Fiscal and administrative regulations
Wis. Stat. § 67.10
in effect(1) Money of the United States. All money received in payment of any tax levied under this chapter shall be lawful money of the United States; all municipal obligations shall be issued in exchange for lawful money of the United States or an obligation of the federal reserve bank or the state to pay such money; and all municipal obligations shall be payable in such money.
(2) Fiscal agents. The governing body of any municipality may appoint a fiscal agent or fiscal agents. Every fiscal agent shall be an incorporated bank or trust company authorized by the laws of the United States or of the state in which it is located to do a banking or trust company business or shall be a Wisconsin governmental body or officer. This contract may create a trust relationship and may provide for the performance by the fiscal agent of any of the following functions:
(a) Distribution of municipal obligations.
(b) Payment of debt service.
(c) Investment of funds.
(d) Registration of municipal obligations.
(e) Maintenance of a book entry system.
(f) Transfer of municipal securities.
(g) Maintenance of registration books.
(h) Accounting for payment of debt service.
(i) Accounting for and cancellation of municipal obligations.
(j) Authentication of municipal obligations.
(3) Borrowed money fund, source and use. All borrowed money shall be paid into the treasury of the municipality borrowing it, be entered in an account separate and distinct from all other funds, disbursements charged thereto shall be for the purpose for which it was borrowed and for no other purpose, except as provided by s. 67.11, but including the reimbursement of a temporary advance from other funds of the municipality or the repayment of a temporary loan by the municipality if such advance or loan has been made in anticipation of the borrowed money and for the same purpose, and such disbursements shall be only upon orders or warrants charged to said fund and expressing the purpose for which they are drawn. Money in the borrowed money fund may be temporarily invested as provided in s. 66.0603 (1m).
(4) Time limit for sales and hypothecations. Except as provided otherwise by sub. (6) for cities of the 1st class every authorized municipal bond shall be sold or hypothecated within the 5 years next following the adoption, or the approval, when approval by popular vote is required, of the initial resolution authorizing its issue, except when such sale or hypothecation has been delayed by an action to determine the validity of the prior proceedings, in which case the period of such delay may be added to said 5 years.
(5) Anticipatory contracts in general.
(a) After any municipality has provided, as required by s. 67.05 (11), for an issue of bonds, or as required by s. 67.12 (12), for an issue of promissory notes, for a lawful purpose which can be accomplished only through performance of an executory contract by some other contracting party, such contract may be entered into before the actual execution, sale or hypothecation of the bonds or promissory notes, or receipt of payment therefor, with like effect as if the necessary cash for payments on the contract were already in the treasury.
(b) Any city having voted bonds at a special referendum election and having sold a portion thereof may negotiate, sell or otherwise dispose of the same in the manner provided by statute within 9 years of the date of the election voting the same.
(6) Anticipatory contracts in 1st class cities.
(a)
1. A 1st class city may enter into a contract in anticipation of the sale of bonds and make expenditures prior to the sale of the bonds for the purposes for which the bonds have been authorized if:
a. The common council has authorized the issuance of the bonds for any lawful purpose.
b. The commissioners of the public debt have certified to the comptroller of the city that the bonds can be sold if the comptroller determines that there is in the city treasury sufficient money, other than that raised for the payment of interest and principal on bonds, mortgages, mortgage certificates, or similar instruments of indebtedness, to warrant entering the anticipatory contract or making the expenditures prior to the sale of bonds.
2. Expenditures under this subsection may be made out of any money in the hands of the city treasurer, except money raised for the payment of interest or principal on bonds, mortgages, mortgage certificates, or similar instruments of indebtedness.
3. A city under this subsection is not required to sell the bonds provided for in the initial resolution of the common council authorizing the issuance of the bonds until the comptroller deems it necessary to replace all or part of the money paid out of the treasury, or to meet maturing obligations of the city on a contract entered into under this subsection which cannot be paid out of the general treasury.
