Chapter 67

67.12(12)(e) (e) Before any promissory note is issued under this subsection:

67.12(12)(e)1. 1. The governing body of the municipality shall adopt and record a resolution specifying the purposes and the maximum amount of the note issued.

67.12(12)(e)2. 2. Unless the purpose and amount of the borrowing have been approved by the electors under s. 67.05 (6a) or deemed approved by the electors under s. 67.05 (7) (d) 3., the purpose is to refund any outstanding municipal obligation, the purpose is to pay unfunded prior service liability contributions under the Wisconsin retirement system if all of the proceeds of the note will be used for that purpose, the borrowing would not be subject to a referendum as a bond issue under s. 67.05 (7) (cc), (er), (h), or (i), or subd. 2g. or par. (f) or (h) applies, the school district clerk shall, within 10 days after a school board adopts a resolution under subd. 1. to issue a promissory note in excess of $5,000, publish notice of such adoption as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985. Alternatively, the notice may be posted as provided under s. 10.05. The notice need not set forth the full contents of the resolution, but shall state the maximum amount proposed to be borrowed, the purpose thereof, that the resolution was adopted under this subsection, and the place where, and the hours during which, the resolution may be inspected. If, within 30 days after publication or posting, a petition conforming to the requirements of s. 8.40 is filed with the school district clerk for a referendum on the resolution signed by at least 7,500 electors of the district or at least 20 percent of the number of district electors voting for governor at the last general election, as determined under s. 115.01 (13), whichever is the lesser, then the resolution shall not be effective unless adopted by a majority of the district electors voting at the referendum. The referendum shall be called in the manner provided under s. 67.05 (6a), except that the question which appears on the ballot shall be “Shall .... (name of district) borrow the sum of $.... for (state purpose) by issuing its general obligation promissory note (or notes) under section 67.12 (12) of the Wisconsin Statutes?”.

67.12(12)(e)2g. 2g. Subdivision 2. applies only if the amount of money to be raised by the promissory note will cause the aggregate amount of outstanding indebtedness of the school district incurred without a referendum since August 9, 1989, excluding amounts specified in s. 67.05 (6a) (bm), to exceed $1,000,000 or an amount determined as follows, whichever is less:

67.12(12)(e)2g.a. a. Divide the full value of all taxable property in all school districts operating a high school, as determined under s. 121.06 (1), by the total membership, as defined in s. 121.004 (5), of all school districts.

67.12(12)(e)2g.b. b. Multiply the quotient under subd. 2g. a. by 0.015.

67.12(12)(e)2g.c. c. Multiply the product under subd. 2g. b. by the school district membership, as defined in s. 121.004 (5).

67.12(12)(e)2r. 2r. For a school district from which territory is detached to create a new school district under s. 117.105, the amounts specified and calculated under subd. 2g. shall be increased, for the construction of a building or an addition to a building only, by the amount determined as follows:

67.12(12)(e)2r.a. a. Determine the number of pupils in each grade level who attended school in the previous school year in a building that was then owned by the school district and has been allocated to another school district by the reorganization and who resided in the previous school year in territory that was not transferred to the other school district. The number shall be the average of such pupils enrolled on the 3rd Friday of September and the 2nd Friday of January.

67.12(12)(e)2r.b. b. The department of safety and professional services shall determine, for each grade level in which pupils attended school in a building described in subd. 2r. a., the average cost per square foot for, and the average number of square feet per pupil included in, 2 recently constructed school buildings that were designed to serve pupils of that grade level, as selected by that department.

67.12(12)(e)2r.c. c. For each grade level, multiply the number determined under subd. 2r. a. by the product of the 2 numbers determined under subd. 2r. b., and total the results.

67.12(12)(e)3. 3. When a school district board adopts a resolution to borrow a sum in excess of $5,000 under this section for a stated purpose and a sufficient petition for referendum is not filed within the time permitted under subd. 2., or if such petition is filed and the question is approved at referendum, then the power of the board to borrow the sum and expend the sum for the purpose stated shall be deemed approved by the school district electors upon the expiration of the time for filing the petition or accomplishment of the referendum, whichever is applicable.

67.12(12)(e)4. 4. If a school board adopts a resolution to borrow a sum not exceeding $5,000 under this section, or if a school board adopts a resolution to borrow a sum in excess of $5,000 but subd. 2. does not apply, the school board has the power to borrow and spend the sum for the purpose stated without the approval of the electors of the school district.

