Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 66 - General municipality law.
66.0203 - Procedure for incorporation of villages and cities.

66.0203 Procedure for incorporation of villages and cities.
(1) Notice of intention. At least 10 days and not more than 20 days before the circulation of an incorporation petition, a notice setting forth that the petition is to be circulated and including an accurate description of the territory involved shall be published within the county in which the territory is located as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985.
(2) Petition.
(a) The petition for incorporation of a village or city shall be in writing signed by 50 or more persons who are both electors and freeholders in the territory to be incorporated if the population of the proposed village or city includes 300 or more persons; otherwise by 25 or more persons who are both electors and freeholders in the territory to be incorporated.
(b) The petition shall be addressed to and filed with the circuit court of a county in which all or a major part of the territory to be incorporated is located. The incorporation petition is void unless filed within 6 months of the date of publication of the notice of intention to circulate.
(c) The petition shall designate a representative of the petitioners, and an alternate, who shall be an elector or freeholder in the territory, and state that person's address; describe the territory to be incorporated with sufficient accuracy to determine its location and have attached to the petition a scale map reasonably showing the boundaries of the territory; specify the current resident population of the territory by number in accordance with the definition given in s. 66.0201 (2) (dm); set forth facts substantially establishing the required standards for incorporation; and request the circuit court to order a referendum and to certify the incorporation of the village or city when it is found that all requirements have been met.
(e) No person who has signed a petition may withdraw his or her name from the petition. No additional signatures may be added after a petition is filed.
(f) The circulation of the petition shall commence not less than 10 days nor more than 20 days after the date of publication of the notice of intention to circulate.
(3) Hearing; costs.
(a) Upon the filing of the petition the circuit court shall by order fix a time and place for a hearing giving preference to the hearing over other matters on the court calendar.
(b) The court may by order allow costs and disbursements as provided for actions in circuit court in any proceeding under this subsection.
(c) The court may, upon notice to all parties who have appeared in the hearing and after a hearing on the issue of bond, order the petitioners or any of the opponents to post bond in an amount that it considers sufficient to cover disbursements.
(4) Notice.
(a) Notice of the filing of the petition and of the date of the hearing on the petition before the circuit court shall be published in the territory to be incorporated, as a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, and given by certified or registered mail to the clerk of each town in which the territory is located and to the clerk of each metropolitan municipality of the metropolitan community in which the territory is located. The mailing shall be not less than 10 days before the time set for the hearing.
(b) The notice shall contain:
1. A description of the territory sufficiently accurate to determine its location and a statement that a scale map reasonably showing the boundaries of the territory is on file with the circuit court.
2. The name of each town in which the territory is located.
3. The name and post-office address of the representative of the petitioners.
(4m) Incorporations involving portions of 2 towns. If the territory designated in the petition is comprised of portions of only 2 towns, the territory may not be incorporated unless the town board of each town adopts a resolution approving the incorporation.
(5) Parties. Any governmental unit entitled to notice pursuant to sub. (4), any school district which lies at least partly in the territory or any other person found by the court to be a party in interest may become a party to the proceeding prior to the time set for the hearing.
(6) Annexation resolution. Any municipality whose boundaries are contiguous to the territory may also file with the circuit court a certified copy of a resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of the governing body indicating a willingness to annex the territory designated in the incorporation petition. The resolution shall be filed at or prior to the hearing on the incorporation petition, or any adjournment granted for this purpose by the court.
(7) Action.
(a) No action to contest the validity of an incorporation on any grounds, whether procedural or jurisdictional, may be commenced after 60 days from the date of issuance of the certificate of incorporation by the secretary of administration.
(b) An action contesting an incorporation shall be given preference in the circuit court.
(8) Function of the circuit court.
(a) After the filing of the petition and proof of notice, the circuit court shall conduct a hearing at the time and place specified in the notice, or at a time and place to which the hearing is duly adjourned.
(b) On the basis of the hearing the circuit court shall find if the standards under s. 66.0205 are met. If the court finds that the standards are not met, the court shall dismiss the petition. Subject to par. (c), if the court finds that the standards are met the court shall refer the petition to the board. Upon payment of any fee imposed under s. 16.53 (14), the board shall determine whether the standards under s. 66.0207 are met.
(c)
1. The court shall determine whether an annexation proceeding that affects any territory included in the incorporation petition has been initiated under s. 66.0217, 66.0219, or 66.0223. A court shall consider an annexation proceeding under s. 66.0223 to have been initiated upon the posting of a meeting notice by a city or village that states that the city or village is considering enacting an ordinance under s. 66.0223.
2. If the court determines that an annexation proceeding described under subd. 1. was initiated before the publication of the notice under sub. (1), the court shall refer the petition to the board when the annexation proceeding is final. If the annexation is determined to be valid, the court shall exclude the annexed territory from the territory proposed to be incorporated when it refers the petition to the board.
3. If the court determines that an annexation proceeding described under subd. 1. was initiated after, and within 30 days after, the publication of the notice under sub. (1), the annexation may not proceed until the validity of the incorporation has been determined. If the incorporation is determined to be valid and complete, the annexation is void. If the incorporation is determined to be invalid, the annexation may proceed.
4. If the court determines that an annexation proceeding described under subd. 1. was initiated on the same date as the publication of the notice under sub. (1), the court shall determine which procedure was begun first on that date and that action may proceed and the other action may not proceed unless the first action fails.
5. If the court determines that an annexation proceeding described under subd. 1. was initiated more than 30 days after the publication of the notice under sub. (1), the annexation is void.
(9) Function of the board.
(a) Upon receipt of the petition from the circuit court and payment of any fee imposed under s. 16.53 (14), the board shall make any necessary investigation to apply the standards under s. 66.0207.