4. If the comptroller deems it necessary to sell all or part of the bonds under this subsection, the comptroller shall so advise the commissioners of the public debt, in writing, specifying how many of the bonds it will be necessary to sell, and the reason therefor, and the commissioners shall sell the number of bonds specified by the comptroller.
5. If a contract is entered into, or if an obligation is incurred in anticipation of the sale of bonds for a purpose related to the contract or obligation, the commissioners shall sell as many bonds as necessary to replace the money taken from the treasury, and to meet the obligations on any contracts which have matured or may mature at any time in the future. The sale of bonds under this subdivision may not be later than 3 years after the date of the bonds.
6. If any bonds have been provided for in the budget of any fiscal year, and if the common council during the fiscal year authorizes the sale of the bonds, but all or part of the bonds are not sold during such year, the bonds may be sold during the ensuing fiscal year even if there is no provision for the unsold bonds in the budget of the ensuing fiscal year.
(b) The common council of a 1st class city may, by a majority vote, appropriate money in the budget and levy taxes for any purpose for which bonds may be lawfully issued by the city. Such taxes shall be in addition to all other taxes which the city is authorized by law to levy.
(c) If the common council of a 1st class city provides in the budget of any year for the issuance of bonds for any lawful purpose, the common council of the city may, in lieu of issuing bonds for such purpose, levy a tax in the year for any such purpose, for all or part of the amount. Such tax shall be in addition to all other taxes which the city is authorized by law to levy. A decision to levy a tax under this paragraph shall be made by resolution passed at a regular meeting of the common council by at least a three-fourths vote of all the members of the council-elect. No contract may be entered into or any obligation incurred for the purpose specified in the resolution, unless a tax is levied sufficient to pay the whole contract price.
(d) Money raised by levy of taxes in lieu of bond issues under pars. (b) and (c) shall be governed by laws relating to the proceeds of bonds insofar as such laws may be applicable. If the purpose for which the taxes were levied is accomplished or completed, any unexpended portion of the moneys raised by the taxes shall become a part of the general revenues of the city.
(7) Attorney’s opinion on bond issue. In any municipality the officers charged with the negotiation and sale of its municipal obligations may employ an attorney whose opinion, in their judgment, will be accepted by buyers thereof as to the legality of municipal obligations issued by the municipality to pass upon the legality of any municipal obligations issued by the municipality and pay a reasonable compensation therefor.
(9) Accounting for and cancellation of coupons and other municipal obligations.
(a) Any municipality issuing municipal obligations may account for and cancel coupons or other municipal obligations as provided under this subsection. The municipality shall keep in a separate book, provided for the purpose, an accurate description of every municipal obligation issued, specifying its number, date, purpose, amount, rate of interest, when payable, and the coupons attached and shall enter therewith a statement of the date and amount of each payment of principal or interest thereon. Every coupon or other municipal obligation paid or otherwise retired shall be forthwith marked “canceled” by the officer empowered to accept the instrument upon payment, may be delivered to the governing body of the municipality and may be immediately destroyed.
(b) Any municipality, by resolution adopted by its legislative body, may use the following procedure in accounting for and canceling coupons and other municipal obligations. All coupons and other municipal obligations paid by a fiscal agent under sub. (2), at their maturities, shall be canceled and destroyed by the fiscal agent. The fiscal agent shall periodically deliver a certificate to such effect to the municipality. A municipality following this procedure which has a treasurer or other designated officer or agent who is also a paying agent for outstanding coupons or other municipal obligations or which has more than one fiscal agent may arrange for the delivery of canceled coupons and other municipal obligations to a designated fiscal agent for the purpose of having the coupons and other municipal obligations destroyed. The designated fiscal agent shall periodically furnish and deliver to the municipality a certificate evidencing the destruction of the coupons and other municipal obligations. Any municipality, prior to authorizing the fiscal agent to cancel and destroy coupons and other municipal obligations, shall enter into an agreement with the fiscal agent providing for such cancellation and destruction. The local governing body of any municipality operating under this paragraph may establish rules or procedures it finds appropriate to carry out this provision effectively.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/67.10Fetched: 10/7/2026