Chapter 60

60.30 60.30 Election, appointment of town officers; general provisions.

60.30(1) (1) Elected town officers.

60.30(1)(a) (a) At the annual spring election in odd-numbered years, each town shall elect:

60.30(1)(a)1. 1. Except as provided under par. (b), 3 town board supervisors. One of the supervisors shall be designated on the ballot as town board chairperson.

60.30(1)(a)2. 2. Except as provided in sub. (1e), a town clerk and a town treasurer or a person to serve in the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer under s. 60.305 (1).

60.30(1)(a)3. 3. A town assessor, if election of the assessor is required, or a person to serve in the combined office of town clerk and town assessor under s. 60.305 (2).

60.30(1)(a)4. 4. The number of constables established by the last preceding town meeting unless the office has been abolished and has not been reestablished by the town meeting under s. 60.10 (1) (b) 4.

60.30(1)(b) (b) If the town board has increased the number of supervisors under s. 60.21, town board supervisors shall be elected at the annual spring election as provided in that section.

60.30(1e) (1e) Appointed town officers.

60.30(1e)(a) (a) Notwithstanding sub. (1) (a) 2. and subject to pars. (b) and (c), a town board may enact an ordinance that provides for the appointment of a person by a majority of the members-elect of the town board, as defined in s. 59.001 (2m), to fill the office of town clerk, town treasurer, or both, or to fill the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer under s. 60.305 (1).

60.30(1e)(b) (b) An ordinance enacted under par. (a) may not take effect until it is approved in a referendum called by the town board for that purpose at the next spring or general election, to be held not sooner than 70 days after the referendum is called by the town board. The referendum question shall be: “Shall the person holding the office of ... [town clerk or town treasurer, or both; or the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer] in the town of ... be appointed by the town board?”.

60.30(1e)(c) (c) If an ordinance is approved in a referendum under par. (b), the change from an elective office to an appointive office may not take effect until the term of office of the incumbent town clerk, town treasurer, or combined town clerk and town treasurer expires. If an ordinance is approved under par. (b) at a general election, the ordinance takes effect upon the expiration of the term or terms of the incumbent officer or officers. If an ordinance is approved under par. (b) at a spring election at which the office of town clerk or town treasurer is filled, the ordinance takes effect upon the expiration of the term or terms of each officer who is elected at that election. A person appointed to the office of town clerk or town treasurer, or to the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer, shall serve for a term, not to exceed 3 years, that is set by the town board. The person may be reappointed and may be dismissed by the board only for cause, as defined in s. 17.001.

60.30(1e)(d) (d) Not sooner than 2 years after an ordinance is approved in a referendum under par. (b), the town board may enact an ordinance to return to a system of electing the town clerk and town treasurer or the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer, under sub. (1) (a) 2., without a referendum. If the ordinance under this paragraph is enacted on or after the date of the spring election and on or before November 1 in any year, a town clerk, town treasurer or combined town clerk and town treasurer shall be elected to succeed the appointive officer at the next spring election following enactment of the ordinance. If the ordinance is enacted on any other date, a town clerk, town treasurer or combined town clerk and town treasurer shall be elected to succeed the appointive officer at the 2nd spring election following enactment of the ordinance.

60.30(1e)(e) (e) Notwithstanding sub. (1) (a) 2. and subject to pars. (f) and (g), a town board that is authorized to do so by a town meeting under s. 60.10 (1) (b) 2m. shall appoint, by a majority of the members-elect of the town board, as defined in s. 59.001 (2m), a person to fill the office of town clerk, town treasurer, or both, or to fill the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer under s. 60.305 (1).

60.30(1e)(f) (f) If a person is appointed to office under par. (e), the person initially appointed may not take office until the term of office of the incumbent town clerk, town treasurer, or combined town clerk and town treasurer expires. A person appointed to the office of town clerk or town treasurer, or to the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer, shall serve for a term, not to exceed 3 years, that is set by the town board. The person may be reappointed and may be dismissed by the board only for cause, as defined in s. 17.001.

60.30(1e)(g) (g) Not sooner than 2 years after a person is appointed to office under par. (e), the town board may enact an ordinance to return to a system of electing the town clerk and town treasurer or the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer, under sub. (1) (a) 2. without a vote of a town meeting. An ordinance enacted under this paragraph shall follow the procedures in par. (d).

60.30(1m) (1m) Part-time supervisors. Town board supervisors shall be part-time officers, unless designated as full-time by the town meeting under s. 60.10 (1) (b) 6.

60.30(2) (2) Restrictions.

60.30(2)(a) (a) Only an elector of the town may hold a town office, other than an assessor appointed under s. 60.307 or a town clerk, town treasurer or combined town clerk and town treasurer appointed under sub. (1e).

60.30(2)(b) (b) No person may hold the offices of town treasurer and town assessor at the same time.

60.30(2)(c) (c) No assessor may be elected in any town appointing assessors under s. 60.307 or in any town which is under the jurisdiction of a county assessor under s. 70.99.

