60.10 Powers of town meeting. (1) DIRECT POWERS. The
town meeting may:
    (a) Raise money. Raise money, including levying taxes, to pay
for expenses of the town, unless the authority has been delegated
to the town board under sub. (2) (a).
    (b) Town offices and officers. 1. Fix the compensation of elec-
tive town offices under s. 60.32, unless the authority has been del-
egated to the town board under sub. (2) (k).
     2. Combine the offices of town clerk and town treasurer under
s. 60.305 (1).
     2m. In a town with a population of 2,500 or more, provide for
the appointment by the town board of the town clerk, town trea-
surer, or both, or of the combined office of town clerk and town
treasurer under s. 60.305 (1), at a level of compensation to be set
by the board that may not be reduced during the term to which the
person is appointed.
     3. Combine the offices of town assessor and town clerk under
s. 60.305 (2).
     4. Establish or abolish the office of town constable and estab-
lish the number of constables. Abolition of the office is effective
at the end of the term of the person serving in the office.
     5. Designate the office of town clerk, town treasurer or the
combined office of clerk and treasurer as part−time under s.
60.305 (1) (b).
     6. Designate town board supervisors as full−time officers.
    (c) Election of town officers. 1. Adopt a plan under s. 5.60 (6)
to elect town board supervisors to numbered seats.
     2. Provide under s. 8.05 (3) (a) for the nomination of candi-
dates for elective town offices at a nonpartisan primary election.
    (e) Cemeteries. Authorize the acquisition and conveyance of
cemeteries under s. 157.50 (1) and (3).
    (f) Administrator agreements. Approve agreements to employ
an administrator for more than 3 years under s. 60.37 (3) (d).
    (g) Hourly wage of certain employees. Establish the hourly
wage to be paid under s. 60.37 (4) to a town employee who is also
an elected town officer, unless the authority has been delegated to
the town board under sub. (2) (L).
    (2) DIRECTIVES OR GRANTS OF AUTHORITY TO TOWN BOARD.
Except as provided under par. (c), directives or grants of authority
to the town board under this subsection may be general and contin-
uing or may be limited as to purpose, effect or duration. A resolu-
tion adopted under this subsection shall specify whether the direc-
tive or grant is general and continuing or whether it is limited as
to purpose, effect or duration. A resolution that is continuing
remains in effect until rescinded at a subsequent town meeting by
a number of electors equal to or greater than the number of electors
who voted for the original resolution. This subsection does not
limit any authority otherwise conferred on the town board by law.
By resolution, the town meeting may:
    (a) Raise money. Authorize the town board to raise money,
including levying taxes, to pay for expenses of the town.
    (b) Membership of town board in populous towns. In a town
with a population of 2,500 or more, direct the town board to
increase the membership of the board under s. 60.21 (2).
    (c) Exercise of village powers. Authorize the town board to
exercise powers of a village board under s. 60.22 (3). A resolution
adopted under this paragraph is general and continuing.
    (d) General obligation bonds. Authorize the town board to
issue general obligation bonds in the manner and for the purposes
provided by law.
    (e) Purchase of land. Authorize the town board to purchase
any land within the town for present or anticipated town purposes.
    (f) Town buildings. Authorize the town board to purchase,
lease or construct buildings for the use of the town, to combine for
this purpose the town’s funds with those of a society or corpora-
tion doing business or located in the town and to accept contribu-
tions of money, labor or space for this purpose.
    (g) Disposal of property. Authorize the town board to dispose
of town real property, other than property donated to and required
to be held by the town for a special purpose.
    (h) Exercise of certain zoning authority. In a town located in
a county which has enacted a zoning ordinance under s. 59.69,
authorize, under s. 60.62 (2), the town board to enact town zoning
ordinances under s. 61.35.
    (i) Watershed protection and soil and water conservation.
Authorize the town board to engage in watershed protection, soil
conservation or water conservation activities beneficial to the
town.
    (j) Appointed assessors. Authorize the town board to select
assessors by appointment under s. 60.307 (2).
    (k) Compensation of elective town offices. Authorize the town
board to fix the compensation of elective town offices under s.
60.32 (1) (b).
    (L) Hourly wage of certain employees. Authorize the town
board to establish the hourly wage to be paid under s. 60.37 (4) to
a town employee who is also an elected town officer, other than
a town board supervisor.
    (3) AUTHORIZATION TO TOWN BOARD TO APPROPRIATE MONEY.
The town meeting may authorize the town board to appropriate
money in the next annual budget for:
    (a) Conservation of natural resources. The conservation of
natural resources by the town or by a bona fide nonprofit organiza-
tion under s. 60.23 (6).
    (b) Civic functions. Civic and other functions under s. 60.23
(3).
    (c) Insects, weeds and animal diseases. The control of insect
pests, weeds or plant or animal diseases within the town.
    (d) Rural numbering systems. Posting signs and otherwise
cooperating with the county in the establishment of a rural num-
bering system under s. 59.54 (4) and (4m).
    (e) Cemetery improvements. The improvement of the town
cemetery under s. 157.50 (5).
   History: 1983 a. 532; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 34, 201; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 214.
   NOTE: 2003 Wis. Act 214, which affected this section, contains extensive
explanatory notes.
  The terms “authorize” and “direct” in sub. (2) are not used interchangeably. A
town meeting that “authorize(s)” an act gives the town board permission to do the act
within its discretion, but if it “direct(s)” that an act be done, the action is mandatory.
Graziano v. Town of Long Lake, 191 Wis. 2d 813, 530 N.W.2d 55 (Ct. App. 1995).
  Assessments made by an assessor appointed in the absence of authorization under
sub. (2) (j) were valid under the de facto officer doctrine. Joyce v. Town of Tainter,
2000 WI App 15, 232 Wis. 2d 349, 606 N.W.2d 284, 99−0324.

60.11 Annual town meeting. (1) REQUIREMENT. Each town
shall hold an annual town meeting, as provided in this section.
    (2) WHEN HELD. (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the annual
town meeting shall be held on the 2nd Tuesday of April.
    (b) The annual town meeting may set a date different than pro-
vided under par. (a) for the next annual town meeting if the date
is within 10 days after the 2nd Tuesday of April.
    (3) WHERE HELD. (a) The annual town meeting may be held
in the town or in any other town, village, or city in the same county
or in an adjoining county.
    (b) The annual town meeting shall be held at the location of the
last annual town meeting unless the location is changed by the
town board. If the town board changes the location, it shall pub-
lish a class 2 notice under ch. 985 stating the location of the meet-
ing, not more than 20 nor less than 15 days before the date of the
meeting.
    (4) ADJOURNMENT. The annual town meeting may be recessed
to a time and date certain if the resumed meeting is held within 30
days after the date of the meeting originally scheduled under sub.
(2).
    (5) NOTICE. No public notice of an annual town meeting is
required if held as provided under sub. (2) (a). If held as provided
under sub. (2) (b), notice of the time and date of the meeting shall
be given under s. 60.12 (3).
    (6) JURISDICTION. An annual town meeting may transact any
business over which a town meeting has jurisdiction.
    (7) POLL LIST. An annual town meeting may require the clerk
of the town meeting to keep a poll list with the name and address
of every elector voting at the meeting. If an elector of the town
obtains a confidential listing under s. 6.47 (2) and presents an
identification card issued under s. 6.47 (3), the clerk shall record
the identification serial number of the elector in lieu of the elec-
tor’s address.
   History: 1983 a. 532; 1999 a. 49; 2005 a. 312.