connection with the conduct of a referendum under this section to the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of each municipality which is contained within the jurisdiction in which the referendum is held. The district may compensate the municipality for performing such duties at a rate agreed upon between the district and the municipality.

67.05(4) (4) Permissive referendum in counties. If a county board adopts an initial resolution for an issue of county bonds to provide for the original construction or for the improvement and maintenance of highways, to provide railroad aid, or to construct, acquire or maintain, or to aid in constructing, acquiring or maintaining a bridge over or across any stream or other body of water bordering upon or intersecting any part of the county, the county clerk is not required to submit the resolution for approval to the electors of the county at a special election unless within 30 days after the adoption thereof there is filed with the clerk a petition conforming to the requirements of s. 8.40 requesting such submission, signed by electors numbering at least 10 percent of the votes cast in the county for governor at the last general election. If a petition is filed, the question submitted shall be whether the resolution shall be or shall not be approved. No such resolution of a county board other than those specified in this subsection need be submitted to county electors, except as provided otherwise in sub. (7).

67.05(5) (5) Referendum in towns, villages and cities.

67.05(5)(a) (a) Whenever an initial resolution has been so adopted by the governing body of a town, the clerk of the municipality shall immediately record the resolution and call a special election for the purpose of submitting the resolution to the electors of the municipality for approval. This paragraph does not apply to bonds issued to finance low-interest mortgage loans under s. 62.237, unless a number of electors equal to at least 15 percent of the votes cast for governor at the last general election in their town sign and file a petition conforming to the requirements of s. 8.40 with the town clerk requesting submission of the resolution. Whenever a number of electors cannot be determined on the basis of reported statistics, the number shall be determined in accordance with s. 60.74 (6). If a petition is filed, the question submitted shall be whether the resolution shall or shall not be approved. This paragraph is limited in its scope by sub. (7).

67.05(5)(b) (b) No city or village may issue bonds for any purposes other than for water systems, lighting works, gas works, bridges, street lighting, street improvements, street improvement funding, hospitals, airports, harbor improvements, river improvements, breakwaters and protection piers, sewerage, garbage disposal, rubbish or refuse disposal, any combination of sewage, garbage or refuse or rubbish disposal, parks and public grounds, swimming pools and band shells, veterans housing projects, paying the municipality’s portion of the cost of abolishing grade crossings, for the construction of police facilities and combined fire and police safety buildings, for the purchase of sites for engine houses, for fire engines and other equipment of the fire department, for construction of engine houses, and for pumps, water mains, reservoirs and all other reasonable facilities for fire protection apparatus or equipment for fire protection, for parking lots or other parking facilities, for school purposes, for libraries, for buildings for the housing of machinery and equipment, for acquiring and developing sites for industry and commerce as will expand the municipal tax base, for financing the cost of low-interest mortgage loans under s. 62.237, for providing financial assistance to blight elimination, slum clearance, community development, redevelopment and urban renewal programs and projects under ss. 66.1105, 66.1301 to 66.1329 and 66.1331 to 66.1337, to issue appropriation bonds under s. 62.62 to pay unfunded prior service liability with respect to an employee retirement system, or for University of Wisconsin System college campuses, as defined in s. 36.05 (6m), until the proposition for their issue for the special purpose has been submitted to the electors of the city or village and adopted by a majority vote. Except as provided under sub. (15), if the common council of a city or the village board of a village declares its purpose to raise money by issuing bonds for any purpose other than those specified in this subsection, it shall direct by resolution, which shall be recorded at length in the record of its proceedings, the clerk to call a special election for the purpose of submitting the question of bonding to the city or village electors. If a number of electors of a city or village equal to at least 15 percent of the votes cast for governor at the last general election in their city or village sign and file a petition conforming to the requirements of s. 8.40 with the city or village clerk requesting submission of the resolution, the city or village may not issue bonds for financing the cost of low-interest mortgage loans under s. 62.237 without calling a special election to submit the question of bonding to the city or village electors for their approval.

67.05(6) (6) Referendum in other cases. Whenever an initial resolution has been adopted by the governing body of any municipality other than a county, a town, a city, a village, a technical college district, a metropolitan sewerage district created under ss. 200.01 to 200.15 or 200.21 to 200.65, a town sanitary district, a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, or a board of park commissioners, the clerk of such municipality shall immediately record the resolution and call a special meeting for the purpose of submitting it to the electors of the municipality for ratification or rejection. The calling and conduct of the meeting shall be governed by those statutes, so far as applicable, which govern the calling and conduct of special meetings in general. The notice of the meeting, which shall be publicly read before the balloting shall commence, and the ballot used, shall embody a copy of the resolution; the form of the ballot shall correspond with the form prescribed by the elections commission under ss. 5.64 (2) and 7.08 (1) (a); and the question submitted shall be whether the resolution shall be approved.