60.30(2)(d) (d) No person may assume the office of town assessor unless certified by the department of revenue, under s. 73.09, as qualified to perform the functions of the office of town assessor. If a person is elected to the office and is not certified by June 1 of the year elected, the office is vacant and the town board shall fill the vacancy from a list of persons certified by the department of revenue.

60.30(3) (3) Notice of election. Within 5 days after completion of the canvass under s. 7.53, the town clerk shall transmit a notice of election to each person elected to a town office.

60.30(4) (4) Term of office.

60.30(4)(a) (a) Every elected town officer shall hold the office for 2 years.

60.30(4)(b) (b) The regular term of elected town officers, other than the town assessor, commences on the 3rd Tuesday of April in the year of their election. The regular term of an elected assessor commences on June 1 in the year of the assessor’s election.

60.30(5) (5) Temporary vacancy.

60.30(5)(a) (a) If any elected town officer, other than a town board supervisor, is absent or temporarily incapacitated from any cause, the town board may appoint, if there is no deputy officer for the office, a suitable person to discharge the duties of the office until the officer returns or the disability is removed, except that the appointment procedures of this paragraph apply to a town board supervisor if he or she is absent because of entry into the U.S. armed forces. Appointees shall file the official oath and bond required under s. 60.31.

60.30(5)(b) (b) If any elected town officer, other than a town board supervisor, refuses to perform any official duty, the town board may appoint a suitable person to perform those duties which the officer refuses to perform. An appointee shall file the official oath and bond required of the office under s. 60.31. This paragraph does not preclude a finding that refusal to perform official duties constitutes cause under s. 17.13 (3).

60.30(5)(c) (c) If a town board supervisor is temporarily incapacitated because of physical or mental disability, the town board may appoint a person to discharge the supervisor’s duties until the disability is removed.

60.30(6) (6) Town officers residing in new incorporated municipality or annexed territory. Notwithstanding s. 17.03 (4), if, due to incorporation or annexation, any town officer, except a town board supervisor or a municipal judge, becomes a resident of a city or village, the officer shall continue in the town office and discharge the duties of the office until completion of the term for which elected.

60.30 History History: 1983 a. 532, 538; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 246; 1995 a. 34; 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 103; 2011 a. 75, 115; 2019 a. 140.

60.305 60.305 Combined and part-time offices.

60.305(1) (1) Clerk and treasurer. Except as provided under sub. (3), the town meeting may:

60.305(1)(a) (a) Combine the offices of town clerk and town treasurer. If the offices are combined, the town board shall provide for an annual audit under s. 60.43 (2).

60.305(1)(b) (b) Designate as part-time the office of town clerk, the office of town treasurer or the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer.

60.305(2) (2) Clerk and assessor. Except as provided under sub. (3), the town meeting may combine the offices of town clerk and town assessor. If a person elected to a combined office is not certified under s. 73.09 by June 1 of the year elected, the combined office is vacant.

60.305(3) (3) Town in county with only one town.

60.305(3)(a) (a) In the town in any county containing only one town, the town board may, by resolution:

60.305(3)(a)1. 1. Combine 2 or more town offices.

60.305(3)(a)2. 2. Designate any town office as a part-time position.

60.305(3)(a)3. 3. Combine, if concurred in by the county board, the offices of town clerk and county clerk and any other town and county offices if the offices combined are not incompatible and the combination is not expressly forbidden by law.

60.305(3)(b) (b) If the town board and county board agree to combine a county and town office under this subsection, the election to fill the combined office shall be under s. 59.20 (2). No separate election for the town office may be held until the county board, by resolution, revokes the combination and the town board, by resolution, concurs.

60.305(4) (4) General provisions.

60.305(4)(a) (a) A combination of offices under this section takes effect on the latest date that any current term of an office to be combined expires.

60.305(4)(b) (b) Except as provided under sub. (3) (b) for combined town and county offices, the election to fill any combined office shall be under s. 60.30.

60.305(4)(c) (c) The combination of town offices may be revoked in the same way that they were combined. No separate election for a town office, if combined, may be held until the combination is so revoked.

60.305 History History: 1983 a. 532; 1995 a. 201.

60.305 Annotation Compensation may be increased to the clerk for service on the board of review if the clerk has been designated part-time by the town meeting. 79 Atty. Gen. 176.

60.307 60.307 Appointment of town assessors.

60.307(1) (1) Applicability. This section does not apply to any town within the jurisdiction of a county assessor under s. 70.99.

60.307(2) (2) Town meeting authorization. If authorized by the town meeting under s. 60.10 (2) (j), the town board may select assessors by appointment.

60.307(3) (3) Method of selection. If authorized under sub. (2), a town board may appoint an assessor and any assistants by one of the following methods:

60.307(3)(a) (a) If the town has a civil service system, under that system. If the town has no civil service system, the town board may adopt a civil service system under s. 66.0509 (2) (b) for the selection of assessors.