67.12(12)(e)5. 5. Within 10 days of the adoption by a technical college district board of a resolution under subd. 1. to issue a promissory note for a purpose under s. 38.16 (2), the secretary of the district board shall publish a notice of such adoption as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985. The notice need not set forth the full contents of the resolution, but shall state the amount proposed to be borrowed, the method of borrowing, the purpose thereof, that the resolution was adopted under this subsection and the place where and the hours during which the resolution is available for public inspection. If the amount proposed to be borrowed is for building remodeling or improvement and does not exceed $1,500,000 or is for movable equipment, the district board need not submit the resolution to the electors for approval unless, within 30 days after the publication or posting, a petition conforming to the requirements of s. 8.40 is filed with the secretary of the district board requesting a referendum at a special election to be called for that purpose. Such petition shall be signed by electors from each county lying wholly or partially within the district. The number of electors from each county shall equal at least 1.5 percent of the population of the county as determined under s. 16.96 (2) (c). If a county lies in more than one district, the technical college system board shall apportion the county’s population as determined under s. 16.96 (2) (c) to the districts involved and the petition shall be signed by electors equal to the appropriate percentage of the apportioned population. In lieu of a special election, the district board may specify that the referendum shall be held at the next succeeding spring primary or election or partisan primary or general election. Any resolution to borrow amounts of money in excess of $1,500,000 for building remodeling or improvement shall be submitted to the electors of the district for approval. If a referendum is held or required under this subdivision, no promissory note may be issued until the issuance is approved by a majority of the district electors voting at such referendum. The referendum shall be noticed, called and conducted under s. 67.05 (6a) insofar as applicable, except that the notice of special election and ballot need not embody a copy of the resolution and the question which shall appear on the ballot shall be “Shall .... (name of district) be authorized to borrow the sum of $.... for (state purpose) by issuing its general obligation promissory note (or notes) under section 67.12 (12) of the Wisconsin Statutes?”

67.12(12)(e)6. 6. A copy of any resolution of the district board under subd. 5. which requires a referendum shall be promptly transmitted by the secretary of the district board to the county clerk or board of election commissioners of each county any part of which is contained within the district. A copy of the resolution shall be filed as provided in s. 8.37. Costs of the referendum shall be borne as provided in ss. 5.68 and 7.03.

67.12(12)(e)7. 7. Notes issued by technical college districts under the authority of this subsection prior to July 1, 1977 and without approval thereof by the electors of such districts are not invalid because of the absence of such approval. Such notes are valid and binding obligations of such district if in all other respects issued in accordance with the law pertaining thereto.

67.12(12)(ee) (ee) The governing body of any municipality proceeding to issue a promissory note under this subsection shall, before issuing the note, levy a direct, annual tax sufficient in amount to pay and for the express purpose of paying the interest on the note as it falls due and to pay and discharge the principal thereof at maturity. The municipality may not repeal such levy or in any way obstruct the collection of the tax until all such payments have been made or provided for. Any such tax shall be carried into the tax roll each year and collected as other taxes are collected until all payments on the note have been provided for, except that the amount of tax carried into the tax roll may be reduced in any year by the amount of any surplus in the debt service fund account under s. 67.11. The municipality may make an appropriation to provide funds for payments coming due on any note, whether or not the note has been authorized, prior to the first collection of the taxes levied for those payments. The amount of the appropriation shall be based on estimates of the amount of notes to be sold and the rate of interest the notes will bear. The municipality may not use the appropriation for any purpose other than that for which appropriated and shall transfer any surplus in the appropriation to the general fund of the municipality. Notwithstanding par. (e) 1., the municipality is not required to levy a tax equal to the amount of that appropriation.

67.12(12)(f) (f) Paragraph (e) 2. does not apply to borrowing by a school district from the state trust funds under subch. II of ch. 24 if the trust fund loan is for a distance education project and the loan has been approved by the board of control of the cooperative educational service agency in which the school district participates.

67.12(12)(g) (g) A common school district, union high school district or unified school district may, upon compliance with the requirements of this section, issue its note or notes in order to provide funds allocated under the contract to the school district as a participant in a contract under s. 120.25.

