Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 66 - General municipality law.
66.0923 - County-city auditoriums.

66.0923 County-city auditoriums.
(1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Auditorium" includes a building of arena or music hall type construction or a combination of both, including facilities for sports, dances, convention exhibitions, trade shows, meetings, rallies, theatrical exhibitions, concerts and other events attracting spectators and participants.
(b) “Board" means the joint county-city auditorium board established under this section.
(c) “Ordinance" means an ordinance adopted by the governing body of a city or county and concurred in by the other governing body.
(2) County-city auditoriums. Any county and city partly or wholly within the county may by ordinance jointly construct or otherwise acquire, equip, furnish, operate and maintain a county-city auditorium.
(3) Financing. The governing bodies of the respective county and city or cities may borrow money, appropriate funds, and levy taxes needed to carry out the purposes of this section. Funds to be used for the purposes specified in this section may be provided by the respective county, city or cities by general obligation bonds issued under ch. 67 or by revenue bonds issued under s. 66.0913 or by the issuance of both general obligation bonds under ch. 67 and revenue bonds issued under s. 66.0913. Bonds issued under this section shall be executed on behalf of the county by the county board chairperson and the county clerk and on behalf of a city by its mayor or other chief executive officer and by the city clerk.
(4) Cost sharing. The ordinance shall provide for a sharing of all of the cost of construction or other acquisition, equipment, furnishing, operation and maintenance of an auditorium on an agreed percentage basis.
(5) Auditorium board.
(a) The ordinance shall provide for the establishment of a joint county-city auditorium board to be composed of all of the following:
1. The mayor or chief executive of the city, and the chairperson of the county board, who shall serve as members of the board during their respective terms of office.
2. Four members to be appointed by the county board chairperson and confirmed by the county board.
3. Four members to be appointed by the mayor or other chief executive officer of the city and confirmed by the city council.
(b) Under par. (a) 2. and 3., the initial term of one member shall be one year, the initial term of one member shall be 2 years, the initial term of one member shall be 3 years and the initial term of one member shall be 4 years. The respective successors of the members under par. (a) 2. and 3. shall be appointed and confirmed for terms of 4 years. All appointees shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. Terms shall begin as specified in the ordinance. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
(c) The mayor or chief executive of the city, and the county board chairperson, each may appoint not more than 2 public officials to the board under par. (a).
(6) Organization of boards; officers; compensation; oaths; bonds.
(a) When all members have qualified the board shall meet at the place designated in the ordinance and organize by electing from its membership a president, a vice president, a secretary and a treasurer, each to hold office for one year. The board may combine the offices of secretary and treasurer. Members may receive compensation as provided in the ordinance and shall be reimbursed their actual and necessary expenses for their services. However, members serving on the board because of holding another office or position shall not receive compensation other than any actual and necessary expenses for their services. With the approval of the board, the treasurer may appoint an assistant secretary and assistant treasurer, who need not be members of the board, to perform services specified by the board.
(b) Members, and any assistant secretary and assistant treasurer, shall qualify by taking the official oath, and the treasurer and any assistant treasurer shall furnish a bond in a sum specified by the board and in the form and conditioned as provided in s. 19.01 (2) and (3). The oaths and bonds shall be filed with the county clerk. The cost of the bond shall be paid by the board.
(7) Powers of board. The board may, subject to provisions of the ordinance, do all of the following:
(a) Contract for the construction or other acquisition, equipping or furnishing of an auditorium; accept and use donated services and gifts, grants or donations of money or property for the purposes given and consistent with this section; and contract for and authorize the installation of equipment and furnishings in all or part of the auditorium by private individuals, persons or corporations by donations, loan, lease or concession.
(b) Contract for the construction or other acquisition of additions or improvements to, or alterations in, an auditorium and the equipment or furnishing of any addition; and contract for or authorize the installation of equipment and furnishings in all or part of the addition by private individuals, persons or corporations by donation, loan or concession.
(c) Employ a manager of an auditorium and other necessary personnel and fix their compensation.
(d) Enact, amend and repeal rules and regulations for the leasing of, charges for admission to, and government of audiences and participants in events at an auditorium, for the regulation of the board's meetings and deliberations, and for the government, operation and maintenance of the auditorium and the auditorium's employees.
(e) Contract for, purchase or hire all fuel, equipment, furnishings, and supplies, services and help reasonably necessary for the proper operation and maintenance of an auditorium; contract for, purchase, hire, promote, conduct and operate, either by lease of all or part of an auditorium building or by direct operation by an auditorium board, meetings, concerts, theatricals, sporting events, conventions and other entertainment or events suitable to be held at the auditorium; and handle and make all proper arrangements for the sale and disposition of admission tickets to auditorium events and the establishment of seating arrangements and priorities.
(f) Audit all accounts and claims against an auditorium or against the board, and, if approved, pay the accounts and claims from the fund specified in sub. (9). All expenditures made pursuant to this section shall be within the limits of the ordinance.
(g) Sue and be sued, and collect or compromise any obligations due to an auditorium. All money received shall be paid into the joint auditorium fund.
(h) Make studies and recommendations to the county board and city council relating to the operation of an auditorium as the board considers advisable or the governing bodies request.
(i) Employ counsel on either a temporary or permanent basis.
(8) Budget. The board shall annually, before the time of the preparation of either the county or city budget under s. 65.90, prepare a budget of its anticipated receipts and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year and determine the proportionate cost to the county and the participating city under the terms of the ordinance. A certified copy of the budget, which shall include a statement of the net amount required from the county and city, shall be delivered to the clerks of the respective municipalities. The county board and the common council of the city shall consider the budget, and determine the amount to be raised by the respective municipalities in the proportions determined by the ordinance. After this determination, the county and city respectively shall levy a tax sufficient to produce the amount to be raised by the county and city.
(9) Auditorium fund. A joint county-city auditorium fund shall be created and established in a public depository to be specified in the ordinance. The treasurer of the respective county and city shall pay into the fund the amounts specified by the ordinance and resolutions of the respective municipalities when the amounts have been collected. All of the moneys which come into the fund are appropriated to the board for the execution of its functions as provided by the ordinance and the resolutions of the respective municipalities. The moneys in the fund shall be paid out by the treasurer of the auditorium board only upon the approval or direction of the board.
(10) Correlation of laws.
(a) If a bid is a prerequisite to contract in connection with a county or city auditorium under s. 66.0901, it is also a prerequisite to a valid contract by the board. For this purpose the board is a municipality and the contract a public contract under s. 66.0901.
(b) All statutory requirements, not inconsistent with the provisions of this section and applicable to city auditoriums, apply to auditoriums provided for in this section.
(11) Reports. The board shall report its activities to the county board and the city council annually, or oftener as either of the municipalities requires.
History: 1979 c. 110; 1983 a. 189; 1983 a. 192 s. 303 (1); 1999 a. 150 ss. 261, 489, 490; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0923; 2001 a. 30 s. 45.

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