Sections
Subchapter I Definitions 60.001
Subchapter II Legal Status; Organization 60.01 – 60.09
Subchapter III Town Meeting 60.10 – 60.16
Subchapter IV Town Board 60.20 – 60.24
Subchapter V Town Officers and Employees 60.30 – 60.37
Subchapter VI Finance 60.40 – 60.47
Subchapter VII Public Works and Public Safety 60.50 – 60.57
Subchapter VIII Land Use and Planning 60.61 – 60.66
Subchapter IX Town Sanitary Districts 60.70 – 60.79
Subchapter X Miscellaneous 60.80 – 60.85

Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes > Chapter 60 - Towns

  • Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
  • Administrative account: means the account established in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Adult: means a person who has attained the age of 18 years, except that for purposes of investigating or prosecuting a person who is alleged to have violated any state or federal criminal law or any civil law or municipal ordinance, "adult" means a person who has attained the age of 17 years. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
  • Agricultural labor: means service performed:
      (a)    On a farm, in the employ of any person, in connection with cultivating the soil, or in connection with raising or harvesting any agricultural or horticultural commodity, including the raising, shearing, feeding, caring for, training and management of livestock, bees, poultry, and fur-bearing animals and wildlife. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Alcohol beverages: has the meaning given in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Allegation: something that someone says happened.
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • American Indian: means a person who is recognized by an elected tribal governing body in this state as a member of a federally recognized Wisconsin tribe or band of Indians. See Wisconsin Statutes 49.01
  • Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Base period: means the period that is used to compute an employee's benefit rights under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Base period wages: means all of the following:
  •       (a)    All earnings for wage-earning service that are paid to an employee during his or her base period as a result of employment for an employer except any payment made to or on behalf of an employee or his or her beneficiary under a cafeteria plan within the meaning of 26 U. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Benefit year: means the 52-week period beginning with a valid new claim week for which an employee's benefit rights are computed under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Benefits: means the money allowance payable to an employee as compensation for the employee's wage losses due to unemployment as provided in this chapter. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
  • Chambers: A judge's office.
  • Child: means a natural child, adopted child, or stepchild. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Civil forfeiture: The loss of ownership of property used to conduct illegal activity.
  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Commission: means the labor and industry review commission. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Computation date: means that date as of the close of which the department computes reserve percentages and determines contribution rates for the next calendar year. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Controlled substance: has the meaning given in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Controlled substance analog: has the meaning given in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • crew leader: means an individual who furnishes individuals to perform service in agricultural labor for any other person, pays on behalf of himself or herself or on behalf of such other person the individuals so furnished to perform such labor, and has not entered into a written agreement with such other person under which he or she is designated as an employee of such other person. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Department: means the department of health services. See Wisconsin Statutes 49.01
  • Department: means the department of workforce development. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Dependent person: means an individual who is eligible for relief under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 49.01
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • domestic partner: has the meaning given in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Donor: The person who makes a gift.
  • Educational service agency: means a governmental entity or Indian tribal unit which is established and operated exclusively for the purpose of providing services to one or more educational institutions. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Employee: means any individual who is or has been performing services for pay for an employing unit, whether or not the individual is paid directly by the employing unit, except as provided in par. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Employer: includes a person who pays wages to an individual on account of sickness or accident disability if the person is classified as an "employer" under rules promulgated by the department. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Employing unit: means any person who employs one or more individuals. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Employment: includes an individual's service, wherever performed within the United States or Canada, if:
  •          1. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Employment agent: means all persons who furnish to persons seeking employment, information enabling or tending to enable such persons to secure the same, or who furnish employers seeking laborers or other help of any kind, information enabling or tending to enable such employers to secure such help, or who keep a register of persons seeking employment or help as aforesaid, whether such agents conduct their operations at a fixed place of business, on the streets or as transients, and also whether such operations constitute the principal business of such agents or only a sideline or an incident to another business. See Wisconsin Statutes 105.01
  • Employment counselor: means any placement manager, placement director, interviewer or any other person employed by an employment agency who interviews, counsels or confers with job applicants or employers for the purpose of placing or procuring job applicants. See Wisconsin Statutes 105.01
  • Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Family corporation: means :
  •       (a)    A corporation or a limited liability company that is treated as a corporation under this chapter in which 50 percent or more of the ownership interest, however designated or evidenced, is or during a claimant's employment was owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the claimant or by the claimant's spouse or child, or by the claimant's parent if the claimant is under the age of 18, or by a combination of 2 or more of them; or
          (b)    Except where par. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • family member: means a spouse, parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild of an individual, by blood or adoption, or an individual's step parent, step child, or domestic partner. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • farm: includes stock, dairy, poultry, fruit, fur-bearing animal, and truck farms, plantations, ranches, nurseries, ranges, greenhouses or other similar structures used primarily for the raising of agricultural or horticultural commodities, and orchards. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: A government corporation that insures the deposits of all national and state banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. Source: OCC
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Fire department: includes a department under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Fire fighter: includes a person serving under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Full-time work: means work performed for 32 or more hours per week. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Fund: means the unemployment reserve fund established in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Government unit: means :
  •       (a)    This state, including all of its constitutional offices, branches of government, agencies, departments, boards, commissions, councils, committees and all other parts and subdivisions of state government, and all public bodies or instrumentalities of this state and one or more other states; and
          (b)    Any school district, county, city, village, town and any other public corporation or entity, any combination thereof and any agency of any of the foregoing, and any public body or instrumentality of any political subdivision of this state and one or more other states or one or more political subdivisions of one or more other states. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Grantor: includes every person from or by whom any freehold estate or interest passes in or by any deed; and "grantee" includes every person to whom any such estate or interest passes in like manner. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • Health care services: means such emergency and nonemergency medical, surgical, dental, hospital, nursing and optometric services as are reasonable and necessary under the circumstances, as determined by the county or tribal governing body. See Wisconsin Statutes 49.01
  • Heretofore: means any time previous to the day on which the statute containing it takes effect; "hereafter" means the time after the statute containing such word takes effect. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Highway: includes all public ways and thoroughfares and all bridges upon the same. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Indian tribe: has the meaning given in 25 U. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Juror: A person who is on the jury.
