Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 67 - Municipal borrowing and municipal bonds.
67.12 - Temporary borrowing and borrowing on promissory notes.

67.12 Temporary borrowing and borrowing on promissory notes.
(1) Borrowing in anticipation of revenues.
(a) Except for school districts and technical college districts, any municipality that becomes entitled to receive federal or state aids, taxes levied or other deferred payments may, in the same fiscal year it is entitled to receive the payments, issue municipal obligations in anticipation of receiving the payments. The municipal obligations issued under this paragraph shall not exceed 60 percent of the municipality's total actual and anticipated receipts in that fiscal year and shall be repaid no later than 18 months after the first day of that fiscal year.
(b)
1. Any municipality may issue municipal obligations in anticipation of receiving proceeds from clean water fund loans or grants for which the municipality has received a notice of financial assistance commitment under s. 281.58 (15), from bonds or notes the municipality has authorized or has covenanted to issue under this chapter or from grants that are committed to the municipality. Any municipal obligation issued under this subdivision may be refunded one or more times. Such obligation and any refundings thereof shall be repaid within 5 years after the original date of the original obligation.
2. Any municipality may issue municipal obligations in anticipation of receiving proceeds from brownfields revolving loan program loans or grants under the program described in s. 292.72 if the municipality has received written notification from the department of natural resources that the department intends to distribute such proceeds to the municipality. The obligation shall be repaid within 10 years after the original date of the obligation, except that the obligation may be refunded one or more times. Any refundings shall be repaid within 20 years after the original date of the original obligation.
(c) Any municipality that issues a municipal obligation under this subsection shall adopt a resolution indicating the amount and purpose of the obligation and the anticipated revenue to secure the obligation and may pledge or assign all or portions of the revenue due and not yet paid as security for repayment of the obligations. Municipal obligations issued under this subsection shall be executed as provided in s. 67.08 (1), may be registered under s. 67.09, and do not constitute an indebtedness for the purpose of determining the municipality's constitutional debt limitation.
(8) Temporary borrowing by school board.
(a) The school board of any common, union high school or unified school district may:
1. After the tax for operation and maintenance of the schools for the current school year has been voted, borrow money as needed to meet the immediate expenses of operating and maintaining the public instruction in the school district during the current school year. No such loan may extend beyond November 1 of the following school year.
2. In June prior to voting an annual tax for the operation and maintenance of the schools for the subsequent school year, and in July and August prior to voting an annual tax for the operation and maintenance of the schools for the current school year, borrow money as needed to meet the immediate expenses of operating and maintaining the public instruction in the school district from July 1 to the last working day in October. The school board may borrow money under this subdivision only upon a recorded resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of its members. The resolution shall levy an irrepealable tax sufficient in amount to pay the principal of the loan and the interest thereon as they become due and payable. If the borrowing occurs in June, the loan shall be repaid on or before November 1 of the 2nd school year commencing after the date of the loan. If the borrowing occurs in July or August, the loan shall be repaid on or before November 1 of the school year commencing after the date of the loan.
(b)
1. The total amount borrowed under par. (a) may not exceed one-half the estimated receipts for the operation and maintenance of the school district for the school year in which the borrowing occurs, as certified by the school district clerk.
2. To evidence a loan under par. (a), the school board shall deliver to the lender its tax and revenue anticipation promissory note or notes or its school order. Each note and each order shall be executed as provided in s. 67.08 (1) and may be registered under s. 67.09. Each note or order, when paid, shall be receipted and returned to the school district treasurer.
(8a) Temporary school district loan against revenues; regarded as paid debt. Whenever a school district shall have become entitled to state aids, tuition revenues, or taxes levied, the district may pledge or assign all or portions of these revenues due but not yet paid as security for the repayment of loans required for operating purposes. Short term indebtedness secured by such assignment shall be construed as a paid or satisfied debt in reporting or computing the outstanding debt of the school district.
(8m) Temporary borrowing by technical college district. The technical college district board may borrow money as needed to meet the immediate expenses of operating and maintaining the schools of the district during the current fiscal year. No such loan may extend beyond November 1 of the following fiscal year. The total amount borrowed may not exceed one-half the estimated receipts for the operation and maintenance of the schools for the current fiscal year in which the borrowing occurs, as certified by the district treasurer. All such loans shall be evidenced by promissory notes which shall be executed as provided in s. 67.08 (1) and may be registered under s. 67.09. Whenever a technical college district becomes entitled to state aids, tuition revenues or taxes levied, the district may pledge or assign all or portions of these revenues due but not yet paid as security for the repayment of promissory notes issued under this subsection. Any indebtedness secured by such assignment shall be construed as a paid or satisfied debt in reporting or computing the outstanding debt of the district.
(12) Borrowing on promissory notes.
(a) Any municipality may issue promissory notes as evidence of indebtedness for any public purpose, as defined in s. 67.04 (1) (b), including but not limited to paying any general and current municipal expense, and refunding any municipal obligations, including interest on them. Each note, plus interest if any, shall be repaid within 10 years after the original date of the note, except that notes issued under this section for purposes of ss. 119.498, 281.58, 281.59, 281.60, 281.61, and 292.72, issued to raise funds to pay a portion of the capital costs of a metropolitan sewerage district, or issued by a 1st class city or a county having a population of 750,000 or more, to pay unfunded prior service liability with respect to an employee retirement system, shall be repaid within 20 years after the original date of the note.
(b) A school board of any newly created school district or a technical college district board may, pursuant to this section, issue promissory notes to refund any indebtedness assumed by the district upon its creation.
(c) At any time during the term of any promissory note, or thereafter, if the municipality has not paid the full amount due on a note:
1. The lender may grant an extension of time; or
2. The municipality may issue a promissory note to refund a promissory note or any part thereof or to refund a refunding promissory note. Any refunding note issued under this subdivision shall be paid within 10 years after the original date of the refunding note and within 20 years after the date of the original promissory note.
(cc) Any such note or notes may provide for prepayment on the terms and conditions prescribed therein.
(d) Such notes shall be executed as provided in s. 67.08 (1), may be registered under s. 67.09 and shall include a statement specifying the provisions of the resolution authorizing the issuance or a reference to the resolution so that it can be readily located. The notes issued under this section are an indebtedness of the municipality issuing them.
(e) Before any promissory note is issued under this subsection:
1. The governing body of the municipality shall adopt and record a resolution specifying the purposes and the maximum amount of the note issued.
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?".
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:
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.
b. Multiply the quotient under subd. 2g. a. by 0.015.
c. Multiply the product under subd. 2g. b. by the school district membership, as defined in s. 121.004 (5).
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?"
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.
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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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).
(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.
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.
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.