Municipal incorporation is the process of creating new cities and villages from unincorporated town territory. The process involves:
- Petition signed by area residents
- Circuit court review
- Incorporation Review Board statutory petition review (Wis Stat. 66.0207)
- Potential involvement of neighboring municipalities who may support or oppose the proposed incorporation;
- Potential referendum vote by residents
- Incorporation certificate from the Department of Administration, if the above steps in the process are met
Incorporation Review Board
The Incorporation Review Board is responsible for ensuring that proposed new cities and villages comply with certain statutory standards, such as whether the new community has the financial means to operate as an incorporated municipality. Based on its statutory review, the Board may decide to grant an incorporation petition, or deny it, or recommend that the petition be re-submitted with altered boundaries because a different boundary configuration may comply with the statutory standards.
The Board is also responsible for prescribing and collecting an incorporation review fee. Effective November 2024, the fee is $30,000.
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