Chapter 45

45.71 History History: 2005 a. 22.

45.72 45.72 County and municipal memorials.

45.72(1) (1) In this section and s. 45.73, “local unit of government” means a city, village, town, or county.

45.72(2) (2) Any local unit of government may by gift, purchase, contract, or condemnation acquire property, real or personal, for the purpose of providing, furnishing, constructing, erecting, repairing, maintaining, or conducting a suitable memorial to the memory of former residents thereof who lost their lives in the military or naval service of the state or of the United States, or to commemorate and honor the deeds of persons, residents thereof, or of the state or United States, who served the nation in any war, or other persons who rendered great state or national service, or to the memory of any president of the United States, or for a combination of any those purposes, which are declared to be public purposes.

45.72(3) (3) The local unit of government shall determine the character of the memorial, and without limitation because of enumeration, the memorial may comprise a public building, hospital, sanatorium, home for the aged or indigent, park, recreation facility, community forest, or other suitable object having a public purpose.

45.72(4) (4) Any local unit of government may appropriate money and may levy a tax to acquire, pay for, construct, erect, furnish, equip, operate, repair, maintain, or reconstruct a suitable memorial for the purpose or purposes provided in this section.

45.72(5) (5) Any local unit of government may authorize the use of any public property respectively of such city, village, town, or county as a site for a memorial, and any county may authorize its public property to be so used by any city, village, or town in the county.

45.72(6) (6) Any local unit of government may by ordinance or contract provide for the management, control, or operation of any memorial. The local unit of government may enter into a written lease, for a term not exceeding 25 years, with any duly chartered and incorporated veterans organization established in the local unit of government. The lease shall include the provisions for the amount of rental and such conditions of public use as the local unit determines.

45.72(7) (7) Any local unit of government may contract with or make an appropriation, or both, to any other local unit of government or to any nonprofit corporation without capital stock organized expressly for any of the purposes of this section or to any duly chartered and incorporated veterans organization established in the local unit of government, and for the purpose of raising funds for memorial purposes or contributions. The local unit of government may levy taxes upon the taxable property located in the local unit of government, or borrow money and issue bonds in the manner and under the regulations provided by ch. 67. The facilities of the memorial shall be available to the residents of the local unit of government making the appropriation to the extent that the governing body of the local unit of government may require.

45.72 History History: 2005 a. 22.

45.73 45.73 Sites for veterans memorial halls.

45.73(1) (1) Any local unit of government may donate to any organization specified in s. 70.11 (9) land upon which is to be erected a memorial hall to contain the memorial tablet specified in s. 70.11 (9).

45.73(2) (2) The action of any local unit of government in granting veterans organizations or any other civic, patriotic, educational, or historical society rooms and space within public buildings for the establishment of memorial halls and museums, and occupancy thereof by its members, is authorized and confirmed. The local unit of government may permit the use and occupancy of the rooms and space for such terms and subject to such conditions and provisions as the local unit of government may impose. Any contract, lien, or agreement between the local unit of government and any organization now in force shall continue in force according to the terms of the contract, lien, or agreement.

45.73 History History: 2005 a. 22.

45.74 45.74 Memorial corporations organized under 1919 act.

45.74(1) (1) Any commission or board of trustees that governs a corporation organized to construct a memorial under s. 45.057 (5), statutes of 1919 to 1943 (created by chapter 598, laws of 1919, and repealed by chapter 301, laws of 1945), shall have the following powers in addition to those it now has:

45.74(1)(a) (a) All powers vested in the members of the corporation by the articles of incorporation or bylaws, including the power to amend the articles of incorporation.

45.74(1)(b) (b) The powers set forth in s. 181.0302 and all other applicable provisions of ch. 181.

45.74(1)(c) (c) The power to convey any property under its control to any municipality and lease it back under terms agreed upon by the commission or board of trustees and the municipality.

45.74(1)(d) (d) The power to dissolve the corporation and dispose of the real and personal property of the corporation in a manner that it deems will best serve the purposes for which it was organized and the interests of the community.

45.74(2) (2) The commission or board of trustees shall have a membership composed of 5 residents of the city, village, or town in which the memorial is located, one appointed by the common council, village board, or town board of the city, village, or town, and 4 by the circuit judge of the county in which the memorial is located. The commission or board may appoint 4 additional members who are residents of this state. The terms of all members shall be 5 years. In order that terms of members may expire at different times, not more than 2 members shall be appointed in any one year in addition to appointments made to fill vacancies occurring by resignation or death. Members shall hold office until their successors are appointed and qualify.