  • Land: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Licensed practical nurse: includes a licensed practical/vocational nurse who holds a multistate license, as defined in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Logger: means a skidding operator or piece cutter with a forest products manufacturer or a logging contractor. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Month: means a calendar month unless otherwise expressed. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. Source: OCC
  • National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. Source: OCC
  • Naturopathic doctor: means a naturopathic doctor licensed under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Nonmarital child: means a child who is neither conceived nor born while his or her parents are lawfully intermarried, who is not adopted and whose parents do not subsequently intermarry under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Nonprofit organization: means an organization described in 26 U. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Oath: includes affirmation in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Optical disc: means a rotating circular plate on which information or images are placed in storage, and which is recorded and read by laser beams focused on the plate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Partnership: has the meaning given in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Payroll: means all wages paid directly or indirectly by an employer within a certain period to individuals with respect to their employment by that employer, and includes all such wages for work which is excluded under sub. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Personal property: includes money, goods, chattels, things in action, evidences of debt and energy. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Physician assistant: means a person licensed as a physician assistant under subch. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Police officer: includes a person serving under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
  • Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Professional employer organization: means any person who is currently registered as a professional employer organization with the department of financial institutions in accordance with subch. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
  • Quarter: means a 3-month period ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • real property: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
  • Registered nurse: includes a registered nurse who holds a multistate license, as defined in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Relief: means assistance that is provided to a dependent person and funded by a relief block grant. See Wisconsin Statutes 49.01
  • Relief agency: means a tribal governing body or an agency under contract with a tribal governing body to administer relief if the tribal governing body operates a relief program funded by a relief block grant. See Wisconsin Statutes 49.01
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • School year employee: means an employee of an educational institution or an educational service agency, or an employee of a government unit, Indian tribe, or nonprofit organization which provides services to or on behalf of an educational institution, who performs services under an employment contract which does not require the performance of services on a year-round basis. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • seal: includes the word "seal" the letters "L S" and a scroll or other device intended to represent a seal, if any is affixed in the proper place for a seal, as well as an impression of a seal on the instrument. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Seasonal employer: means an employer designated by the department under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Skilled nursing service: means professional nursing service that is provided under a physician's order, that requires the skills of a licensed registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, and that is provided directly by the licensed registered nurse or licensed practical nurse or directly by the licensed practical nurse under the supervision of the licensed registered nurse. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Sworn: includes "affirmed" in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Tax-free land: means land in this state within the boundaries of a federally recognized reservation or within the bureau of Indian affairs service area for the Winnebago tribe, which is not subject to assessment or levy of a real property tax either as a general tax or as a payment in lieu of taxes. See Wisconsin Statutes 49.01
  • Temporary help company: means an entity which contracts with a client to supply individuals to perform services for the client on a temporary basis to support or supplement the workforce of the client in situations such as personnel absences, temporary personnel shortages, and workload changes resulting from seasonal demands or special assignments or projects, and which, both under contract and in fact:
  •       (a)    Negotiates with clients for such matters as time, place, type of work, working conditions, quality, and price of the services;
          (b)    Determines assignments or reassignments of individuals to its clients, even if the individuals retain the right to refuse specific assignments;
          (c)    Sets the rate of pay of the individuals, whether or not through negotiation;
          (d)    Pays the individuals from its account or accounts; and
          (e)    Hires and terminates individuals who perform services for the clients. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Tribal governing body: means an elected tribal governing body of a federally recognized American Indian tribe. See Wisconsin Statutes 49.01
  • Trucker: means a contract operator with a trucking carrier. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia, the states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the territories organized by congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • United States: includes the states, the District of Columbia, commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
  • Valid new claim week: means the first week of an employee's benefit year. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
  • Vocational training: includes technical, skill-based, or job readiness training intended to pursue a career. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Wages: includes :
  •          1. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Waiting period: means any period of time under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Week: means calendar week, starting Sunday and ending Saturday; but, where an employee starts a working shift on a given Saturday, all of the employee's hours and pay for that shift shall be counted in the calendar week which includes that Saturday. See Wisconsin Statutes 108.02
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.