Wis. Stat. § 65.04 — WI Code / Chapter 65 / Section 65.04
Meetings of board of estimates.
Status: in_force

(1) Meeting; report of estimates. The board of estimates shall meet not later than September 10 of each year. The secretary shall place before the board the reports of estimates filed with the secretary by the departments together with the comptroller’s statement of anticipated revenues for the ensuing budget period, or the 2nd year of a biennium in an even-numbered year, and the adequate comparisons with other years as provided in s. 65.02 (5) to (11) . The budget summary shall be published forthwith in at least one and not more than 2 daily newspapers having the largest circulation in the city as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985 , and in the proceedings of the common council; and a copy of the entire proposed budget shall be available for public inspection in the office of the city comptroller.

(2) Proposed budget; publication of summary. From the estimates before it the board shall make and submit to the common council, on or before October 25 each budget period, a proposed budget setting forth in detail the amounts proposed to be spent by each department and the various purposes therefor and the amounts of money for each purpose it is proposed shall be appropriated by the council. The proposed budget shall comply with s. 65.02 (5) to (11) . The budget summary shall be published forthwith in at least one and not more than 2 daily newspapers having the largest circulation in the city as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985 , and the proposed budget summary shall be printed forthwith in the proceedings of the common council. If any department fails to file its estimates as herein provided the board shall make a proposed budget for such department specifying the purposes for which and the amount of funds such department may expend.

(3) Changes by board. The board shall not change any sum or purpose of any department which by law is authorized to determine the purposes of its expenditures and the tax to be levied therefor, unless such department by formal resolution shall so determine by an affirmative vote of a majority of its members, when the board shall then make the change and include a certified copy of such resolution with its estimates to be filed with the common council.

(4) Contingent fund. In addition to the purposes required to be set forth in detail the board may provide a contingent fund for such sum as they may deem reasonably necessary for emergency and other purposes that may arise during the budget period requiring the expenditure of money in addition to the sums provided for the several purposes, and for purposes for which no express provision is made in the budget.

(5) Bonds; mortgage certificates. The board shall also include in its budget the amount of bonds, the purposes therefor, and the required mortgage certificates to be issued during the budget period, except such bonds as are authorized to be omitted by express provision of law.

(6) Meetings public. All meetings of the board shall be public.

(7) Publication of notice of public hearings. At the meeting of the common council at which the proposed budget is submitted by the board of estimates, the common council shall determine the place and time of a public hearing on the budget which shall be held jointly by the common council and by the board of estimates not less than 10 days after the publication provided in sub. (2) , nor later than November 10. The common council shall cause a notice of the place and time of said hearing to be published as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985 , which hearing shall be not less than 7 days after the date of the last publication of said notice in at least one and not more than 2 daily newspapers having the largest circulation in the city.

(8) Duties of the finance committee. The finance committee of the common council shall submit to the common council as soon after October 25 as may be practicable, but not later than November 20, a report or reports showing the number, title, compensation range of each officer and each position in the city service:

(a) The number, title and compensation range of each officer and each position in the city service and the proposed appropriation for the same recommended for the ensuing year; and

(b) A recommended compensation schedule of uniform rates of pay for offices and positions in the city service.

(9) Duties of budget supervisor. The budget supervisor or the head of the department having responsibility for the preparation or the analyzing of the budget, may be secretary of the board of estimates, if so directed by common council ordinance; that person shall not however be entitled to a vote on such board.

History: 1971 c. 267 ; 1991 a. 316 ; 2019 a. 42 ; 2021 a. 240 s. 30 .