These issues are also explored below. The Wisconsin Statutes outline several annexation processes. When so requested, the MBR will review annexation petitions received from municipalities located within smaller counties. The MBR reviews about 400 annexation petitions a year. In Wisconsin, annexations are typically designed and initiated by landowners, and not by villages or cities.
Landowners can petition a city or village to have their land annexed.
Landowners can shop around for the best deal on public services and regulations, including bringing in unwilling land owners. Cities and villages can only accept or reject the petition. As a result, cities and villages often have to rely upon incremental annexation to address local needs. This may result in oddly shaped municipal boundaries and can frustrate the best planning efforts by cities, villages, and towns when they are not working cooperatively to address annexation issues. Annexations do not automatically result in a change in school district attendance areas, school district boundaries, and urban service area boundaries.