The Municipality Magazine

The League's The Municipality magazine is published monthly and circulates to almost 10,000 local elected officials, staff and partners in Wisconsin. We focus on issues that are of interest to Wisconsin's cities and villages and will help to move Wisconsin forward.

If you are a local official or staff of a League member municipality and are not receiving the magazine please email the League and we will add you to the subscription list.

If you would like to subscribe please use the online order form. The subscription rate is $25 annually. 

Please send any transitions, changes, corrections and additions to Robin Powers at email or submit them through our Transitions FormNOTE: We cannot publish transitions in all cases. Please review the Transitions Guidelines

We want to showcase you! Share your job duties and highlights of your job with us through our Member Spotlight Form and maybe you will be in our next magazine! 

June Cover

June 2023

June welcomes the newly elected officials! This guide has some great tips and information for anyone taking on a new role in local government. Keep this guide by your side for future references! 

5 23 Clerks Magazine Cover

May 2023

For May, we celebrate and learn more about the duties of the municipal clerk. We also share information on how AI can effect all of our jobs as technology continually grows.  

League_April_2023_Final Cover

April 2023

This April we take the opportunity to appreciate all government workers with a focus on human resources. From elections, recruiting and every day tasks, we thank our members for the many hats they wear to help our communities thrive. 

March Magazine Cover Screenshot 2023

March 2023

Take a look as we take a deep dive into all things Department of Public Works. Learn a little about new safety options for plow trucks in the winter along with what the men and women within the department have to share about their jobs! 

2 23 Law Enforcement Cover The Municipality

February 2023

We salute our officers and first responders. Check out our new section asking employees questions about their jobs. Learn more about our men and women in blue in this February issue. 

1 23 Cover The Municipality Advocate

January 2023

You are your community's best advocate! The system for funding local government in Wisconsin is broken and this is your time to share the need to fund critical local services differently and reset the partnership with the state. 

12 22 Wintery downtown scene on the cover of The Municipality

December 2022 

It is snow season and with it, snowplowing season in Wisconsin. Elizabeth Yanke dubs it snowfighting in her article and sometimes it definitely feels like that. Toni takes on the good fight in her article on advocacy and we also highlight broadband and tools for resilient communities.  

11 22 Grateful Cover The Municipality Curt and Gail photo album

November 2022

We are grateful for you and your work to keep your community thriving. The League is especially thankful and excited to welcome Zach Vruwink to the staff as the New Deputy Director. Read the article and note that his responsibilities are significantly different from those of Curt Witynski, his predecessor with the same title. Speaking of Curt, we say farewell to Curt and Gail Sum, the League's Communications Director.  We also celebrate the recipients of the Wisconsin Policy Forum's Salute to Local Government Awards.   

10 22 Join Us La Crosse Cover The Municipality

October 2022 

We are looking forward to welcoming you to our 124th Annual Conference October 19-21 in La Crosse.  But we are also turning our focus to the upcoming legislative session and have launched the "Critical Local Funding" campaign. We need your help. Please tell your community's story. What challenges do you face funding priorities like police, fire and EMS?  Learn more on our website here.  

9 22 Representative Democracy COVER Autumn leaf in shape of Wis. being held up by someone.

September 2022

The United States is a representative democracy at the Federal, State and Local level of government. This means that our government is elected by citizens. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. These officials represent the citizens' ideas and concerns in government. Voting is one way to participate in our democracy.

8 22 The Municipality Cover State Local Partnership w/torn cover Capitol & Main St.

August 2022

Funding for police, fire, EMS and other local government services needs reform. Local government is too dependent on property taxes to the detriment of homeowners and small businesses. The system is broken.  

7 22 Finance and Budgeting mag cover with small American Flags along curb

July 2022

The Municipal Budget season starts in earnest at the end of the summer, so in preparation, The Municipality provides resources to help you budget.  From an article on the impact of inflation on municipal budgets, to the budget cycle and comprehensive plan tips, this issue is your go to resource for all things budgeting and finance.  