67.12(12)(h) (h) Paragraph (e) 2. does not apply to borrowing by the school board of a school district created by a reorganization under s. 117.105, or by the school board from which territory is detached to create a school district under s. 117.105, for the purpose of financing any assets or liabilities apportioned to the school district or assets apportioned to another school district under s. 117.105 (1m), (2m), or (4m).

67.12(12)(k) (k) Paragraph (e) 5. does not apply to borrowing by a technical college district board to purchase or construct a facility to be used as an applied technology center if s. 38.15 (3) (c) applies.

67.12 History History: 1971 c. 49, 144; 1971 c. 152 s. 38; 1971 c. 164, 215; 1973 c. 172, 250; 1975 c. 311; 1977 c. 29; 1977 c. 272 s. 98; 1977 c. 418; 1979 c. 34; 1979 c. 110 s. 60 (13); 1979 c. 221, 297; 1981 c. 20, 254; 1981 c. 282 ss. 29, 45; 1981 c. 314; 1983 a. 24, 27, 192, 207, 368, 538; 1985 a. 101, 225; 1987 a. 197, 391, 399, 403; 1989 a. 31, 56, 192, 336, 366; 1991 a. 32, 49; 1993 a. 399; 1995 a. 27, 227, 232, 358; 1997 a. 35, 286; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 1999 a. 182; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 43; 2007 a. 115, 188; 2009 a. 28, 180; 2011 a. 32, 75; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 59; 2017 a. 207 s. 5; 2023 a. 6, 128.

67.12 Annotation Sub. (12) (e) 5. and 6. permit a vocational, technical and adult education (technical college) district board to initiate a referendum on borrowing by issuing promissory notes, the result of which will be binding on the board. 63 Atty. Gen. 551.

67.15 67.15 Variable rate obligations.

67.15(1) (1) In this section:

67.15(1)(a) (a) “Credit facility” means a standby or direct payment letter of credit, an insurance policy or other commitment to pay the principal of, or interest on, a municipal obligation.

67.15(1)(b) (b) “Liquidity facility” means a standby or direct payment letter of credit or other commitment to purchase, or provide funds for the purchase of, a municipal obligation presented for purchase under a put option.

67.15(1)(c) (c) “Put option” means the right of the holder or owner of a municipal obligation to present that municipal obligation to the municipality which issued it, its designee or a 3rd party for purchase by that municipality, designee or 3rd party.

67.15(1)(d) (d) “Tendered obligation” means a municipal obligation which is presented for purchase when a put option is exercised.

67.15(1)(e) (e) “Variable interest rate” or “variable rate” means a rate of interest greater than zero which is subject to change from time to time under sub. (2).

67.15(1)(f) (f) “Variable rate obligation” means a municipal obligation which bears interest at a variable rate.

67.15(2) (2) Any municipal obligation issued under this chapter or ch. 66 may have a variable interest rate. If a municipality issues a municipal obligation with a variable interest rate, the governing body of the municipality shall adopt and record a resolution providing the following:

67.15(2)(a) (a) A procedure, method, formula or index by which the interest rate may change from time to time.

67.15(2)(b) (b) A stated maximum interest rate for the municipal obligation or for each maturity of the municipal obligation.

67.15(3) (3) A resolution under sub. (2) may provide for changing the interval at which the interest rate may change and for converting the variable rate to a fixed rate.

67.15(4) (4) In a resolution under sub. (2), a municipality may grant or provide for a put option for the holders or owners of any municipal obligation issued under the resolution and may provide in the resolution for the price at which tendered obligations will be purchased. A put option may provide for exercise at one or more designated times or upon a specified period of notice by holders and owners.

67.15(5) (5) A municipality may contract with a bank, trust company, investment banker or other financial institution, determined by the governing body of the municipality to be qualified, to act as the agent of the municipality in changing the interest rate of variable rate obligations under the procedure, method, formula or index established under sub. (2) (a), in changing the interval at which such interest rate may change and in purchasing and remarketing tendered obligations. A contract under this subsection may be on an exclusive basis, may be negotiated and may provide for payment of a fee to the agent based on a fixed annual amount, a percentage of the outstanding principal amount of the obligations, a percentage of the principal amount of obligations remarketed or any other criteria approved by the governing body of the municipality which is making the contract.

