Municipal Government Role at to all levels of government and levels of Wisconsin municipal or local government.

1. Philip J. Freeburg, J.D.
Distinguished Lecturer
Local Government Education
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Division of Extension
Copyright © 2020 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System doing business as the Division of
Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. All Rights Reserved

2. Objectives
 Roles and Relationship of Local
Government to State and Federal
Government
 Roles and Structures of Wisconsin
Local Governments

3. We Know:
Federal Government
State Government
Local Government

4. Federal and State Government
 Federal Government role:
Constitution is the framework of federal powers
 What are these powers?

5. Federal Government Powers
 Defense
 International and Native American Relations
 Regulate Interstate & Foreign Commerce
 Postal Service and Roads
 Currency and Regulation of Money
 Federal Court System
 Copyrights and Patents
 Taxation and Borrowing Money
 Provide for Common Defense & General Welfare

6. State Powers
Amendment 10 – US Constitution
Powers of the States and People.
The powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the States, are
reserved to the States respectively, or to
the people.

7. Powers of Local Governments
The US constitution does not mention County, Town,
City, or other Municipal Governments

8. Government Responsibility
 Because all other government responsibilities fall to
the states, state governments create and control local
governments.
 Local Government supply most of citizens daily
services
 Local government is where most people see effective
democracy at work

9. Relationships of Federal, State and
Local Government in Action
You live in a Town & your neighbor’s house is on
fire. You call 911 for help.
 Where does help come from?
 The White House?
 Congress?
 Governor or the State Legislature?
 Your County?
 Your Town?
 The City or Village?

10. To answer the question let’s follow
the path of the Firefighters' gear
to the fire next door:

11. Fire fighters wear special insulated
and fire resistant protective gear

12. Your local Town Board decided:
 How to provide town fire protection
 How to fund it with taxes or grants
 Maybe entered an agreement with another local
government to obtain or jointly provide fire protection

13. County :
 Provides the 911 Service to dispatch the fire
department
 Through Emergency Government:
 Coordinates emergency service in the county
 Assisted with grants for equipment and training

14. State Government
 Sets requirements and standards for local governments
to provide fire protection
 Sometimes assists or services grant funding

15. Federal Government
 Through Department of Homeland Security grant
programs provide funds for local fire departments,
including funds for fire fighter gear

16. Can you think of other ways your
local government interacts with
you and other governments?

17. Highways
Law Enforcement
Education
Social Services
Other

18. Wisconsin Local Governments
 72 Counties
 1,247 Towns
 414 Villages
 190 Cities
 443 School Districts
 16 Wisconsin Technical
College Districts

20. The Framework of Your Wisconsin Government
Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (2015)

21. Organization
of Wis. Local Government

22. County
County Executive,
County Administrator
or Administrative
Coordinator
Circuit Court
County Board

23. Central Administration
 County Executive
 County Administrator
 Administrative Coordinator

25. Elected County Officials
 Sheriff*
 District Attorney *
 Coroner*
 Register of Deeds*
 *Positions named in State Constitution
 Clerk of Circuit Courts
 County Clerk
 Treasurer
 Surveyor

26. County Board
of Supervisors
 Supervisors serve primarily a legislative role
 The legislative function is largely limited to policy making,
law making, budgetary approval, and cooperative decision-
making
 No operational control resides with individual supervisors

27. Home Rule
 Definition: the authority the state concedes to a local
government to govern its own affairs within its own
boundaries.

28. Home Rule
 Cities and Villages:
 Permitted “to determine their local affairs and
government, subject only to this constitution and to
such enactments of the legislature of state-wide concern
as with uniformity shall affect every city or every village.”
 Counties:
 May exercise any organizational or administrative
power, subject only to the constitution and to any
enactment of the legislature which is of statewide
concern and which uniformly affects every county.
 “Administrative home rule.”

