SB178: Bill Text

SB178,16,11 65.90 (1) Unless otherwise provided, in this section, “ municipality" means each county other than counties having a population of 750,000 or more, each city, excepting cities of the 1st class, village, town, school district, technical college district and all other public bodies that have the power to levy or certify a general property tax or budget. Every Except as provided in sub. (1m), every municipality shall annually, prior to the determination of the sum to be financed in whole or in part by a general property tax, funds on hand or estimated revenues from any source, formulate a budget and hold public hearings thereon.

SB178,47 Section 47. 65.90 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB178,16,16 65.90 (1m) (a) 1. For purposes of adopting and implementing a biennial budget as described in this subsection, “municipality” means a county other than a county having a population of 750,000 or more; a city other than a city of the 1st class; a village; or a town.

SB178,16,21 2. A municipality may adopt a biennial budget by implementing the procedures under this subsection and using the procedures under this section. If a municipality chooses to adopt a biennial budget, it shall adopt such a budget in an odd-numbered year for the next 2 fiscal years that follow immediately the year in which the budget is adopted.

SB178,17,2 3. For any municipality to proceed under this subsection, the governing body of the municipality must adopt a resolution or enact an ordinance stating its intent to adopt a biennial budget. Once a resolution is adopted or an ordinance is enacted, such an action takes effect and may not be reconsidered or repealed, except as provided in subd. 4.

SB178,17,6 4. The governing body of a municipality that has adopted a biennial budget procedure as provided in this subsection may return to the use of an annual budget procedure if the governing body, by a two-thirds majority vote, adopts a resolution or enacts an ordinance stating its intent to adopt an annual budget.

SB178,48 Section 48. 65.90 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,17,17 65.90 (2) Such An annual or biennial budget shall list all existing indebtedness and all anticipated revenue from all sources during the ensuing year budget period and shall likewise list all proposed appropriations for each department, activity and reserve account during the said ensuing year that period. Such budget shall also show actual revenues and expenditures for the preceding year, actual revenues and expenditures for not less than the first 6 months of the current year and estimated revenues and expenditures for the balance of the current year or, in the case of a biennial budget, for the balance of the period to which the budget applies. Such budget shall also show for informational purposes by fund all anticipated unexpended or unappropriated balances, and surpluses.

SB178,49 Section 49. 65.90 (3) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,17,23 65.90 (3) (a) (intro.) A summary of the budget required under sub. (1) or authorized under sub. (1m) and notice of the place where the budget in detail is available for public inspection and notice of the time and place for holding the public hearing thereon shall be published as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, in the municipality at least 15 days prior to the time of the public hearing except that:

SB178,50 Section 50. 65.90 (3) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,18,4 65.90 (3) (a) 1. In towns a summary of the budget required under sub. (1) or authorized under sub. (1m) and notice of the time and place of the public hearing thereon shall be posted in 3 public places at least 15 days prior to the time of the public hearing.

SB178,51 Section 51. 65.90 (3) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,18,9 65.90 (3) (b) (intro.) Any budget summary required under par. (a) shall include all of the following for each fiscal year of the proposed budget and the budget in effect, and shall also include the percentage change between the budget of the current year and each fiscal year of the proposed budget:

SB178,52 Section 52. 65.90 (3) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,18,14 65.90 (3) (bm) Any budget summary created under par. (a) shall include an itemization of proposed increases and decreases to the current year budget, and an itemization of proposed increases and decreases between the first and second year of a biennial budget, due to new or discontinued activities and functions.

SB178,53 Section 53. 65.90 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,18,23 65.90 (4) Not less fewer than 15 days or, in the case of common school districts, as defined under s. 115.01 (3), not less fewer than 10 days, after the publication of the proposed budget and the notice of hearing thereon a public hearing shall be held at the time and place stipulated at which any resident or taxpayer of the governmental unit shall have an opportunity to be heard on the proposed budget. The budget hearing may be adjourned from time to time. In school districts holding an annual meeting the time and place of the budget hearing shall be the time and place of the annual meeting.

SB178,54 Section 54. 65.90 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,19,11 65.90 (5) (a) Except as provided in par. pars. (b) and (c) and except for alterations made pursuant to a hearing under sub. (4), the amount of tax to be levied or certified, the amounts of the various appropriations and the purposes for such appropriations stated in a budget required under sub. (1) or authorized under sub. (1m) may not be changed unless authorized by a vote of two-thirds of the entire membership members-elect of the governing body of the municipality. Any municipality, except a town, which makes changes under this paragraph shall publish a class 1 notice thereof, under ch. 985, within 15 days after any change is made. Failure to give notice shall preclude any changes in the proposed budget and alterations thereto made under sub. (4). In this subsection, “members-elect” has the meaning given in s. 66.10015 (1) (bs).

SB178,55 Section 55 . 65.90 (5) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,19,22 65.90 (5) (b) A county board may authorize its standing finance committee committees to transfer funds between budgeted items of an individual county office or department, if such budgeted items have been separately appropriated, and to supplement the appropriations for a particular office, department, or activity by transfers from the contingent fund. Such committee transfers shall not exceed the amount set up in the contingent fund as adopted in the annual budget, nor aggregate in the case of an individual office, department, or activity in excess of 10 percent of the funds originally provided for such office, department, or activity in such annual budget. The publication provisions of par. (a) shall apply to all committee transfers from the contingent fund.

SB178,56 Section 56. 65.90 (5) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

SB178,19,25 65.90 (5) (c) 1. A governing body or a committee authorized by the governing body may, at any time, decrease appropriation amounts in a biennial budget.

SB178,20,4 2. In October or November of an even-numbered year, the governing body of a municipality may change any appropriation or revenue amount in relation to the 2nd year of the biennial budget by a simple majority vote of the members-elect of the governing body.

SB178,57 Section 57. 65.90 (6) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB178,20,20 65.90 (6) (intro.) As part of the annual budget required under sub. (1) or the biennial budget authorized under sub. (1m), the governing body of any municipality and of any county having a population of 750,000 or more may establish and maintain, and levy a tax for, a liability reserve fund for the purpose of paying liability claims against the municipality or premiums on insurance to pay such claims. The governing body may allow amounts appropriated to the fund to accumulate from year to year. The annual taxes levied for this purpose may not exceed the level necessary to collect the amount recommended by an actuary, in accordance with generally accepted actuarial principles, that will be sufficient to pay any insurance premiums and the uninsured portion of claims that are anticipated to be made based on occurrences during the year in which the tax is collected. Payment of claims and premiums may either be made directly from the reserve account or appropriations may be made from the reserve account to an operating account for such payments. No other transfers may be made from the fund except in accordance with the procedure specified in sub. (5) (a) and unless:

SB178,58 Section 58. Initial applicability.

SB178,20,22 (1) This act first applies to a biennial budget that is adopted in 2019.

SB178,20,23 (End)