33.30 Annual meeting of district.

(1) Every district shall have an annual meeting. Each annual meeting shall be scheduled during the time period between May 22 and September 8 unless scheduled outside those dates by majority vote of the previous annual meeting.

(2)

(a) The annual meeting shall be preceded by written notice mailed at least 14 days in advance of the meeting to all electors within the district whose address is known or can be ascertained with reasonable diligence, to all owners of property within the district at the owner's address as listed in the tax roll, and to the department. The district board of commissioners may substitute a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, in lieu of sending written notice to electors residing within the district.

(b) No absentee ballots or proxies are permitted at the annual meeting.

(2m) The notice of the annual meeting under sub. (2) shall include all of the following:

(a) The proposed annual budget required under s. 33.29 (1) (g).

(b) A list of each item proposed for consideration at the annual meeting in addition to the proposed annual budget.

(c) A list of any items proposed for consideration at the annual meeting by persons eligible to vote at the annual meeting if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The item relates to an issue that is within the district's authority.

2. Each item is submitted by a petition to the board at least 30 days before the annual meeting.

3. The petition is signed by persons who are eligible to vote at the annual meeting.

4. The number of persons signing the petition equals or exceeds 20 percent of the number of parcels located in the district that are subject to the property tax.

(3) At the annual meeting, electors and property owners who attend the meeting shall do all of the following:

(a) Elect by secret ballot one or more commissioners to fill vacancies occurring in the elected membership of the district board.

(b) Approve a budget for the coming year. The electors and property owners may consider and vote on amendments to the budget before approving that budget. The budget shall separately identify the capital costs and the costs of operation of the district, shall conform with the applicable requirements under s. 33.29 (1) (g) and shall specify any item that has a cost to the district in excess of $10,000.

(4) At the annual meeting, electors and property owners may do any of the following:

(a) Vote by majority a tax upon all taxable property within the district. That portion of the tax that is for the costs of operation for the coming year may not exceed a rate of 2.5 mills of equalized valuation as determined by the department of revenue and reported to the district board. The tax shall be apportioned among the municipalities having property within the district on the basis of equalized full value, and a report shall be delivered by the treasurer, by November 1, by certified statement to the clerk of each municipality having property within the district for collection.

(b) Take up and consider such other business as comes before it.

(c) Establish compensation to be paid the district board commissioners.

(d) Create a nonlapsible fund to finance specifically identified capital costs and for maintenance of capital equipment.

History: 1973 c. 301; 1975 c. 197; 1977 c. 142, 391, 447; 1979 c. 299; 1981 c. 18, 20; 1989 a. 159; 1993 a. 167; 1995 a. 349; 2003 a. 275, 327.