(b) Within 30 days after the receipt by the board of the petition from the circuit court and payment of any fee imposed under s. 16.53 (14), whichever is later, any party in interest may request a hearing. Upon receipt of the request, the board shall schedule a hearing at a place in or convenient to the territory sought to be incorporated.
(c) Notice of the hearing shall be given in the territory to be incorporated by publishing a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, and by mailing the notice to the designated representative of the petitioners or any 5 petitioners and to all town and municipal clerks entitled to receive mailed notice of the petition under sub. (4).
(d) Subject to par. (dm), unless the court sets a different time limit, the board shall prepare its findings and determination, citing the supporting evidence, within 180 days after receipt of the referral from the court and payment of any fee imposed under s. 16.53 (14), whichever is later. The findings and determination shall be forwarded by the board to the circuit court. Copies of the findings and determination shall be sent by certified or registered mail to the designated representative of the petitioners, and to all town and municipal clerks entitled to receive mailed notice of the petition under sub. (4).
(dm) The time period specified or set by the court under par. (d) shall be stayed for a reasonable period of time to allow for alternative dispute resolution of any disagreements between interested parties that result from the filing of an incorporation petition if all interested parties agree to this stay and provide written notice of their agreement to the board and to the circuit court.
(e) The determination of the board made in accordance with the standards under ss. 66.0205, 66.0207 and 66.0217 (6) (c) shall be one of the following:
1. The petition as submitted is dismissed.
2. The petition as submitted is granted.
3. The petition as submitted is dismissed with a recommendation that a new petition be submitted to include more or less territory as specified in the department's findings and determination.
(f)
1. If the board determines that the petition shall be dismissed under par. (e) 1., the circuit court shall issue an order dismissing the petition. Except as provided in subd. 2., if the board grants the petition, the circuit court shall order an incorporation referendum as provided in s. 66.0211.
2. If sub. (4m) applies, the court shall dismiss the petition if the court does not find that the resolutions required under sub. (4m) have been adopted. Paragraph (g) does not apply to this subdivision.
(g) The findings of both the court and the board shall be based upon facts as they existed at the time of the filing of the petition.
(h) Except for an incorporation petition which describes the territory recommended by the board under sub. (9) (e) 3., no petition for the incorporation of the same or substantially the same territory may be entertained for one year following the date of dismissal under par. (f) of the petition or the date of any election at which incorporation was rejected by the electors.
(i) If the board fails to make a determination within the time limit under par. (d), the board shall refund the fees imposed by the board under s. 16.53 (14) and shall then make a determination as quickly as possible.
(10) Certain towns may become a city or village. A town that is adjacent to a village that contains an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone that is designated under s. 238.396 (1m) may become a city or village if the town holds, and approves, an incorporation referendum as described in s. 66.0211 (3). None of the other procedures contained in ss. 66.0201 to 66.0213 need to be fulfilled, and no approval by the board under s. 66.0207 is necessary for the town to become a city or village.
History: 1973 c. 37; 1977 c. 29; 1977 c. 187 s. 134; 1983 a. 219; 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 329; 1995 a. 201; 1999 a. 150 s. 36; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0203; 1999 a. 186; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 171; 2005 a. 254; 2007 a. 20; 2013 a. 38, 80; 2015 a. 13, 55; 2017 a. 58.
Sub. (5) does not empower a court to compel joinder. In re Incorporation of Town of Fitchburg, 98 Wis. 2d 635, 299 N.W.2d 199 (1980).
An incorporation petition's precedence over a competing annexation proceeding is discussed. Town of Delavan v. City of Delavan, 176 Wis. 2d 516, 500 N.W.2d 268 (1993).
Sub. (2) (e) prevents the signer of a petition from withdrawing his or her name. It does not prevent the circulator of the petition from striking invalid signatures. Sub. (2) (b) permits withdrawal of a signature before the petition is filed. Walag v. Town of Randall, 213 Wis. 2d 424, 570 N.W.2d 623 (Ct. App. 1997), 96-2987.
The effect of the requirement in sub. (2) (c) of a description with “sufficient accuracy" and a scale map “reasonably showing" the boundaries of the affected parcel is that the description and map, when viewed together, fairly apprise the public of the territory to be incorporated. Wirth v. City of Port Washington, 2001 WI App 277, 248 Wis. 2d 893, 637 N.W.2d 442, 01-0583.
The date a petition is “entertained" under sub. (9) (h) is the date the petition is filed with the circuit court. Town of Sheboygan v. City of Sheboygan, 2001 WI App 279, 248 Wis. 2d 904, 637 N.W.2d 770, 01-1129.
There are significant conflicts between a contingent narrative description that provides for more than one location and the sub. (2) (c) requirement that the petition describe the territory to be incorporated with sufficient accuracy to determine its location. Town of Campbell v. City of La Crosse, 2003 WI App 139, 266 Wis. 2d 107, 667 N.W.2d 356, 02-1150.
Under the rule of prior precedence, in case of conflict between competing annexations, or between an annexation and a proceeding for the incorporation of a city or village, the proceeding first instituted has precedence, and the later one must yield. Annexation proceedings did not lose priority status when the ordinances were deemed invalid and dismissed by the circuit court but subsequently vindicated on appeal. Town of Campbell v. City of La Crosse, 2003 WI App 139, 266 Wis. 2d 107, 667 N.W.2d 356, 02-1150.
A court's authority to determine whether 2 town boards have adopted resolutions under sub. (4m) approving an incorporation is triggered only after the incorporation review board has granted the incorporation petition under sub. (9) (f). Walt v. City of Brookfield, 2015 WI App 3, 359 Wis. 2d 541, 859 N.W.2d 115, 12-0919.

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