67.15(6) (6) A municipality may contract for the provision of a credit facility or a liquidity facility, or both. A contract under this subsection may be negotiated. A municipality may enter into a separate contract with any party furnishing such credit facility or liquidity facility to provide for repayment by the municipality of amounts paid by that party under the credit facility or liquidity facility, with interest on such amounts at a rate provided in the contract. A municipality’s obligation to reimburse a credit facility or liquidity facility for amounts advanced under a contract under this subsection may not be deemed additional debt of the municipality.

67.15(7) (7) Any variable rate obligation, including a bond issued under s. 67.04, which contains any put option allowing any holder or owner of the variable rate obligation to present the variable rate obligation for purchase within one year from the date of the variable rate obligation, may be sold at a public or private sale.

67.15(8) (8) The purchase of a tendered obligation by or on behalf of the municipality may not be deemed to be a redemption thereof, and the remarketing of a tendered obligation may not be deemed to be an issuance of that obligation.

67.15(9) (9) Any tax levied under s. 67.05 (10) or 67.12 (12) (e) 1. to pay the principal and interest on a variable rate obligation may be in an amount sufficient to pay the maximum amount of principal and interest which may be payable under the terms of the obligation or the terms of any contract under sub. (6). If, after payment of interest in any year, there is any amount remaining in the debt service account for the obligation which was collected for the purpose of paying interest on the obligation in that year, the amount of tax carried on to the tax roll for the next year may be reduced by that remaining amount.

67.15 History History: 1987 a. 310.

67.16 67.16 General obligation-local improvement bonds.

67.16(1) (1) In this section:

67.16(1)(a) (a) “Debt service fund” means the fund, however derived, set aside for the payment of principal and interest on bonds issued under this section.

67.16(1)(b) (b) “Governing body” means the body or board vested by statute with the power to levy special assessments for public improvement.

67.16(1)(c) (c) “Local governmental unit” means a county, city, village, town, farm drainage board, sanitary district, utility district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district or any other public board, commission or district, except a 1st class city, authorized by law to levy special assessments for public improvements against the property benefited by the special improvements.

67.16(1)(d) (d) “Public improvement” means the result of the performance of work or the furnishing of materials or both, for which special assessments are authorized to be levied against the property benefited by the special assessment.

67.16(2) (2) 

67.16(2)(a) (a) For the purpose of anticipating the collection of special assessments payable in installments under s. 66.0715 (3), the governing body of a local governmental unit, after the installments have been determined, may issue general obligation-local improvement bonds under this section.

67.16(2)(b) (b) The issue of general obligation-local improvement bonds shall be in an amount not exceeding the aggregate unpaid special assessments levied for the public improvement that the issue is to finance. A single issue of the bonds may be used to finance one or more different local improvements for which special assessments are authorized to be made in the same year. Sections 67.035, 67.06, 67.07, 67.08 and 67.11, where not contrary to the provisions of this section, apply to the bonds. The bonds shall mature in the same number of installments as the underlying special assessments, but the date of maturity of each installment of the bonds shall be fixed in October, November or December. The first maturity of the bonds may be in the 2nd year following the date of levy of the first installment of the underlying special assessment. At the time that the bonds are authorized, the governing body of the local governmental unit shall levy a tax upon all the taxable property of the local governmental unit sufficient to provide for the payment of the principal and interest of the bonds at maturity. The tax levy is irrepealable. All collections of installments of the special assessments levied to pay for the public improvement, either before or after delinquency, shall be placed by the treasurer of the local governmental unit in a special debt service fund, designated and identified for the issue of the bonds, and shall be used only for the payment of the bonds and interest of the issue. The annual installment of the irrepealable tax levied for the purpose of payment of the bonds and interest on the bonds shall be diminished by the amount on hand in the debt service fund on November 1 of each tax levy year after deducting any unpaid interest and principal due in that year, and the amount on hand in the fund shall be applied to the payment of the next succeeding installment of principal and interest named on the bonds. Any deficiency in the debt service fund for the payment of the bonds and interest at maturity shall be paid out of the general fund of the local governmental unit and the general fund shall be reimbursed from the collection of that part of the irrepealable tax that is actually levied. Any surplus in the debt service fund after all bonds and interest are fully paid shall be paid into the general fund.

67.16(2)(c) (c) If any installment of the special assessment that is entered in the tax roll is not paid to the treasurer of the local governmental unit with the other taxes, it shall be returned to the county treasurer as delinquent in trust for collection.