60.307(3)(b) (b) If the town does not have or adopt a civil service system, the town board shall appoint assessors on the basis of merit, experience and general qualifications for a term not to exceed 5 years.

60.307(4) (4) Independent contractor as assessor.

60.307(4)(a) (a) In this subsection, “independent contractor” means a person who either is under contract to furnish appraisal and assessment services or is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, business or profession in which the services are offered to the general public.

60.307(4)(b) (b) An independent contractor may be appointed as the town assessor. The independent contractor shall designate the individual responsible for the assessment. The designee shall file the official oath under s. 19.01 and sign the affidavit of the assessor attached to the assessment roll under s. 70.49. No individual may be designated by an independent contractor unless he or she has been granted the appropriate certification under s. 73.09.

60.307(5) (5) Assessors; assistants; number and salaries. The town board shall determine the number of assistant assessors required and the salaries to be paid the assessor and assistant assessors. If the assessor and assistant assessors are appointed under civil service, the salaries shall be within the civil service salary schedule and appointments shall be from the civil service lists.

60.307(6) (6) Commencement of office. An initial appointee under this section shall take office at the expiration of the terms of the last elected assessors.

60.307 History History: 1983 a. 532; 1993 a. 246; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2019 a. 140.

60.31 60.31 Official oath and bond.

60.31(1) (1) Official oath. Except as provided in sub. (3), every elected or appointed town officer shall take and file the oath under s. 19.01 within 5 days after notification of election or appointment.

60.31(2) (2) Official bond. Every town clerk, deputy town clerk, town treasurer, deputy town treasurer, elected assessor and town constable shall execute and file an official bond provided by the town or by sufficient sureties, or the town may provide a schedule or blanket bond that includes any or all of these officials. The official bond or schedule or blanket bond provided by the town may be furnished by a surety company under s. 632.17 (2). The amount of the bond shall be fixed by the town board. If the amount of the bond is not fixed by the board, the amount shall be the same as that required of the last incumbent of the office. If the town board at any time determines that the bond is insufficient, it may require an additional bond to be filed within 10 days, in an amount fixed by the board.

60.31(3) (3) Exceptions.

60.31(3)(a) (a) An elected assessor shall take and file the official oath and bond at any time between May 27 to May 31.

60.31(3)(b) (b) Municipal judges shall take and file the official oath and, if required to do so by the town board, the official bond, under s. 755.03. If the town board does not require municipal judges to file an official bond, the board shall obtain a dishonesty or other appropriate insurance policy that covers the judges, as described in s. 755.03.

60.31(4) (4) Failure to file oath or bond. If any person elected or appointed to a town office fails to file a required official oath or bond within the time prescribed by law, the failure to file constitutes refusal to serve in office.

60.31 History History: 1983 a. 532; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 246; 2019 a. 113.

60.32 60.32 Compensation of elective town offices.

60.32(1) (1) Established by town meeting or board.

60.32(1)(a) (a) Except as provided under par. (b) and s. 66.0507, the town meeting shall establish the compensation of elective town offices.

60.32(1)(b) (b) If authorized by the town meeting under s. 60.10 (2) (k), the town board shall establish the compensation of elective town offices, other than the office of town board supervisor.

60.32(2) (2) Nature of compensation. Compensation under this section may be:

60.32(2)(a) (a) An annual salary.

60.32(2)(b) (b) A per diem compensation for each day or part of a day necessarily devoted to the service of the town and the discharge of duties.

60.32(2)(c) (c) A combination of pars. (a) and (b).

60.32(3) (3) Changes during term. Subject to sub. (4), the town meeting or, if authorized to establish compensation, the town board may make a change in the compensation of an elective town office to take effect during the term of office.

60.32(4) (4) When established. Compensation under this section shall be established prior to the latest date and time for filing nomination papers for the office. After that date and time, no change may be made in the compensation of the office that applies to the current term of office.

60.32 History History: 1983 a. 532; 1993 a. 246; 1999 a. 150 s. 672.

60.321 60.321 Reimbursement of expenses.

60.321(1) (1) Generally. The town board may provide for reimbursement of expenses necessarily incurred by any officer or employee of the town in the performance of official town duties. The board may determine who is eligible for expense reimbursement, which expenses are reimbursable and the amount of reimbursement. Expenses reimbursable under this section include, but are not limited to:

60.321(1)(a) (a) Traveling expenses, including mileage, lodging and meal expenses.

60.321(1)(b) (b) Costs associated with programs of instruction related to the officer’s or employee’s office or employment.

60.321(2) (2) Manuals. The town board may purchase handbooks and manuals that will materially assist town officials and employees in the performance of official duties.

60.321 History History: 1983 a. 532.

60.323 60.323 Compensation when acting in more than one official capacity. Except for offices combined under s. 60.305, no town may compensate a town officer for acting in more than one office of the town at the same time.

60.323 History History: 1983 a. 532; 2001 a. 16.

60.33 60.33 Duties of town clerk. The town clerk shall: