COUNTY HIGHWAY COMMITTEE
Criminal charge against
Claim for expense reimbursement by a public officer, under specific fact situation, is both an action taken in such officer's official capacity and an action growing out of performance of official duties thereby permitting municipal government to pay expenses associated with criminal charge against such officer based upon such claim pursuant to sec. 895.35, Stats. 71-4
Liability claims
County Highway Committee does not have power to examine, settle and pay liability claims against the county without final action by the County Board. 67-47
Maintenance of state highways
Contracts providing for the maintenance of state highways by the counties may be executed by the county highway committees without the approval of the county boards. 65-140
Public sale
Land acquired in name of a county by its county highway committee for use as gravel pit can be sold by the County Board, when no longer required for highway purposes, at public sale pursuant to sec. 83.08(4), Stats. Public sale must be held on notice, by auction or written bids, with sale to highest qualified bidder. 66-208
Truck traffic
Counties do not have any general police power authority to control truck traffic, but are restricted to controlling truck traffic under secs. 349.15 and 349.16, Stats. The exercise of the police power under sec. 349.15, Stats., need not be based on the condition of the roadbed, but may be exercised to promote the general welfare of the public. 66-110
Vouchers
Section 83.015, Stats., does not preclude county boards from auditing County Highway Committee vouchers prior to payment thereof from county funds. However, the board's audit authority is limited to determining whether the expenditure is within the scope of the Committee's statutory or delegated authority. 63-136
COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD
Composition
Under section 46.23(4)(a)1., Stats., officers, employes and directors of public or private entities that furnish "human services" to a county may not be appointed to the county's human services board. The prohibition contained in section 46.23(4)(a)1. does not extend to the appointment of members of the immediate family that do not provide human services to the board, but other legal and practical considerations may mitigate strongly against such appointments. 80-30
Delegation of powers
A county human services board may not delegate the duties described in section 51.437(9)(am), (b), (e) and (g), Stats., to the long-term support planning committee created by section 46.27(4). 78-158
Liability
"Volunteer Registration Form" utilized by county human services department to register volunteer drivers who transport department clients is ineffective to release county from civil liability in event client is injured or killed in accident. Moreover, an attempt by a county to obtain such a release from liability may violate public policy. 80-23
COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Ditching and culvert work on private lands
The county highway department may perform ditching and culvert work on private lands to promote a public purpose such as soil conservation. However, activity in this area should respect available private sector alternatives, and ensure that accounting procedures will protect all taxpayers equally. 76-69
COUNTY JAIL
See PRISONS AND PRISONERS
COUNTY JUDGE
Assignment of cases
Judges of the branches of County Court, rather than County Board of Judges, which is made up of both Circuit Court and County Court judges, have power to assign specific types of cases to specific branches of the County Court, pursuant to sec. 253.18, Stats. Likewise, judges of the branches of Circuit Court have power to assign specific types of cases to specific branches of the Circuit Court, pursuant to sec. 252.02, Stats. 63-92
Judicial Code
A county judge's resignation is effective when successor qualifies. Judicial Code's only sanction is censure. 62-35
Legislative appointment
Sections 489m, 490m and 561(8), ch. 90, Laws of 1973, may provide for and implement a legislative appointment to the office of county judge contrary to the provisions of Art. VII, sec. 2 and Art. XIII, sec. 10, Wis. Const. 63-24
Resignation
A county judge's resignation is effective when successor qualifies. Judicial Code's only sanction is censure. 62-35
Salaries and wages
County Board can reduce additional salary payable to county judge under sec. 253.07(2), Stats., during term only to extent necessary to keep total salary of county judge, state, county and county addition, within the limits set forth in sec. 20.923(3), Stats., created by ch. 90, Laws of 1973. 62-269
If Senator Keppler assumes judicial office to which he was elected during his term as legislator, his compensation during his entire judicial term would be that which was applicable to the office of county judge of Sheboygan County which was in effect prior to the effective date of any increase which occurred within the term for which he was elected as legislator, which began in January, 1977. 68-1
COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER
See also CORONER
Assistants, qualifications for
Appointment of assistants to the Medical Examiner who are not able to be qualified as expert witnesses in the field of pathology is not permissible under Dunn County local ordinance. Appointment of law enforcement officers as assistant medical examiners creates an impermissible conflict between the offices. 75-28
Qualifications
County Board or County Civil Service Commission, when establishing qualifications for the position of Medical Examiner should consider the statutorily prescribed duties of the Medical Examiner in sec. 59.34 and ch. 979, Stats. Legislature intends office to be occupied by an expert. 69-44
COUNTY PARK COMMISSION
Complimentary season golf passes
The practice of a county park commission, in granting free or complimentary season golf passes for the use of the county-owned and operated golf course to elected county officials and certain appointed county officials, is deemed to be in excess of the authority of such commission where such practice cannot be shown to serve any identifiable public purpose. 63-213
Milwaukee County
Total prohibition of all use of all Milwaukee County park buildings for political purposes is unconstitutional. Validity of regulations restricting political assemblies to certain areas of certain parks depends on whether the restrictions may be considered reasonable "time, place and manner" regulations. Current sec. 47.02, Milwaukee County Ordinances, vests unbridled discretion in permit-granting authority. To withstand constitutional attack explicit, objective standards ensuring even-handed application of the ordinance must be provided. 67-16
COUNTY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE
Board of Adjustment
The extent to which sec. 59.99, Stats., authorizes the County Board of Adjustment to grant zoning variances and review decisions of the County Planning and Zoning Committee, discussed. 69-146
COUNTY SURVEYOR
Duties
Duties of county and other land surveyors and minimum standards for property surveys discussed. 69-160
Engineer
A city or village engineer is not required to be registered as a land surveyor when acting pursuant to sec. 59.635(2), Stats. (1977). 68-185
