Town Hall-2354 County Rd N Stoughton, WI 53589-2873 Telephone: (608) 873-3063 Email: cttops@tds.net

Town Meeting Agendas and Posting Places:

A detailed agenda for each meeting is posted a minimum of 24 hours before the meeting date.

Posting Places are:

• Town Hall, 2354 County Hwy N
• Pleasant Springs Sanitary District Building, 2083 Williams Dr.
• East side of the Red Oak Court cul-de-sac

Purpose

The Annual Meeting is the meeting of town electors to exercise powers that by law are required, or permitted, to be decided at the Annual Meeting. An elector is a town resident who is qualified to vote. Electors attending the Annual Meeting may only act on those things specified by state statute. Powers and authority are found in Section 60 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

Required Procedures for Annual Meeting (WI.STATS.60.11)

When:  The meeting must be held on the second Tuesday in April or within 10   days.

Where:  The meeting must be held at the location of previous Annual Meeting; a notice is necessary if changed.

Notice:  No notice is required if the meeting is held on the 2nd Tuesday of April. 

Presiding Officer:  The  chairperson is the presiding officer of the Annual Meeting and any Special Town Meeting. The chairperson has the statutory authority to decide how the meetings will be conducted. This includes the power to: state the business to be transacted, the order in which the items will be taken up, regulate the proceedings, decide all questions of order and declare which votes passed. The chairperson, having a clear idea of areas in which the electors have legal authority, will indicate whether a matter being taken up is binding or advisory.

Actions By Vote: Voting may be by ballot, show of hands, standing or voice vote. Only electors of the town may vote or otherwise officially participate in the Annual Meeting or Special Town Meeting. For example, a nonresident property owner may address the Annual Meeting on a particular subject, but may make no motion with respect to the subject or vote on it. All electors must be 18 or more years old and residing in the Town for at least 10 days before the meeting.

Reconsideration of Actions: Reconsiderations must be heard within one hour of adjournment of the Annual Meeting or at a Special Town Meeting. The number of times a matter may be reconsidered prior to the next Annual Meeting is not limited.

Quorum: A quorum is not required. Town officers are electors of the town and are entitled to vote and make motions.

General Powers of the Town Meeting (WI.STATS.60.11)

Although the Annual Meeting is the opportunity for all town electors to meet and vote on various matters, the electors have only the powers authorized by statue. If an Annual Meeting adopts a motion beyond its statutory authority, it is not binding on the Town Board.

Issues raised that are not a town meeting power may be be declared "out of order" and no vote taken. The town chair may wish to take an "advisory vote" on some issues, but may declare that it is not a power of the town meeting and is only advisory to the Town Board.

Authorized Direct Actions

• Electors may do the following:
  • Levy taxes (Decisions about how to spend the funds are made by the Town Board as it adopts the budget in November)
  • Fix compensation of the town offices
  • Combine certain offices
  • Provide for appointment by Town Board of the town clerk, town treasurer, or both, or of the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer
  • Establish or abolish the office of Constable
  • Establish Town Board members by numbered seats
  • Improve waterways
• May grant authority to the Town Board to:
  • Set property tax levy
  • Purchase land or buildings
  • Exercise village powers
  • Lease/Construct building
  • Disperse property
  • Appropriate money for civic functions and conservation of natural resources.

The Town Board encourages every elector to attend the Town Meetings and participate fully in this cornerstone of the town form of government.