60.31 Official oath and bond.
(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.
(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.
(3) Exceptions.
(a) An elected assessor shall take and file the official oath and bond at any time between May 27 to May 31.
(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.
(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.
History: 1983 a. 532; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 246; 2019 a. 113.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
60.01 - Legal status; general powers.
60.03 - Division and dissolution of towns generally.
60.05 - Organization of towns in special cases.
60.06 - Validity of attachment or detachment.
60.07 - Delivery of papers to clerk of new town.
60.09 - When a county constitutes a town.
60.10 - Powers of town meeting.
60.12 - Special town meetings.
60.16 - First town meeting in new towns.
60.21 - Town board, increased size authorized.
60.22 - General powers and duties.
60.24 - Powers and duties of town board chairperson.
60.30 - Election, appointment of town officers; general provisions.
60.305 - Combined and part-time offices.
60.307 - Appointment of town assessors.
60.31 - Official oath and bond.
60.32 - Compensation of elective town offices.
60.321 - Reimbursement of expenses.
60.323 - Compensation when acting in more than one official capacity.
60.34 - Duties of town treasurer.
60.341 - Deputy town treasurer.
60.35 - Duties of town constable.
60.40 - Preparation and adoption of budget.
60.41 - Annual financial statement.
60.45 - Disbursements from town treasury.
60.47 - Public contracts and competitive bidding.
60.52 - Sewer and water systems of adjoining municipality.
60.53 - Service pipes and laterals.
60.54 - Solid waste transportation.
60.553 - Combined protective services.
60.555 - Fire safety regulations.
60.557 - Reimbursement for fire calls on highways.
60.563 - Rewards for crime information.
60.57 - Police and fire commission.
60.61 - General zoning authority.
60.62 - Zoning authority if exercising village powers.
60.625 - Required notice on certain approvals.
60.627 - Town construction site erosion control and storm water management zoning.
60.63 - Community and other living arrangements.
60.635 - Environmental protection; interstate hazardous liquid pipelines.
60.64 - Historic preservation.
60.71 - Creation of town sanitary district by town board order.
60.72 - Creation of town sanitary district by order of the department of natural resources.
60.726 - Property with private on-site wastewater treatment system included.
60.73 - Review of orders creating town sanitary districts.
60.74 - Commissioners; method of selection.
60.75 - Commissioners; requirements.
60.76 - Organization of the commission.
60.78 - Powers to borrow money and issue municipal obligations.
60.782 - Power to act as a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district.
60.785 - Changes in district boundaries.
60.79 - Alteration of town sanitary districts.
60.80 - Publication or posting of ordinances and resolutions.
60.81 - Population; use of federal census.
60.82 - Regional planning programs.