67.16(3) (3) After the expiration of 90 days from the date of a general obligation-local improvement bond, the bond is conclusive evidence of the legality of all proceedings up to and including the issue of the bond and prima facie evidence of the proper construction of the improvement.

67.16 History History: 1999 a. 150 ss. 518, 623; 2001 a. 30; 2005 a. 253.

67.17 67.17 Diversion of funds, liability of officers for. Every public officer, and the sureties on the officer’s official bond, and every other person participating directly or indirectly in any impairment of a borrowed money fund or of a debt service fund of any municipality, shall be liable in an action brought by such municipality or by one or more of its taxpayers, or by any party owning a warrant, note, order, or other obligation payable in whole or in part out of such fund, to restore to such fund all such diversions therefrom.

67.17 History History: 1983 a. 207 s. 93 (8); 1991 a. 316.

67.22 67.22 Issuance stayed by protest. No bonds, other than refunding bonds, may be issued in any cases where, within 30 days after the adoption of the initial resolution under s. 67.05 (1), a petition is filed with the clerk of the municipality contemplating the issuance of bonds, signed by a majority of the municipality’s electors as defined in s. 6.02 (1) requesting in the petition that issue not be made.

67.22 History History: 1983 a. 207; 1987 a. 197.

67.24 67.24 Validation of obligations of incorporated municipality.

67.24(1) (1) Any municipality, however incorporated, exercising functions of government after such incorporation may borrow money, within constitutional limitations, for the purpose of financing any building, improvement, work or other public undertaking for the furnishing, constructing, erecting, installing, or operating any public service, including sewers, water systems for fire protection and for public and industrial use, sewage disposal systems and plants, storm water relief sewers, channels and ditches, public highways and extensions thereof, or such other public necessities which its governing body may deem necessary for the protection of public health and safety and to prevent pollution of streams and water courses, notwithstanding that such incorporated municipality may be involved in or threatened with a civil action testing or questioning the incorporation of such municipality or the validity of any part of such incorporation and all proceedings of the governing body of such municipality authorizing the issuance of bonds, notes and other evidences of debts and all resolutions or ordinances adopted for such purposes and the execution and delivery of such evidences of indebtedness are hereby validated and shall be legal and enforceable obligations of such municipality with like force and effect as the obligations of regularly incorporated municipal corporations; and the determination by any court that such municipality is irregularly incorporated shall not affect the rights of creditors against the territory and assets of such purported incorporated municipality; the legislative intention being that there shall be no lapse of government or power of government to act for the general welfare, public interest and commercial betterment of such incorporated area during the pendency of any civil or threatened civil action. All taxes levied or to be levied in accordance with the provision made by such purported municipality for the collection of a direct annual tax sufficient to pay the interest on such bonds, notes or other evidence of debts and to pay and discharge the principal thereof, shall be valid and be levied and enforced against the territory of such purported municipality by the local governmental unit or units of which the territory may be a part.

67.24 History History: 1979 c. 110 s. 60 (5).

67.25 67.25 Redevelopment bonds. Any proceedings by a city prior to October 4, 1959 for the issuance of general obligation bonds as authorized by s. 66.1333 (13) in effect at the time of such proceedings, to provide financial assistance to blight elimination, slum clearance, redevelopment and urban renewal programs and projects being carried out under s. 66.1331, 66.1333 or 66.1337 may be continued under this chapter and, notwithstanding lack of power in the city to issue bonds under this chapter at the time of the adoption of an initial resolution or referendum of the electors approving such bonds, such proceedings are hereby validated, ratified, approved and confirmed, and any bonds authorized prior to or after October 4, 1959 as a result of the proceedings are and shall be binding, valid and enforceable obligations of the city, and the city may levy taxes without limitation for the payment thereof as provided in s. 67.035.

67.25 History History: 1979 c. 89; 1999 a. 150 s. 672.

67.26 67.26 Judgments on municipal orders. No judgment shall be rendered in any action brought upon any county, town, city, village or school order, unless the order upon which said action is based is produced in evidence and filed with the court or with the clerk thereof, and the clerk notes upon each order the date of such filing. Any order so filed shall not be removed from the files without an order of the court or presiding judge. Any judgment rendered in violation of this section shall be absolutely void.

67.26 History History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 761 (1975); Stats. 1975 s. 67.26.