Link to Town Board Meetings
TO: ELECTORS OF THE TOWN OF ROCHESTER
Consolidation
Public Information Meeting minutes.pdf
TAKE NOTICE that a referendum election will be held on April 5, 2005 in the Town of Rochester on the question of whether or not the Town of Rochester shall continue to pursue consolidation with the Village of Rochester. The motion authorizing this advisory referendum was adopted by the Town Board on February 10, 2005 at a special joint meeting of Town and Village of Rochester Municipal Boards.
The question which shall appear on the ballot is as follows:
"Shall the Town Board continue to work with the Village of Rochester and attempt to consolidate the Town of Rochester with the Village of Rochester?
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT AND EFFECT OF VOTE
Over the past several years, the Town Board for the Town of Rochester and the Village Board for the Village of Rochester have taken measures in an attempt to consolidate the Town of Rochester and the Village of Rochester into one "Village of Rochester." A formal Petition for Consolidation was filed in 2003 with the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration and the Circuit Court for Racine County. However, based upon the written Determination by the Department of Administration, the Petition was denied by the State of Wisconsin.
Since the filing of the Petition, the State Legislature passed additional legislation that provides another avenue for consolidation which was not available under the prior law. In order to seek and obtain consolidation, the Town Board and Village Board would need to pursue Cooperative Boundary Agreements with neighboring municipalities which would be negotiated between the Town Board, Village Board, and the governing bodies of each such municipality. The Town Board is seeking input from its voters to determine whether the public is interested in the Town pursuing consolidation with the Village of Rochester. This referendum is advisory and will not bind the Town Board to a particular course of action.
A "yes" vote on this question would indicate your support for the continued pursuit of consolidation with the Village of Rochester.
A "no" vote on this question would indicate that you do not support the continued pursuit of consolidation with the Village of Rochester.
In the event a majority of the electors vote “Yes” on the advisory referendum question in both municipalities, Town and Village Boards will continue to pursue the requirements needed to achieve consolidation of both municipalities into one Village.
In the event a majority of the electors vote “No” on the advisory referendum question in one or both municipalities, Town and Village Boards will not continue to pursue the requirements needed to achieve consolidation of both municipalities into one Village.
Betty J. Novy
Clerk-Treasurer