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AB214: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2547/1
SWB&EVM:cdc
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 214
April 23, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives
Dallman
,
O'Connor
,
Anderson
,
Armstrong
,
Callahan
,
Dittrich
,
Duchow
,
Gustafson
,
Johnson
,
Knodl
,
Kreibich
,
Kurtz
,
Mursau
,
Swearingen
,
VanderMeer
,
Wichgers
and
Wittke
, cosponsored by Senators
Quinn
,
Pfaff
,
Cabral-Guevara
,
Feyen
,
Jacque
,
James
,
Marklein
and
Spreitzer
. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
AB214,1,5
1
An Act
to repeal
65.90 (3) (a) 1.;
to renumber and amend
60.305 (4) (a);
to
2
amend
60.10 (1) (b) 2m., 60.30 (1e) (f), 60.331, 60.341 and 82.19 (2) (a);
to
3
create
60.305 (4) (a) 2. of the statutes;
relating to:
town clerk and treasurer
4
appointments, publication requirements for proposed budget summary and
5
notice of public hearing, and discontinuance of highways.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes changes to various town procedures. Current law provides that a town may combine certain positions, such as the town clerk and the town treasurer, and provides that the combination takes effect on the latest date that any current term of an office to be combined expires. The bill retains that deadline, but allows the town board to provide that the combination of offices takes effect immediately as both positions become vacant or, if the person appointed to the combined office holds one of the offices to be combined, immediately upon a vacancy in the other office to be combined.
Current law also provides that a town with a population of 2,500 or more may move from an elected clerk, treasurer, or combined office of clerk and treasurer to an appointed clerk, treasurer, or combined clerk and treasurer by a vote of the electors at a town meeting. Under current law, a town with a population of under 2,500 may only move from an elected clerk, treasurer, or combined clerk and treasurer to an appointed position through a referendum. The bill allows a town of any size to move from an elected position to an appointed one by a vote of the electors at a town meeting. Current law also prohibits a town’s change from an elected to an appointed clerk, treasurer, or combined clerk and treasurer from taking effect until the end of the current elected term. Under the bill, a town may move to an appointed clerk, treasurer, or combined clerk and treasurer position during an elected term when there is a vacancy in the position.
Under current law, a town treasurer is permitted to appoint a deputy treasurer, while a town clerk may appoint one or more deputies. The bill provides that a town treasurer may appoint one or more deputies. The bill also provides that deputy town clerks and deputy town treasurers need not be residents of the town.
The bill also changes the publication and notice requirements for towns with respect to the public hearing regarding the town’s proposed budget. Current law requires that towns, cities, and villages conduct a public hearing on a proposed budget. Under current law, cities and villages must provide a summary of the proposed budget and notice of the budget public hearing and may do so by publishing the summary and notice in a newspaper, posting it in three locations, or posting it in one location and on a website maintained by the municipality. Current law also requires towns to provide a summary of the proposed budget and notice of the budget public hearing, but towns must post the summary and notice in three locations. This bill eliminates the limitation on how towns must provide the summary and notice, instead allowing towns the same options as cities and villages.
Finally, under current law, every highway ceases to be a public highway four years from the date on which it was laid out, except the parts of the highway that have been opened, traveled, or worked within that time. The bill eliminates the travel exception from consideration by a town board in determining whether a highway has ceased to be a public highway.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB214,1
1
Section
1
.
60.10 (1) (b) 2m. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB214,3,2
2
60.10
(1)
(b) 2m.
In a town with a population of 2,500 or more, provide
Provide
3
for the appointment by the town board of the town clerk, town treasurer, or both, or
4
of the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer under s. 60.305 (1), at a level
1
of compensation to be set by the board that may not be reduced during the term to
2
which the person is appointed.
AB214,2
3
Section
2
.
60.30 (1e) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB214,3,11
4
60.30
(1e)
(f)
If
Subject to s. 60.305 (4) (a), if
a person is appointed to office
5
under par. (e), the person initially appointed may not take office until
the term of
6
office of the incumbent town clerk, town treasurer, or combined town clerk and town
7
treasurer expires
there is a vacancy in that position, as described under s. 17.03
. A
8
person appointed to the office of town clerk or town treasurer, or to the combined
9
office of town clerk and town treasurer, shall serve for a term, not to exceed 3 years,
10
that is set by the town board. The person may be reappointed and may be dismissed
11
by the board only for cause, as defined in s. 17.001.
AB214,3
12
Section
3
.
60.305 (4) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 60.305 (4) (a) 1. and
13
amended to read:
AB214,3,16
14
60.305
(4)
(a) 1.
A
Subject to subd. 2., a
combination of offices under this
15
section takes effect on the latest date that any current term of an office to be
16
combined expires.
AB214,4
17
Section
4
.
60.305 (4) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
AB214,3,22
18
60.305
(4)
(a) 2. The town board may provide that a combination of offices
19
under this section takes effect immediately as both positions become vacant, as set
20
forth in s. 17.03, or, if the person appointed to the combined office holds one of the
21
offices to be combined, immediately upon a vacancy in the other office to be
22
combined.
AB214,5
23
Section
5
.
60.331 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB214,4,5
24
60.331
Deputy town clerk.
Each town clerk may appoint one or more
1
deputies for whom the town clerk is responsible. A deputy shall take and file the
2
official oath and bond under s. 60.31. The
town clerk may designate a
deputy
to
3
shall
perform the clerk’s duties
during the absence, sickness or other disability
4
upon direction
of the clerk
or upon inability of the clerk to perform the clerk’s
5
duties. A deputy town clerk need not be a resident of the town
.
AB214,6
6
Section
6
.
60.341 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB214,4,13
7
60.341
Deputy town treasurer.
Each town treasurer may appoint
a deputy
8
one or more deputies
for whom the treasurer is responsible.
The
A
deputy shall
9
take and file the official oath and bond under s. 60.31.
In case of the absence,
10
sickness or other disability of the treasurer, the
The
deputy shall perform the
11
treasurer’s duties
upon direction of the treasurer or upon inability of the treasurer
12
to perform the treasurer’s duties. A deputy town treasurer need not be a resident of
13
the town
.
AB214,7
14
Section
7
.
65.90 (3) (a) 1. of the statutes is repealed.
AB214,8
15
Section
8
.
82.19 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB214,4,18
16
82.19
(2)
(a) Every highway shall cease to be a public highway 4 years from
17
the date on which it was laid out, except the parts of the highway that have been
18
opened
, traveled,
or worked within that time.
AB214,4,19
19
(end)
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true
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