62.04 Intent and construction. It is declared to be the intention of the revision of the city charter law, to grant all the privileges, rights and powers, to cities which they heretofore had unless the contrary is patent from the revision. For the purpose of giving to cities the largest measure of self-government compatible with the constitution and general law, it is hereby declared that ss. 62.01 to 62.26 shall be liberally construed in favor of the rights, powers and privileges of cities to promote the general welfare, peace, good order and prosperity of such cities and the inhabitants thereof. Section 66.0301 (2) specifically authorizes a municipality to contract with other municipalities for the receipt or furnishing of services. In addition, this section and s. 62.11 (5) confer upon cities all powers not denied them by other statutes or the constitution. In this case, the city decided to make certain of its property available to neighboring municipalities for wastewater treatment service on the terms and conditions it negotiated in contracts with those municipalities, including annual license fees. Section 62.11 (5) unquestionably conferred authority upon the city to do so. Mary Lane Area Sanitary District v. City of Oconomowoc, 2023 WI App 48, 409 Wis. 2d 159, 996 N.W.2d 101, 22-1649.
62.05
Classes of cities. (1) Cities shall be divided into 4
May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26)
62.05
CITIES
classes for administration and the exercise of corporate powers as follows: (a) Cities of 150,000 population and over shall constitute 1st class cities. (b) Cities of 39,000 and less than 150,000 population shall constitute 2nd class cities. (c) Cities of 10,000 and less than 39,000 population shall constitute 3rd class cities. (d) Cities of less than 10,000 population shall constitute 4th class cities. (2) Population of cities shall be determined by the last federal census, including a special federal census taken of such city, except in newly incorporated cities when a census is taken as provided by law. Cities shall pass from one class to another when such census shows that the change in population so requires, when provisions for any necessary changes in government are duly made, and when a proclamation of the mayor, declaring the fact, is published according to law. History: 1995 a. 225; 1997 a. 35. Cross-reference: See s. 990.001 (15), which provides that “If a statute refers to a class of city specified under s. 62.05 (1), such reference does not include any city with a population which makes the city eligible to be in that class unless the city has taken the actions necessary to pass into the class under s. 62.05 (2).”