45.74(3) (3) Notwithstanding the repeal of s. 45.057, 1943 stats., by chapter 301, laws of 1945, the continuing existence of all commissions, boards, and corporations organized under s. 45.057 (5), statutes of 1919 to 1943, is affirmed, and the continuing operation of such commissions, boards, and corporations is ratified as to the past and authorized in the future.

45.74 History History: 2005 a. 22.

45.75 45.75 Memorials in populous counties.

45.75(1) (1) Any county having a population of 750,000 or more may establish and maintain a memorial or memorials in the county under s. 45.72 by agreement between the county board of the county and any nonprofit private corporation without capital stock organized under the laws of this state, except as provided in this section, expressly for any of the purposes of s. 45.72.

45.75(2) (2) The board of directors of the corporation shall be designated as the “memorial board,” and its members shall be called “trustees.” The membership of the memorial board may include special members, who need not be members of the corporation.

45.75(3) (3) The memorial board shall consist of 15 members, of whom 8 may be special members to be elected as provided in this section, and the remaining members shall be elected from the membership of the corporation.

45.75(4) (4) Special members of the memorial board shall be elected by the county board of such county and consist of the following:

45.75(4)(a) (a) Four members from the county board.

45.75(4)(b) (b) Four members elected from among the residents of the county.

45.75(5) (5) Terms of members of the memorial board shall be as follows:

45.75(5)(a) (a) For special members:

45.75(5)(a)1. 1. Members elected from the county board shall be elected at the first meeting of the county board following each county board general election and their terms shall commence on that date. They shall hold office during their terms on the county board and until their successors are elected and qualified.

45.75(5)(a)2. 2. Members elected from among the residents shall hold office for 4 years and until their successors are elected, except that the first 4 such members shall be chosen for 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, respectively.

45.75(5)(a)3. 3. Any vacancy in the special membership shall be filled by the county board for the unexpired term, and until a successor is elected and qualified.

45.75(5)(b) (b) For elected members from the corporate membership: the terms of the trustees shall be for such numbers of years that those of an equal number, as nearly as may be, shall expire in 2, 3, and 4 years, and successive terms of 4 years each thereafter and until their successors are elected and qualified.

45.75(6) (6) The articles of incorporation of the corporation shall provide originally or by amendment, in addition to other necessary provisions, and as permitted by this section, for the classification of the members of the corporation, for the election of trustees proportionately from and by those classifications, for the terms of the members of the corporation and for the officers, their duties, and the terms thereof to be elected from the membership.

45.75(7) (7) The war memorial may be constructed upon any land ceded before July 15, 1953, by this state to any municipality in this state notwithstanding any restrictions, limitations, or conditions as to the nature of the use of any of the land contained in the legislative act, granting the land to the municipality, and notwithstanding the restrictions, limitations, or conditions incorporated in any subsequent conveyance of the lands by the municipality.

45.75(8) (8) The war memorial may be constructed in any public park and the use of those park lands as a location for a war memorial shall not be considered inconsistent with the use of the same for park purposes. No war memorial shall be constructed in a public park until the park commission, general manager appointed under s. 27.03 (2), or park board having jurisdiction of the park shall approve the construction. The county board of any county may authorize the construction of a war memorial at different intervals of time if the proposed memorial consists of more than one building or structure and any county board subsequently elected shall carry into effect any contract authorized by s. 45.72 entered into on behalf of the county for the construction or maintenance of the war memorial. The construction, maintenance, and operation of a war memorial in a county park shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the county board and no part of those costs shall be charged against the funds of the park commission, park system, or park board of the county.

45.75 History History: 2005 a. 22; 2017 a. 207 s. 5.

subch. VIII of ch. 45 SUBCHAPTER VIII

LOCAL RESPONSIBILITIES

45.80 45.80 County veterans service officer.

45.80(1) (1) Election or appointment.

45.80(1)(a) (a) Except as provided under par. (b), the county board shall elect a county veterans service officer who shall be a Wisconsin resident who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces and who meets at least one of the conditions listed in s. 45.01 (12) (a) to (d) and at least one of the conditions listed in s. 45.02 (2).

45.80(1)(b) (b) Except as provided under par. (c), the county board may appoint assistant county veterans service officers who shall be Wisconsin residents who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces and who meet at least one of the conditions listed in s. 45.01 (12) (a) to (d) and at least one of the conditions listed in s. 45.02 (2).

