Town of Washburn/School District of Washburn
Town Resolution No. 2026-2

WHEREAS, the Town of Washburn Board is committed to transparency in public finance and ensuring that taxpayers understand how their local property tax dollars are allocated; and

WHEREAS, state law currently requires that property tax bills itemize how much of a school district’s levy is attributable to voter-approved capital or operational referenda, thereby helping taxpayers understand specific components of their tax obligations; and

WHEREAS, a similar level of transparency is warranted regarding the portion of the School District of Washburn levy attributable to the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (private school vouchers), as this portion does not go directly to the school district but is instead levied to offset reductions in state aid; and
WHEREAS, when the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program began in the 2014–15 school year, the program’s cost was paid from the State’s general fund; however, beginning in 2015–16, the city Legislature changed the funding mechanism so that voucher payments for students residing in a district are withheld from the district’s final state aid payment and recorded as an expense in the district budget; and

WHEREAS, as a result of this change, school districts, including the School District of Washburn, must either increase their levy to offset this aid reduction, thereby shifting the cost of private school vouchers onto local property taxpayers, or cut their budgets by the amount withheld; and

WHEREAS, for the current tax year, $166,546 of the amount levied by the School District of Washburn is attributable to the cost of private school vouchers;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town of Washburn hereby directs Town staff to include on all Town-issued property tax bills the following statement, or substantially similar language:

“Of the amount levied by the School District of Washburn, $166,546 is for the purpose of state-mandated private school vouchers.”

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Town staff shall update this figure annually to reflect the amount certified by the School District of Washburn or the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and ensure the information is presented in a clear, accessible, and transparent manner for taxpayers.

Signed this day, April 14, 2026

Scottie Sandstrom, Town of Washburn Chair

Vicki Thoen, Town of Washburn Clerk

TOWN BOARD RESOLUTION SUPPORTING A COMPREHENSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING SOLUTION
Town of Washburn, Bayfield County
Resolution No. 2026-1

WHEREAS, local units of government in Wisconsin own and maintain approximately 90% of the public road miles in the state, including county highways, town roads, and city and village streets; and

WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s economy—rooted in agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism—relies on a safe, reliable, and well-maintained transportation network; and

WHEREAS, local governments greatly appreciate the one-time infusions of General-Purpose Revenue, primarily sales and income taxes, and other revenue provided in recent state budgets, which have enabled the initiation and continuation of the successful and popular Local Roads Improvement Program Supplemental (LRIP-S) and Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP); and

WHEREAS, despite modest increases from the state over the years, transportation aids to local governments remain insufficient to keep pace with inflation and rising construction costs, leaving many communities funded below 2000 levels in real dollars; and

WHEREAS, local governments throughout Wisconsin continue to struggle to perform even routine maintenance, pavement preservation, and safety improvements, resulting in deteriorating roads and bridges; and

WHEREAS, the inaugural inventory and assessment of small bridges between 6 to 20 feet found about 10% of the nearly 17,000 structures to be in poor or severe condition; and

WHEREAS, levy limits and other fiscal constraints prevent local governments from independently filling the funding gap created by inadequate state transportation aids; and

WHEREAS, absent sustainable state funding, many communities have been forced to address their shortfalls by significantly increasing borrowing, deferring essential projects, or imposing local vehicle registration (“wheel”) taxes; and

WHEREAS, Wisconsin motorists currently pay among the lowest transportation user fees in the Midwest, while neighboring states and dozens of others nationwide have enacted long-term revenue measures to keep their transportation systems competitive; and

WHEREAS, Wisconsin is increasingly relying on General Purpose Revenues to make needed investments, potentially pitting transportation against other vital services, such as education; and

WHEREAS, continued lack of growing, dedicated, and predictable revenue places Wisconsin at a growing economic disadvantage by threatening the efficiency of freight movement, the safety of travelers, and the attractiveness of our state to businesses and residents; and

WHEREAS, both Wisconsin’s aging Interstate highway system—largely constructed in the 1950s and 1960s—and our extensive network of state and local roads require predictable, adequate, and sustainable funding to meet current and future needs;

WHEREAS, the Town of Washburn has successfully secured LRIP funding through applications submitted, along with securing a BIL Grant in the fall of 2022 which WisDOT administered for the town;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of Washburn, Bayfield County, strongly urges the Governor of Wisconsin and the State Legislature to enact a comprehensive, sustainable transportation funding solution that:

