Wis. Stat. § 62.11 — WI Code / Chapter 62 / Section 62.11
Common council.
Status: in_force

(1) How constituted. The mayor and alderpersons shall be the common council. The mayor shall not be counted in determining whether a quorum is present at a meeting, but may vote in case of a tie. When the mayor does vote in case of a tie the mayor’s vote shall be counted in determining whether a sufficient number of the council has voted favorably or unfavorably on any measure.

(2) Time of meeting. The council shall meet at least once a month, and on the first Tuesday unless a different day be fixed by the council. More frequent regular meetings may be established by the council. The mayor may call a special meeting by notifying members in a manner likely to give each member notice of the meeting and providing the notice at least 6 hours before the meeting. Following a regular city election the new council shall first meet on the 3rd Tuesday of April.

(3) Procedure.

(a) The council shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its members, may compel their attendance, and may fine or expel for neglect of duty.

(b) Two-thirds of the members shall be a quorum, except that in cities having not more than 5 alderpersons a majority shall be a quorum. A less number may compel the attendance of absent members and adjourn. A majority of all the members shall be necessary to a confirmation. In case of a tie the mayor shall have a casting vote as in other cases.

(c) Meetings shall be open to the public; and the council may punish by fine members or other persons present for disorderly behavior.

(d) The ayes and noes may be required by any member. On confirmation and on the adoption of any measure assessing or levying taxes, appropriating or disbursing money, or creating any liability or charge against the city or any fund thereof, the vote shall be by ayes and noes. All aye and nay votes shall be recorded in the journal.

(e) The council shall in all other respects determine the rules of its procedure.

(f) The style of all ordinances shall be: “The common council of the city of .... do ordain as follows”.

(4) Publication.

(a) Proceedings of the council shall be published in the newspaper designated under s. 985.06 as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985 . The proceedings for the purpose of publication shall include the substance of every official action taken by the governing body. Except as provided in this subsection every ordinance shall be published either in its entirety, as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985 , or as a notice, as described under par. (c) 2. , within 15 days of passage, and shall take effect on the day after the publication or at a later date if expressly prescribed.

(b) All ordinances passed by the governing body of any city of the second class between January 1, 1914, and January 1, 1924, which were or may have been required to be published before becoming effective, but which were not published, shall be valid to the same extent as if they had been published in the first instance, as required by law, providing said ordinances and all amendments thereto are printed in the official journal of any such body together with the record of the passage of the same; however, the provisions of this paragraph shall not be effective in any city unless the governing body thereof shall so elect by a vote of two-thirds of its members.

(c)

1. In this paragraph, “summary” has the meaning given in s. 59.14 (1m) (a) .

2. A notice of an ordinance that may be published under this paragraph shall be published as a class 1 notice under ch. 985 and shall contain at least all of the following:

a. The number and title of the ordinance.

b. The date of enactment.

c. A summary of the subject matter and main points of the ordinance.

d. Information as to where the full text of the ordinance may be obtained, including the phone number of the city clerk, a street address where the full text of the ordinance may be viewed, and a website, if any, at which the ordinance may be accessed.

(5) Powers. Except as elsewhere in the statutes specifically provided, the council shall have the management and control of the city property, finances, highways, navigable waters, and the public service, and shall have power to act for the government and good order of the city, for its commercial benefit, and for the health, safety, and welfare of the public, and may carry out its powers by license, regulation, suppression, borrowing of money, tax levy, appropriation, fine, imprisonment, confiscation, and other necessary or convenient means. The powers hereby conferred shall be in addition to all other grants, and shall be limited only by express language.

History: 1991 a. 316 ; 1993 a. 184 ; 1995 a. 225 ; 2007 a. 72 ; 2017 a. 50 ; 2017 a. 365 s. 112 .