Must an appointed municipal official be a resident of the municipality he or she serves?

In general, the answer is no, unless there is a statutory requirement that the appointed official be a resident of the municipality – e.g., Wis. Stat. §§ 30.37(3) [board of harbor commissioners], 27.11(1) [board of public land commissioners], and 43.54(1)(a) [library boards]. In the absence of such a statutory requirement, a non-resident may be appointed to a municipal office or position unless the city or village has adopted its own residency requirement for appointed officials. However, it is important to note that Wis. Stat. § 66.0502 prohibits municipalities from enacting employee residency requirements. In light of this prohibition, whether a local residency requirement is permissible likely turns on whether the appointed official is an “employee.” If an appointed person is an employee, § 66.0502 appears to preclude a local residency requirement.