1. Provides adequate and reliable revenue growth for the efficient long-term planning and execution of state and local transportation programs;

2. Includes responsible and prudent use of General-Purpose Revenue and bonding;

3. Adjusts any new and existing transportation user fees and other revenue mechanisms to sustain purchasing power in order to maintain and improve Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure; and

4. Ensures transportation continues to deliver for Wisconsin by adequately funding reconstruction, preservation, and safety investments on the state and local systems.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the clerk is hereby directed to transmit a copy of this resolution to the Governor’s office, all members of the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly representing districts within the Town of Washburn, Bayfield County.
Adopted this 14th day of April, 2026.
Scottie Sandstrom, Chair, Town of Washburn
Vicki Thoen, Clerk, Town of Washburn

Village Powers
Annual Town Meeting Resolution 2026-3

STATE OF WISCONSIN
Town of Washburn
Bayfield County

The Town of Washburn, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, by a majority vote of the eligible electors voting at the Annual Town meeting with notice assembled and voting, resolves that action taken by the electors at the Annual Meeting of April 9, 1996 of the Town of Washburn authorizing the Town Board to exercise village powers, be re-affirmed by this resolution, as a resolution at the time of such authorization has not been able to be found in the Town records. Therefore, it is ordered as follows:

Pursuant to s. 60.10 (2) (c), Wis. stats., the Town Board of the Town of Washburn is authorized to exercise powers of a village board under s. 60.22 (3), Wis. stats., which power shall be general and continuing.

The Town Clerk shall properly post or publish this resolution as required under s. 60.80, Wis. stats., within 30 days of the below-noted adoption date.

Adopted this 21st day of April, 2026.

Number of town electors authorized to vote _23____
Ayes __23___
Nays ___0__
Abstain ___0__
Not voting ___0_

Scottie Sandstrom, Chair

Vicki Thoen, Clerk

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION

Town of Washburn, Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Resolution #2025-1 Removal South Fork of Sky Road from WisDOT WISLR System

Removing a privately owned driveway from the state WISLR System as a result to update the Town of Washburn Roads for Gax Tax accuracy.

Pursuant to §60.80, Wisconsin Statutes, the Town of Washburn, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, hereby posts notice that, at its regular Town Board Meeting held on July 8, 2025, the Town Board passed Resolution #2025‑1, therefore removing the unpaved south fork of Sky Road from WISLR.

SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION

The gravel portion of Sky Road (specified in the state WISLR System as (Sky Road 2), serves as a driveway off of Sky Road for one private residence and another private residence under construction. The gravel road no longer serves a public purpose.

Location of Full Resolution: The full text of the resolution is on the town’s website at www.townofwashburn.wi.gov.

 2025 Town of Washburn Purchasing Procedures*

(1) The purchase of office-supply, maintenance and repair parts, with the anticipated cost under $500, may be made by the Town Clerk, the Town Treasurer and the Town Road Supervisor without pre-approval of the Town Chairperson or a Town Board Member. Prior to purchasing the purchaser must review the budget area that relates to the purchase to confirm available funding. Following purchase, the Town Clerk must be promptly provided a packing slip/receipt that includes date, amount of purchase and purchase description. Per this protocol, the Clerk is made aware of purchases in order to maintain an accurate accounting of budget balances.

(2) Purchases in the amount of $500 to $2000 must be requested of and authorized by the Town Chairperson. Prior to requesting the purchase, the purchaser must review the budget area that relates to the purchase to confirm available funding. The approval/disapproval of the request by the Town Chairperson will also be driven by such a budget analysis. If approved, the purchase shall be communicated to the Town Clerk in the form of a packing slip/receipt as noted in point #1.

(3) Purchases over $2000 shall be approved by the Town Board, again being driven by budget fund availability within the Town category area of purchase. Purchases under this subsection may be made on the open market and directly from a dealer or supplier without obtaining sealed quotations, or depending on the amount, may be subject to being bid out to multiple vendors by state law.