6 22 Cover Jerome Glenn colorful art with sun in left top corner and buildings MunicipalityCover

June 2022

Every April approximately 800 new officials are elected to local government. They come to public service with a wide variety of life experiences so we crowdsourced advice from experienced officials in articles and from LinkedIn and Facebook. Thanks to everyone who offered their advice. 

Thanks too to Jerome Glenn, who works with "Arts for ALL Wisconsin", for the colorful cover art. Learn more about Jerome on page 1 of the magazine.  

5 22 Cover The Municipality Clerks Safety

May 2022

May 1-7, 2022 is Municipal Clerks Week and we are celebrating! Learn about the many responsibilities the clerk has beyond administering elections and also read about the League's "We Trust Them" PSA. (Watch it here.) 

We also take on road and railroad safety plus there's an article on what to do in an active shooter situation.  

4 22 Grants The Municipality Waupun groundbreaking

April 2022

Grants are the hot topic and this magazine will not disappoint. Each article has a great nugget or two to help you navigate what can be a complicated process.  

Access the USDA Rural Development article (PDF) that directly links to all of their resources.  

Check out the League's Grants Resource page. 

3 22 The Municipality COVER Public Places Oconomowoc Yellow Brick Road

March 2022

Oconomowoc's Yellow Brick Road is a good analogy for public places, the places where people gather. The magazine includes public places from across Wisconsin, an essay on the serenity public places can bring and articles on the importance of senior centers and parks.  

The League's March E-Newsletter with grants, events and opportunities.  

The League's March E-Muni takes a deep dive into the magazine, providing direct links to resources.  Note that this newsletter is being discontinued.  

2 22 Cover The Municipality Hiring

February 2022

Hiring is hard right now.  The League's magazine is focused on what you can do to make your municipality stand out and become an employer of choice.

Where are Wisconsin Workers - the Graphs: 
(Open the image and right click to save to your computer.) 
Figure 1 - Monthly Job Openings  
Figure 2 - Unemployed per Job Opening
Figure 3 - Monthly Quits
Figure 4 - Labor Participation Ages 16 and Over
Figure 5 - Labor Participation by Age
Figure 6 - Population Age 15 and Over
Figure 7 - Changes in Total Working and Prime Working Age
Figure 8 - Employees Age 55 and Over by Industry

The League's February E-Newsletter with resources, grant and funding information, events and opportunities.  

The League's February E-Muni, a deep dive into the magazine with direct links to resources.  

1 22 Cybersecurity magazine in dramatic blue with a locked computer

January 2022 

Cybersecurity and internet access go hand in hand and we tackle both in the League's January magazine. An accessible Q&A with experts on cybersecurity and an article on an innovative way to provide broadband access anchor the magazine. 

Download Matt Kure's Broadband Affordability and Accessibility Map (PDF) from page 6. 

The League's January E-Newsletter is chockful of funding resources, events and opportunities. 

The January E-Muni has direct links to useful resources including the legal articles.   

12 21 Cooperation Cover West Salem in Winter

December 2021

Collaboration is often key to local government progress. The Local Government Institute and the new Whitburn Center at UW Oshkosh along with the work by UniverCity in communities all demonstrate the strength of collaboration.  

The League's December E-Newsletter with resources, funding, opportunities and events. 

The League's December E-Muni provides direct links to legal articles and resources mentioned in the magazine. 

11 21 Cover THE MUNICIPALITY By the Numbers

November 2021

So many numbers!  Did you know that the median size city/village in Wisconsin has a population of 1,450? Or that Yuba is the smallest village in Wisconsin and, no surprise, Milwaukee is the biggest city. Or that there are 1,100 special purpose districts in Wisconsin? Page through and find your favorite number.   

The League's November E-Newsletter with opportunities, events and funding.  

The November E-Muni takes a deep dive into the magazine with direct links to resources.