29. Towns
Town
Meeting
Town Board
of Supervisors

30. Town Meeting
 Meeting of “Electors”
 All persons eligible to vote
 Direct Powers - Examples:
 Levy taxes
 Fix compensation for town offices.
 Combine certain town offices, or make some town
offices part-time.
 Grants of Authority, Directives, Authorizations - Examples:
 Delegate Tax Levy Authority
 Exercise Village Powers
 Purchase or convey town real property

31. Town Board of
Supervisors
 3 to 5 Supervisors
 Decision Making and Administration
 Chairman:
 Presides over Board Meetings and Town Meetings
 Signs Town documents
 Sees to administration of Statutes
 Act on Authorization of Board
 Statute specified duties

32. Typical Town Services
 Public Improvements, Road Building and Maintenance
 Regulation & Enforcement as required by state and
county
 Parks and Recreation Facilities
 Some Towns :
 Police
 Land Use Regulation
 “Village Powers”

33. Town Officials
 Clerk
 Treasurer
 Constable

34. Finer Point
 “Town” is a specific unit of government
 “Township” is surveyor’s geographic unit, typically 6
miles by six miles

35. Cities and Villages
 “Incorporated”
 Extensive “Home Rule”
 Usually more concentrated population
 May annex town area(s)
 Direct Legislation available to voters

36. Cities
Mayor
City
Council

37. Mayor
 Veto power as to all acts of the council
 except where it is expressly or by necessary implication not
permitted
 Chief Executive Officer
 Oversees state and local law is observed and enforced
 Provide information and recommendation action to
City Council
 Appoint citizens to Commissions and Boards
 Head of police and fire departments
 Unless Police and Fire commission has management power

38. City Council
 Mayor presides but only votes to break a tie
 Most elected to represent districts
 Length of terms, Staggered terms determine by
Charter Ordinance under Home Rule

39. City Council
 Alderpersons serve primarily a legislative role
 The legislative function is largely limited to policy
making, law making, budgetary approval, and
cooperative decision-making
 No operational control resides with individual
Alderpersons

40. City Officials
 Clerk
 Treasurer
 Attorney*
 Police and Fire Chiefs
 Assessor*
 Engineer*
 Board of Public Works*
 Street Commissioner*
 *Or provide otherwise for performance of their assigned
duties

41. Villages
Board of
Trustees

42. Village Board of Trustees
 6 Trustees
 3 Trustees in villages of 350 people or less
 Elected at Large
 Village President
 Presides over Board Meetings
 “Maintain Peace and Good Order”
 Sees that “ordinances are… obeyed”

43. Village Board of Trustees
 As with County Supervisors and Alderpersons, a
Village Trustee has no power to act unilaterally or
speak for the village other than as part of a quorum
 No supervisory authority rests with individual Trustees

44. Village Officials
 Clerk
 Treasurer
 Assessor
 Police and Fire Chiefs

45. Third Branch
Cities, Villages and Towns
 Municipalities may create Municipal Courts
 Hears, Decides and Imposes Judgments on Ordinance
Violation Cases
 Municipal Judge(s) elected
 Judges supervised by Supreme Court

46. Manager Form of Government
 City Council-Manager or Village Board-Manager Plan
 Adopted by Charter Ordinance or Public Petition and
Referendum
 Appoint a manager who then is:
 the chief executive officer of the city [or village]
 The head of the city [or village] administration
 10 Cities and Villages have Manager Form of
Government

47. Manager Form of Government
 Chapter 64 provides for the Council/Manager
Plan
 Unique in that it provides for a City Manager to
be the CEO and does not provide for a Mayor

48. Other Local Governments
 Town Sanitary Districts
 Metropolitan Sewerage District
 Lake Districts
 Drainage Districts
 Wisconsin Technical College Districts
 School District

49. Find Out More
 Local Government Center
 lgc.uwex.edu
 The Framework of Your Wisconsin Government
 published by The Wisconsin Policy Forum
 2019-2020 Wisconsin Blue Book
 “The Changing World of Wisconsin Local Government” by
Susan C. Paddock in 97-98 Wisconsin Blue Book
 Officials Handbooks from Wis. Towns Association, Wis.
Counties Association and League of Wis. Municipalities
 Legislative Counsel 2019-2020 Wisconsin Legislator
Briefing Book, Chapter 22

50. Philip J. Freeburg, J.D.
Distinguished Lecturer
Local Government Education
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Division of Extension
Copyright © 2021 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System doing business as the Division of
Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. All Rights Reserved