Dated ______________   Chairman _________________________________________

.                                                                                   Sandra J. Raspotnik

Supervisor __________________________   Supervisor ___________________________

.                                       Jim Park                                                                Scottie Sandstrom

Clerk _________________________________ Treasurer ___________________________

.                                Lance Twombly                                                           Lynn Adams

Road Superintendent ______________________________________

.                                                       Michael Harvey

*The above, amends the 2016 Town of Washburn Purchasing Procedures (see attached).

2016 TOWN OF WASHBURN PURCHASING PROCEDURES

(1) The monthly purchase of office type materials and supplies, used in the day-to-day functions of the town government, the anticipated cost of which is under $500, may be made by the Town Clerk, the Town Treasurer and the Town Road Supervisor without the approval of the Town Chairperson or any other Town Board Members. In this case “materials and supplies” include paper, stationary, portage, ink cartridges, other office supplies, cleaning materials and supplies, maintenance materials, equipment repairs and other like and similar items. The Town Clerk must be made aware of purchases and anticipated purchases in order to maintain an accurate accounting of the remaining balance for the determined period. If only a portion of the $500 is used, that amount will be made available and added to the fund so that $500 would be available for the following month.

(2) The monthly purchase of materials and supplies, permanent personal property and services, the anticipated cost of which is between $500 and $2,000 shall be authorized by the Town Chairperson. Such purchases shall be approved by the Town Clerk for fund/budget availability prior to the purchase. If only a portion of the $2,000 is used, that amount will be made available and added to the fund so that $2,000 would be available for the following month. “Permanent personal property” includes furniture, furnishings, computer equipment, calculating equipment, small machines, parts, tools and equipment or any other property which customarily has a use life of more than one year.

(3) Purchases over $2,000 shall be approved by the Town Board. Purchases under this subscription may be made on the open market and directly from a dealer of supplier without obtaining sealed quotations, but such purchased shall be made, when possible, after multiple quotations or proposals have been obtained.

Dated ______________   Chairman _________________________________________
.                                                                                    Bruce Hokanson

Supervisor __________________________   Supervisor ___________________________

.                           John Hartzell                                                                       Steven Tetzner

Clerk _________________________________ Treasurer ___________________________

.                          Kerry Tetzner                                                                       Donna Chapman

Road Superintendent ______________________________________

.                                        Michael Harvey

Link to Original Signed 2025 Town of Washburn Purchasing Procedures

Link to Original Signed 2016 Town of Washburn Purchasing Procedures

TOWN OF WASHBURN
RESOLUTION 02-2018 (link to signature page)

WHEREAS, recognizing that our citizens need high-speed internet access in order to successfully pursue their vocational and personal activities: and,

WHEREAS, recognizing that several hundred households within the Towns of Barksdale, Bayview, and Washburn, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, have unacceptably slow internet access that is 1.5 megabytes per second or less; and,

WHEREAS, recognizing that his limits the success of our citizens and diminishes the desirability of newcomers who seek to locate in the area from moving into our township; and,

WHEREAS, recognizing that, due to the rural nature of our community and the sparse population density, it is unfeasible to provide high speed broadband to ur citizens without external support; and,

WHEREAS, having established a unified desire to secure high speed broadband for all our citizens within the Towns of Barksdale, Bayview, and Washburn, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, the County of Bayfield /County Board of Supervisors and Centurylink, our key provider,

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that the Town of Washburn, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, with the support of the Towns of Bayview and Barksdale, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, and the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors, commits to fulfilling the grant requirement to provide public broadband access for at least two years. This access will be located on the property of the Town of Washburn Town Hall and Garage.

Dated 11-13-18

By the Action of the Town of Washburn, Board of Supervisors
Signed by:
Bruce Hokanson, Chair
John Hartzell, Supervisor
Steven Tetzner, Supervisor
Kerry Tetzner, Clerk

JOINT RESOLUTION
City of Washburn, Bayfield County
Town of Bayview, Bayfield County
Town of Washburn, Bayfield County
State Cost Sharing for Landfill Closure

Link to original with signatures

WHEREAS: The Town of Washburn, City of Washburn and the Town of Bayview have jointly operated a landfill located in the Town of Washburn for a number of years;

WHEREAS: The land on which the landfill is located is owned by the Town of Washburn;

WHEREAS: The total cost of closure for the landfill was approximately $300,000;

