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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 Form. NOTE: 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 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!
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.