thank you Bayfield County WI
for leading the way...

Resolution Supporting Local Control For Wisconsin Counties

WHEREAS, local governments in Wisconsin are closest to the people they serve and are best positioned to understand and address the unique needs, priorities, and challenges of their communities; and,

WHEREAS, local control allows for innovation, flexibility, and responsiveness in governance, enabling local governments to tailor solutions that best fit their residents; and,

WHEREAS, public meeting and hearings held by local units of government allow for significantly more opportunity for public input than meeting and hearings held by the Legislature in Madison; and,

WHEREAS, preserving local control is essential to maintaining accountability, transparency, and public trust in government, as well as ensuring that decisions reflect local values and conditions; and,

WHEREAS, Statewide, one size fits all regulations, do not always appropriately address the issues and needs of every Wisconsin community; and,

WHEREAS, a series of mandates and other legislative actions have continuously shifted powers from the local to the state level; and,

WHEREAS, a May 1st, 2018 memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau listed over 100 state legislative changes that decreased local control in Wisconsin between 2011 and 2018; and,

WHEREAS, the geographic, environmental, and demographic diversity across Wisconsin counties necessitates localized approaches to governance that reflect each county's unique characteristics; and,

WHEREAS, county boards are democratically elected bodies that directly represent the interests and values of their constituents;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors hereby request that Wisconsin Counties Association urge the Wisconsin State Legislature and Governor to oppose any legislation that would restrict counties' authority to make decisions in the best interest of their communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors hereby request that Wisconsin Counties Association maintain a database with all legislation, including bill numbers and sponsor/co-sponsor information, that seek to limit local control; and

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors assembled this 27th day of May, 2025, hereby requests that the Wisconsin Counties Association work to support all efforts to protect Wisconsin Counties’ local control.