WHEREAS: The cost of operation and closure of the landfill has been split between each participant as follows: 77% City of Washburn, 12% Town of Bayfield, 11% Town of Washburn;

WHEREAS: As the law currently is written, only the owner of a landfill (Town of Washburn) can receive state cost sharing for closure cost;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: That we request the legislature of the State of Wisconsin to give favorable consideration to include in the Budget Adjustment Bill an amendment sponsored by Senator Cavala and Senator Leean allowing owners and operators of landfills to receive state cost sharing for landfill closure cost;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That we request the Governor of the State of Wisconsin to give favorable consideration to include in the Budget Adjustment Bill an amendment sponsored by Senator Cavala and Senator Leean allowing owners and operators of landfills to receive state cost sharing for landfill closure cost.

Signed:
John C. Burke, Mayor, City of Washburn March 9, 1992
Attested by Vicki Swanson, Clerk, City of Washburn
Ladislaus J. Strzok, Acting Chair, Town of Bayview March 11, 1992
Attested by Tammy L. DeMars, Clerk, Town of Bayview
Wilmer Pohlman, Chairman, Town of Washburn March 5, 1992
Attested by Philip Tetzner, Clerk, Town of Washburn

LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT
For Closed Washburn Area Landfill

This Agreement between the Town of Washburn and the Town of Bayview, each being a political subdivision of the State of Wisconsin, and the City of Washburn, a Wisconsin municipality, is for the maintenance of the sanitary landfill used by the said towns and said city, following closure. Said towns and said city do mutually agree to comply with the preventative maintenance program outlined on page #15 in the Landfill Closure Plan, attached hereto, and is as follows:

1. Wells monitored
2. Inspection of the area for erosion or loss of vegetation
3. Mow the site at least twice between July and September
4. Treatment of cap with herbicides as needed.

The Town of Washburn agrees that their personnel will provide the on-site inspections and do the mowing with actual costs to be billed to City of Washburn. The City of Washburn will act as fiscal agent and yearly bill Townships for costs of maintenance and well monitoring at the following percentages:

City of Washburn – 77% (seventy-seven percent)
Town of Bayview – 12% (twelve percent)
Town of Washburn – 11% (eleven percent)

The Town of Bayview, Town of Washburn and City of Washburn do further agree that if major repairs to the landfill cap should be needed, each entity assumes joint responsibility for elimination of the situation.

This agreement effective on date of last entity signing.

Signed:
Town of Bayview
Gail K. Russo, Chair September 9, 1991
Tammy L. DeMars, Clerk September 9, 1991
Town of Washburn
Wilmer Pohlman, Chair
Philip E. Tetzner, Clerk October 9, 1991
City of Washburn
John C. Burke, Mayor September 30, 1991
Vicki E. Swanson, Clerk September 30, 1991
C. A series of 35 millimeter color prints which illustrate the sequence of construction.
D. An analysis and discussion of the soil testing work on the clay cap and the topsoil. All raw data will be included in the report Appendix.

MONITORING PLAN
GROUNDWATER MONITORING

It is proposed that the current groundwater monitoring program already in place will be continued. Monitoring parameters will include: chlorides, chemical oxygen demand, fiel pH, alkalinity, field specific conductance, total hardness, iron, field temperature and elevation of the water level prior to bailing.

The location of the existing monitoring wells are shown on the drawings. It is proposed that quarterly sampling will continue during 1990. Beginning in 1991, sampling will be performed semi-annually, in March and September of each year.

SITE MAINTENANCE

Site maintenance will consist of the following:
1. Semi-annual inspection of the site in May and October to identify areas of erosion or loss of vegetation which need repair. These inspections will be made by a representative of the City of Washburn and Town of Washburn. A written memorandum documenting the results of these inspections will be placed on file with each unit of government.
2. Eroded areas will be repaired within 30 days of each inspection and the completed work documents by written memorandum.
3. The site will be mowed at least twice between July 1 and September to control growth of woody brush and trees over the area of the clay cap. This will also provide mulch material to enhance sod growth and help control erosion on the site.
4. As required, treatment of the cap area with an herbicide approved by the Wis DNR and US EPA will be used to control weed growth so that the sod from the seeding program will continue to dominate the site vegetation for the long term.

Landfill Oversight Link (pdf)
Construction documentation for closure (pdf)