45.80(1)(c) (c) In counties with a county executive or county administrator, the county executive or county administrator shall appoint and supervise a county veterans service officer who shall have the qualifications prescribed under par. (a). The appointment is subject to confirmation by the county board unless the county board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation or unless the appointment is made under a civil service system competitive examination procedure established under s. 59.52 (8) or ch. 63.

45.80(2) (2) Term. A county veterans service officer elected under sub. (1) (a) shall serve until the first Monday in January of the 2nd year subsequent to the year of his or her election, and, if reelected, shall continue to serve unless removed under s. 17.10 (2).

45.80(3) (3) Salary. The salary of the county veterans service officer shall be fixed by the county board prior to or at the time of the service officer’s election and annually thereafter.

45.80(4) (4) Milwaukee County. In counties having a population of 750,000 or more the officer shall be appointed subject to ss. 63.01 to 63.17.

45.80(5) (5) Duties. The county veterans service officer shall do all of the following:

45.80(5)(a) (a) Advise persons living in the service officer’s county who served in the U.S. armed forces regarding any benefits to which they may be entitled or any complaint or problem arising out of such service and render to them and their dependents all possible assistance.

45.80(5)(b) (b) Make such reports to the county board as the county board requires.

45.80(5)(c) (c) Cooperate with federal and state agencies that serve or grant aids or benefits to former military personnel and their dependents.

45.80(5)(d) (d) Furnish information about veterans burial places within the county as required by s. 45.62 (2).

45.80(5)(e) (e) Perform the duties prescribed by law, including those duties under pars. (a) to (d), separately and distinctly from any other county department.

45.80(6) (6) Permitted activities. The county veterans service officer may do any of the following:

45.80(6)(a) (a) Inform persons living in the service officer’s county who are members of the national guard or of a reserve unit of the U.S. armed forces or dependents of those persons regarding potential benefits to which they may be or may become entitled and regarding all necessary military points of contact and general deployment information for activated and deployed members of the national guard or reserve units of the U.S. armed forces.

45.80(6)(b) (b) Cooperate with federal and state agencies that serve or grant aids or benefits to members of the national guard or reserve units of the U.S. armed forces and their dependents.

45.80(7) (7) Office space and assistants.

45.80(7)(a) (a) The county board shall provide the county veterans service officer with office space, clerical assistance, and any other needs that will enable the officer to perform the duties under sub. (5).

45.80(7)(b) (b) Except as provided under par. (c), the county board may appoint assistant county veterans service officers who shall be Wisconsin residents who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces for 2 consecutive years. An individual who is discharged for reasons of hardship or a service-connected disability or released due to a reduction in the U.S. armed forces or for the good of the service prior to the completion of the required period of service is eligible for appointment to the office, regardless of the actual time served.

45.80(7)(c) (c) In any county with a county executive or county administrator, the county veterans service officer may appoint assistant county veterans service officers who shall have the qualifications prescribed under par. (b).

45.80(8) (8) Qualifications applicability. The qualifications necessary to be a county veterans service officer or assistant county veterans service officer under subs. (1) (a) and (7) (b) apply only to persons elected to serve as county veterans service officers or assistant county veterans service officers on or after June 1, 1996, and who have not served as county veterans service officers or assistant county veterans service officers before June 1, 1996.

45.80 History History: 2005 a. 22; 2017 a. 207 s. 5.

45.81 45.81 County veterans service commission.

45.81(1) (1) There is created in each county a county veterans service commission consisting of at least 3 residents of the county who are veterans appointed for staggered 3-year terms by the county executive or county board chairperson in a county that does not have a county executive.

45.81(2) (2) The commission shall be organized by the election of one of their number as chairperson. The county executive or county board chairperson in a county that does not have a county executive after the expiration of the terms of those first appointed shall annually on or before the 2nd Monday in December appoint one person as a member of the commission for the term of 3 years. Except as provided in s. 59.21 (1) (intro.), the county executive or county board chairperson shall require each member of the commission and the county veterans service officer to execute to the county an individual surety bond, with sufficient sureties to be approved by the county executive or county board chairperson, each bond to be in an amount equal to the tax levied in the current year for expenditure by the commission. Each bond shall be filed with the county clerk.

