Chapter 64 — OTHER FORMS OF CITY GOVERNMENT

64.01 How to organize under ss. 64.01 to 64.15. (1) Any city of the second, third or fourth class may reorganize under the provisions of ss. 64.01 to 64.15, either by enactment of a charter ordinance or by a petition and referendum election as provided by s. 66.0101. Such petitio…

64.02 Other laws, bylaws and ordinances in force. (1) Any law applicable to any city before its reorganization and not inconsistent with the provisions of ss. 64.01 to 64.15 shall apply to and govern such reorganized city. (2) Any bylaw, ordinance, or resolution lawfully passed a…

64.03 Petition for adoption; contents; question to be voted upon. (1) Every ordinance or resolution for the adoption of ss. 64.01 to 64.15, and every petition for a special election on the same, shall state the number of members of which the council herein provided for shall be c…

64.04 Council, when elected; qualification of electors; nominations. (1) At the election held as provided by law upon the first Tuesday in April next succeeding the adoption of the provisions of ss. 64.01 to 64.15, there shall be elected a council composed as provided in the ordi…

64.05 Term of council members. (1) The term of office of such council member shall begin on the third Tuesday in April. If the term of council member as determined by the election is 2 years, the term of a bare majority of the members elected at the first election after the adopt…

64.06 Recall. Any council member may be recalled from office in accordance with the provisions of s. 9.10. This method of removal shall be in addition to the other methods provided by law. History: 1985 a. 135 s. 83 (1).

64.07 Powers of council; its organization; quorum; meetings. (1) The council shall possess and exercise all legislative and general ordinance powers imposed and conferred by general law or special charter upon the mayor and common council and the various boards and commissions no…

64.08 Council members, their duties and compensation. The council members shall devote such time to the duties of their office as the interests and general welfare of the city demand and shall receive such compensation as determined in the petition, ordinance or resolution provid…

64.09 City manager; qualifications, selection, removal. (1) The council first elected after the reorganization of a city under the provisions of ss. 64.01 to 64.15 shall as soon after the reorganization as possible engage for an indefinite term a city manager who shall have charg…

64.10 City departments, boards and commissions. (1) The council shall upon the report and recommendation of the city manager have the power to create general departments of city administration. The report and recommendations of the city manager showing the necessity or desirabili…

64.105 Optional powers. Any city or village which has determined by ordinance or petition and referendum to operate under the city manager form of government may by charter ordinance allocate powers to the council, president of the council and city manager in a manner other than …

64.11 Powers of city manager, appointments. (1) The city manager shall be the chief executive officer of the city and head of the city administration and shall possess and exercise all the executive and general administrative powers imposed and conferred by general law or special…

64.12 City manager to present monthly reports and accounts. (1) The city manager shall each month prepare and present to the council a summarized statement of the income and expenditures of the city for the preceding month arranged in standard form and detailed as to appropriatio…

64.13 First council may revise appropriations already made; state commission work continued. (1) If at the beginning of the term of office of the first council elected under ss. 64.01 to 64.15 the appropriations for the expenditures of the city government for the current fiscal y…

64.14 City may return to its former government. Any city which shall have adopted the provisions of ss. 64.01 to 64.15 may abandon the same and reorganize under the provisions of ch. 62 or ss. 64.25 to 64.40, or under a home rule charter by proceeding in accordance with the provi…

64.15 Village manager plan. The provisions of ss. 64.01 to 64.14 shall also apply to villages, and such plan shall be known in villages as the village manager plan. Provided, however, that in villages adopting such plan, the council shall be composed of the board of trustees. SUB…

64.25 City commission plan; adoption; cities applicable to. Any city of the second, third or fourth class may reorganize under the provisions of ss. 64.25 to 64.40, either by enactment of a charter ordinance or by a petition and referendum election as provided by s. 66.0101. Such…

64.26 Terms of officers in commission cities. The term of office of the mayor and alderpersons of any city so adopting the commission form of government shall end on the third Tuesday in April next succeeding the first municipal election held after such adoption. History: 1993 a.…

64.27 Law applicable; existing ordinances, etc.; territorial limits; vested rights; liabilities. (1) Any law applicable to any city before its reorganization and not inconsistent with the provisions of ss. 64.25 to 64.40, shall apply to and govern such reorganized city. (2) Any b…

64.28 Election of mayor and council members; terms; eligibility. (1) At the election held, as provided by law, upon the first Tuesday in April next succeeding the adoption of the provisions of ss. 64.25 to 64.40, there shall be elected a council consisting of a mayor and 2 other …

64.29 Council; powers; duties; president; quorum; vote. (1) If any city shall adopt the provisions of ss. 64.25 to 64.40, all duties, liabilities, authority, powers and privileges theretofore imposed or conferred by general law or special charter upon the mayor and council of suc…

64.30 Organization of city government. (1) The council may create any general department of city affairs, such as: (a) Public finance and accounts. (b) Public health, safety and sanitation. (c) Streets and public improvements. (d) Public property. (e) Public charities and correct…

64.31 Salaries. (2) Cities which have not by ordinance established such salaries shall fix the salaries of council members and mayor at the earliest date legally possible. (4) The council may at any regular meeting increase or decrease the salary of the members of the council, in…

64.32 Offices; council may create or abolish. The council may from time to time create and fill offices and fix the term of service and salaries other than those described in s. 64.31 and discontinue any office so created or any office included within s. 64.30 according to their …

64.33 Meetings. (1) The council shall provide by ordinance for the time of holding regular meetings, and special meetings may be called by the mayor or by the 2 council members. (2) The meetings of the council or of any committee thereof whether regular or special, to which any p…

64.34 City comptroller; financial statement; publication; annual examination. (1) The city comptroller shall each month prepare and present to the council a summary statement of the revenues and expenses of the city for the preceding month, detailed as to appropriations and funds…

64.35 Existing appropriations; powers concerning. If, at the beginning of the term of office of the first council elected under ss. 64.25 to 64.40, the appropriation for the expen- May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 5 Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats. ditures of t…

64.36 Boards and commissions. (1) The board of public works shall continue as constituted, or it shall be composed of such city officers as the council shall designate, or the council may act as a board of public works, or the board may be dispensed with and the functions thereof…

64.37 Abandonment of commission plan. (1) Any city which has adopted the provisions of ss. 64.25 to 64.36 may abandon the same and reorganize under ch. 62 or ss. 64.01 to 64.14, or under a home rule charter by proceeding in accordance with s. 64.25. (2) The common council of any …

64.38 Application of commission plan statutes. Except as may be otherwise expressly provided every amendment of ss. 64.25 to 64.40 shall affect and be applicable to each city operating under its provisions at the time of the amendment.

64.39 Number of alderpersons in 2nd and 3rd class cities; election of officers in 2nd class cities. (1) Any city of the 2nd or 3rd class operating under ss. 64.25 to 64.40 may, by a vote of the electors therein, as herein provided, increase the number of the members of the counci…

64.40 Increasing membership of council in commission cities. (1) Any city described in s. 64.39 may, in the manner therein provided, vote on the question of changing from a mayor and 2 council members to a mayor and one alderperson for each 4,000 or major fraction thereof of popu…