59.21 Official oaths and bonds.

(1) Each county officer named in this chapter, except county supervisors, shall execute and file an official bond and take and file the official oath within 20 days after receiving official notice of election or appointment, or if not officially notified, within 20 days after the commencement of the term for which the officer is elected or appointed, or the board may provide a schedule or blanket bond that includes any or all of these officials, except county supervisors, and a blanket bond may also include members of a county veterans service commission under s. 45.81 (1) and a county veterans service officer under s. 45.81 (2). Every county supervisor shall take and file the official oath within 20 days after receiving official notice of election or appointment, or if not officially notified, within 20 days after the commencement of the term for which he or she is elected or appointed. Every deputy appointed by any such officer shall take and file the official oath and if the deputy neglects to do so, he or she shall forfeit $100. If the board does not provide a schedule or blanket bond, the official bonds shall be in sums and with sureties, as follows:

(a) Clerk, not less than $2,000.

(b) Treasurer, if the bond is furnished by individual sureties, not less than the amount nor exceeding twice the amount of all taxes directed by the board to be levied therein and to be received by the treasurer during the ensuing year, with 3 or more sureties; or, if the bond is furnished by a surety company in an amount not less than 10 percent of all taxes directed by the board to be levied therein, and to be received by the treasurer during the ensuing year, or $500,000, whichever is smaller.

(c) Sheriff, not less than $5,000 nor more than $25,000, with not less than 3 sureties.

(d) Coroner, not less than $500 nor more than $10,000, with not less than 2 sureties.

(e) Clerk of the circuit court, not less than $5,000, with 2 or more sureties.

(g) Register of deeds, in counties containing less than 150,000 population, $3,000, with 2 or more sureties. In counties containing 150,000 or more population, not less than $3,000, with 2 or more sureties, conditioned for the accuracy of the register's work and the faithful, correct and impartial performance of the register's duties, and in addition thereto a bond of not less than $10,000, with 2 or more sureties, conditioned for the faithful accounting for and paying over to the treasurer all moneys which may come into the register's hands as register of deeds, or into the hands of the register's deputy or assistants.

(h) Surveyor, $5,000.

(i) County abstractor, $5,000, with 2 or more sureties.

(j) Comptroller, not less than $5,000 nor more than $20,000 with not less than 3 sureties.

(2) Each official bond described in sub. (1) shall be in a sum fixed by law; or if not fixed by law, in a sum fixed by resolution of the board, within the limitations prescribed by law, if any, at the annual meeting in November prior to the commencement of the term of office of the particular officer. Both the bond and the sufficiency of the sureties thereto shall be approved by a committee consisting of the chairperson and not less than 2 other members of the board who shall report in writing their action on all bonds.

(3) Each bond described in sub. (1) shall be guaranteed by the number of personal sureties prescribed by law, or if not prescribed, by the number fixed by the board within the limitations, if any, prescribed by law, or by a surety company as provided by s. 632.17 (2). In the case of the clerk, treasurer and county abstractor the board may by resolution require them to furnish bonds guaranteed by surety companies and direct that the premiums be paid as provided in s. 19.01 (8).

(4) If it considers the bond of any officer insufficient, the board may by resolution require the officer to furnish additional bond in a sum to be named in the resolution, not exceeding $10,000 for the register of deeds of any county with a population of less than 150,000, and not exceeding the maximum sum, if any, fixed by law for additional bonds for other officers.

History: 1975 c. 152, 199; 1975 c. 375 s. 44; 1983 a. 192 s. 303 (1); 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 316; 1995 a. 201 s. 250; Stats. 1995 s. 59.21; 1995 a. 225 ss. 137 to 144; 1997 a. 35; 2003 a. 204; 2011 a. 62, 96.

Cross-reference: See s. 59.38 (3) for provision for a bond by the medical examiner.