45.81(3) (3) 

45.81(3)(a) (a) Except as provided under sub. (4), the commission may furnish aid to any person described in s. 45.86 if the right of that person to aid is established to the commission’s satisfaction.

45.81(3)(b) (b) The secretary of the commission shall maintain a list containing the name, place of residence, and amount of aid furnished to each person under par. (a), which shall be signed by the chairperson and secretary of the commission.

45.81(3)(c) (c) The total disbursements made by the commission under this subsection may not exceed the amount collected from the tax levied, except when specifically authorized by the county board. The commission shall provide the county treasurer with sufficient information to deliver the specified aid to the person entitled to that aid.

45.81(3)(d) (d) The commission may furnish aid in a different manner than by supplying money. The commission may request the county treasurer to pay a purveyor of services or commodities for the purchase of services or commodities, or the commission may furnish supplies, as it considers appropriate.

45.81(3)(e) (e) The commission shall make a detailed report to the county board annually showing the amount expended under this subsection. The report may not include any personal identifying information regarding the persons that received aid under this subsection.

45.81(4) (4) A county veterans service officer appointed under s. 45.80 (1) (b) or (4) shall have the administrative powers and duties prescribed for the county veterans service commission under sub. (2).

45.81(5) (5) The county board shall allow the members of the commission a reasonable rate of compensation for services and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to be determined under s. 59.22. The county board may provide for the employment of clerical assistance to the commission.

45.81(6) (6) The county veterans service officer shall serve as executive secretary of the county veterans service commission and shall make or direct all necessary investigations to determine eligibility for aid under s. 45.86 when the commission so requests. The county service officer, in making an investigation, may use the facilities for investigating that are made available by the county board.

45.81 History History: 2005 a. 22; 2011 a. 96.

45.82 45.82 Grants to counties and tribes for improvement of services.

45.82(1) (1) Each county may annually apply to the department for a grant for the improvement of service to former military personnel of the county through the county veterans service office. A county may not allocate any portion of a grant for use by another county department nor may the county reduce funding to a county veterans service office based upon receipt of a grant. The county veterans service officer of any county applying for the grant shall enter into an agreement with the department. The agreement shall state the goals and objectives to be attained by the county veterans service office during the remainder of the year covered by the grant application. The department shall prepare the basic form of this agreement in consultation with the county veterans service officers association and provide a copy and an explanation of that agreement to each county veterans service officer. The department shall develop reasonable budget and operating standards to assure improved services, but full operating control of the county office shall be left to each county.

45.82(2) (2) The department of veterans affairs shall award a grant annually to a county that meets the standards developed under this section if the county executive, administrator, or administrative coordinator certifies to the department that it employs a county veterans service officer who, if chosen after April 15, 2015, is elected or appointed under s. 45.80 (1). A grant for $11,688 shall be awarded for a county with a population of less than 20,000, a grant for $13,750 shall be awarded for a county with a population of 20,000 to 45,499, a grant for $15,813 shall be awarded for a county with a population of 45,500 to 74,999, and a grant for $17,875 shall be awarded for a county with a population of 75,000 or more. The department of veterans affairs shall use the most recent Wisconsin official population estimates prepared by the demographic services center when making grants under this subsection.

45.82(3) (3) Notwithstanding sub. (2), an eligible county with a part-time county veterans service officer shall be eligible for an annual grant not exceeding $550.

45.82(4) (4) The department shall provide grants to the governing bodies of federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (km) or (vu) if that governing body enters into an agreement with the department regarding the creation, goals, and objectives of a tribal veterans service officer, appoints a veteran to act as a tribal veterans service officer, and gives that veteran duties similar to the duties described in s. 45.80 (5), except that the veteran shall report to the governing body of the tribe or band. The department may make in an amount not to exceed $20,625 per grant annual grants under this subsection and shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection.

45.82 History History: 2005 a. 22, 25; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 59; 2021 a. 58; 2023 a. 19, 203.

45.82 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also chs. VA 8 and 15, Wis. adm. code.

45.83 45.83 Transportation services grants to counties.

45.83(1) (1) Annually, from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (s), the department shall award grants to counties that are not served by transportation services provided by the Wisconsin department of Disabled American Veterans to develop, maintain, and expand transportation services for veterans. The grants may be used to support multicounty cooperative transportation services.

45.83(2) (2) The department shall promulgate rules specifying the application procedures and eligibility criteria for grants under this section.

45.83(3) (3) A county may not reduce funding to a county veterans service office based upon receipt of a grant.