59.56(16) (16) Advocacy for women and agriculture. The board may appropriate money to county commissions to conduct advocacy activities on behalf of women or agriculture.

59.56 History History: 1995 a. 201 ss. 128, 129, 132, 136, 138, 142, 143, 144, 145, 173, 199, 200, 209, 370, 372, 373, 406, 408, 410, 412, 443 to 448; 1997 a. 35, 237; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2013 a. 14; 2017 a. 207 s. 5.

59.56 Annotation A county board has the power to lease a public museum to a private corporation. Hart v. Ament, 176 Wis. 2d 694, 500 N.W.2d 312 (1993).

59.56 Annotation Discussing a special county board committee to plan and coordinate the need for planning trails for snowmobiles, bicycles, hiking, motorbikes, etc. 60 Atty. Gen. 259.

59.56 Annotation Discussing possible county liability for 4-H club activities at a county fairgrounds. 61 Atty. Gen. 218.

59.56 Annotation Section 59.07 (95) [now sub. (1)] authorizes the appropriation of county funds for promotion of the fine arts. 61 Atty. Gen. 316.

59.57 59.57 Economic and industrial development.

59.57(1) (1) County industrial development agency.

59.57(1)(a) (a) Subject to par. (b), the board may appropriate money for and create a county industrial development agency or to any nonprofit agency organized to engage or engaging in activities described in this paragraph, appoint an executive officer and provide a staff and facilities to promote and develop the resources of the county and of its component municipalities. To this end the agency may, without limitation because of enumeration, develop data regarding the industrial needs, advantages and sites in the county, acquaint the purchaser with the products of the county by promotional activities, coordinate its work with that of the county planning commission, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and private credit development corporations, and do all things necessary to provide for the continued improvement of the industrial climate of the county.

59.57(1)(b) (b) If a county with a population of 750,000 or more appropriates money under par. (a) to fund nonprofit agencies, the county shall have a goal of expending 20 percent of the money appropriated for this purpose to fund a nonprofit agency that is actively managed by minority group members, as defined in s. 16.287 (1) (f), and that principally serves minority group members.

59.57(2) (2) Industrial development agencies.

59.57(2)(a) (a) Short title. This subsection shall be known and may be cited as the “Industrial Development Law”.

59.57(2)(b) (b) Findings. It is found and declared that industries located in this state have been induced to move their operations in whole or in part to, or to expand their operations in, other states to the detriment of state, county and municipal revenue arising through the loss or reduction of income and franchise taxes, real estate and other local taxes, and thereby causing an increase in unemployment; that such conditions now exist in certain areas of the state and may well arise in other areas; that economic insecurity due to unemployment is a serious menace to the general welfare of not only the people of the affected areas but of the people of the entire state; that such unemployment results in obligations to grant public assistance and in the payment of unemployment insurance; that the absence of new economic opportunities has caused workers and their families to migrate elsewhere to find work and establish homes, which has resulted in a reduction of the tax base of counties, cities and other local governmental jurisdictions impairing their financial ability to support education and other local governmental services; that security against unemployment and the preservation and enhancement of the tax base can best be provided by the promotion, attraction, stimulation, rehabilitation and revitalization of commerce, industry and manufacturing; that there is a need to stimulate a larger flow of private investment funds from banks, investment houses, insurers and other financial institutions; that means are necessary under which counties so desiring may create instrumentalities to promote industrial development and such purpose requires and deserves support from counties as a means of preserving the tax base and preventing unemployment. It is therefore declared to be the policy of this state to promote the right to gainful employment, business opportunities and general welfare of the inhabitants thereof and to preserve and enhance the tax base in counties and municipalities by the creation of bodies, corporate and politic, which shall exist and operate for the purpose of fulfilling the aims of this subsection and such purposes are hereby declared to be public purposes for which public money may be spent and the necessity in the public interest for the provisions herein enacted is declared a matter of legislative determination.

59.57(2)(c) (c) Definitions. In this subsection, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

59.57(2)(c)1. 1. “Federal agency” includes the United States, the president of the United States and any department of or corporation, agency or instrumentality that is created, designated or established by the United States.

59.57(2)(c)2. 2. “Industrial development agency” or “agency” means a public body corporate and politic created under this subsection, which agency shall have the characteristics and powers described in this subsection.

59.57(2)(c)3. 3. “Industrial development project” means any site, structure, facility, or undertaking comprising or being connected with or being a part of an industrial, manufacturing, commercial, retail, agribusiness, or service-related enterprise established or to be established by an industrial development agency.

59.57(2)(d) (d) Formation of industrial development agencies.

59.57(2)(d)1. 1. Any county upon a finding by the board that there is a need therefor may cause to be formed an agency. Except as provided under s. 59.82, the agency shall be the sole agency and instrumentality of the county for the purposes stated in this subsection.

59.57(2)(d)2. 2. Any adjoining counties upon a finding by their boards that there is need therefor may jointly cause to be formed an agency which shall be the sole agency and instrumentality of the counties for the purposes stated in this subsection.

59.57(2)(d)3. 3. The board may appropriate such sums of money as are necessary or advisable for the benefit of the agency and prescribe the terms and conditions of such appropriation.

59.57(2)(d)4. 4. The agency shall be a separate and distinct public instrumentality and body corporate and politic exercising public powers determined to be necessary by the state for the purposes set forth in par. (b). The agency shall have no power at any time to pledge the credit or taxing power of the state, any county, or any municipality or political subdivision, but all of its obligations shall be considered to be obligations solely of the agency.

59.57(2)(e) (e) Organization of industrial development agencies. All of the following apply to an agency:

59.57(2)(e)1. 1. Proposed articles of incorporation and proposed bylaws shall be made available for inspection by any municipality within the county for a period of at least 30 days and shall then be submitted to the board for approval.

59.57(2)(e)2. 2. The articles of incorporation shall be signed and acknowledged by persons designated by the board or where counties join in the formation of the agency by the boards of those counties and shall include at least 3 of the following from each county: the county executive, if there is one; the chairperson of the board; the chairperson of the board finance committee, if there is one; the county corporation counsel and the county auditor or treasurer in counties having no county auditor, and only those persons so signing and acknowledging the articles of incorporation shall for the purposes of ch. 181 be the incorporators of the agency.

59.57(2)(e)3. 3. The provisions of ch. 181, except such as are inconsistent with this subsection and except as otherwise specifically provided in this subsection, shall be applicable to such agency. The articles of incorporation shall specifically state that the agency is a public instrumentality created under the industrial development law and organized in accordance with the requirements of ch. 181 and that the agency shall be subject to ch. 181 to the extent that said chapter is not inconsistent with this subsection.

59.57(2)(e)4. 4. The articles of incorporation shall provide for 2 classes of members who shall be designated as county members and public members and shall fix the number of each class, but the county members, at all times, shall constitute not less than a majority of the total authorized members. All members of each class shall be designated by the board and shall hold office at the pleasure of the board, except that in counties having a county executive, the members shall be designated by the county executive subject to confirmation by the board. The agency shall be subject to dissolution and its corporate authority terminated upon resolution adopted by a majority of the board, or of the boards of each county where counties join in the formation of the agency whereupon the members shall proceed immediately to dissolve the agency, wind up its affairs and distribute its remaining assets as provided in this subsection.

59.57(2)(e)5. 5. The articles of incorporation shall provide for 2 classes of directors, each class to consist of such number as is provided in the bylaws. The county executive, if there is one, the chairperson of the board, the chairperson of the board finance committee, if there is one, the county corporation counsel and the county auditor or treasurer in counties having no county auditor, shall be members of the board of directors by virtue of their office and as representatives of the county in which they hold the office and the board of each county shall have the right to designate such additional county directors as the bylaws authorize. The county directors shall at all times constitute not less than a majority of the total authorized number of directors. Public directors shall be appointed by the board and shall hold office at the pleasure of the board.

59.57(2)(e)6. 6. The corporate income of the agency shall not inure to any private person. Upon the dissolution of the agency all net assets after payment or provision for the payment of all debts and obligations shall be paid to the county in which the agency is located or if counties have joined in the formation of the agency then to such counties in such shares as is provided in the articles of incorporation.