59.17(2)(bm)1.

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1. In any county with a population of 500,000 or more, appoint the following persons:

59.17(2)(b)

(b) In any county with a population of 500,000 or more, appoint and supervise the heads of all departments except where the statutes provide that the appointment shall be made by a board or commission or by other elected officers. Notwithstanding any statutory provision that a board or commission or the county board or county board chairperson appoint a department head, except §§ 17.21 and 59.47 (3), the county executive shall appoint and supervise the department head. Notwithstanding any statutory provision that a board or commission supervise the administration of a department, the department head shall supervise the administration of the department and the board or commission shall perform any advisory or policy-making function authorized by statute. Any appointment by the county executive under this paragraph requires the confirmation of the county board unless the county board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation. Any department head appointed by a county executive under this subsection may be removed at the pleasure of the county executive.

59.17(1)

(1) Election and term of office.

59.17(2)(a)

(a) Coordinate and direct all administrative and management functions of the county government not otherwise vested by law in other elected officers.

59.17(2)(bm)

(bm)

59.17(8)

(8) Succession in office.

59.17(1)(a)

(a) In each county with a population of 500,000 or more, a county executive shall be elected for a 4-year term at the election to be held on the first Tuesday in April of each year in which county supervisors are elected, and shall take office on the first Monday in May following the election. The county executive shall be elected from residents of the county at large by a majority vote of all qualified electors in the county voting in the election. In any county which attains a population of 500,000 or more, the first election under this paragraph shall be held on the first Tuesday in April in the year following the official announcement of the federal census.

59.17(1)(b)

(b) Counties with a population of less than 500,000 may by resolution of the board or by petition and referendum create the office of county executive or abolish it by petition and referendum. If the office of county executive is abolished, the person serving in the office shall complete the term to which elected. The county executive shall be elected the same as a county executive is elected under para. (a) for a term of 4 years commencing with the first spring election occurring at least 120 days after the creation of the office and shall take office on the 3rd Tuesday in April of that year. Such petition and election shall follow the procedure provided in § 9.20 (1) to (6), except that in case of conflict this subsection shall control.

59.17(2)

(2) Duties and powers. The county executive shall be the chief executive officer of the county. The county executive shall take care that every county ordinance and state or federal law is observed, enforced and administered within his or her county if the ordinance or law is subject to enforcement by the county executive or any person supervised by the county executive. The duties and powers of the county executive shall be, without limitation because of enumeration, to:

59.17(2)(bm)1.a.

a. The director of parks, recreation and culture under § 27.03 (2).

59.17(2)(bm)1.b.

b. The director of the county department of human services under § 46.21 (1m)(a).

59.17(2)(bm)1.c.

c. The director of the county department of administration under § 59.52 (1)(a).

59.17(2)(bm)1.d.

d. The director of personnel of the county civil service commission under § 63.02 (2).

59.17(2)(bm)1.e.

e. The director of transportation under § 83.01 (1).

59.17(2)(bm)2.

2. Each appointment under subd. 1. is subject to the confirmation of the county board and is in the unclassified service, serving at the pleasure of the county executive and holding office until a new appointment is made by the county executive and confirmed by the board. No prior appointee may serve longer than 6 months after the term for which he or she was appointed and confirmed expires, unless reappointed and reconfirmed. The term of each appointment is 4 years or less.

59.17(2)(br)

(br) In any county with a population of less than 500,000, appoint and supervise the heads of all county departments except those elected by the people and except where the statutes provide that the appointment shall be made by other elected officers. Notwithstanding any statutory provision that a board or commission or the county board or county board chairperson appoint a department head, except § 17.21, the county executive shall appoint and supervise the department head. Notwithstanding any statutory provision that a board or commission supervise the administration of a department, the department head shall supervise the administration of the department and the board or commission shall perform any advisory or policy-making function authorized by statute. An appointment by the county executive under this subsection requires the confirmation of the board unless the board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation or unless the appointment is made under a civil service system competitive examination procedure established under § 59.52 (8) or ch. 63. Any department head appointed by a county executive under this subsection may be removed at the pleasure of the county executive unless the department head is appointed under a civil service system competitive examination procedure established under § 59.52 (8) or ch. 63.

59.17(2)(c)

(c) Appoint the members of all boards and commissions where appointments are required and where the statutes provide that the appointments are made by the county board or by the chairperson of the county board. All appointments to boards and commissions by the county executive are subject to confirmation by the county board.

59.17(3)

(3) Administrative secretaries to county executive; staff. The county executive may appoint administrative secretaries using hiring procedures which shall be exempt from county civil service competitive examination procedures and such additional staff assistants as the board provides.

59.17(4)

(4) Compensation of county executive, deputy, and staff assistants. The board shall fix the compensation of the county executive, the county executive’s administrative secretary and the county executive’s staff assistants, provided that the salary of the county executive shall be established at least 90 days prior to any election held to fill the office.

59.17(5)

(5) Message to the board; submission of annual budget. The county executive shall annually, and otherwise as may be necessary, communicate to the board the condition of the county, and shall recommend such matters to the board for its consideration as he or she considers expedient. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, he or she shall be responsible for the submission of the annual budget to the board and may exercise the power to veto any increases or decreases in the budget under sub. (6).

59.17(6)

(6) County executive to approve or veto resolutions or ordinances; proceedings on veto. Every resolution adopted or ordinance enacted by the board shall, before it becomes effective, be presented to the county executive. If the county executive approves, the county executive shall sign it; if not, the county executive shall return it with his or her objections, which objections shall be entered at large upon the journal and the board shall proceed to reconsider the matter. Appropriations may be approved in whole or in part by the county executive and the part approved shall become law, and the part objected to shall be returned in the same manner as provided for in other resolutions or ordinances. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of the members-elect of the board agree to adopt the resolution or enact the ordinance or the part of the resolution or ordinance objected to, it shall become effective on the date prescribed but not earlier than the date of passage following reconsideration. In all such cases, the votes of the members of the board shall be determined by ayes and nays and the names of the members voting for or against the resolution or ordinance or the part thereof objected to shall be entered on the journal. If any resolution or ordinance is not returned by the county executive to the board at its first meeting occurring not less than 6 days, Sundays excepted, after it has been presented to the county executive, it shall become effective unless the board has recessed or adjourned for a period in excess of 60 days, in which case it shall not be effective without the county executive’s approval.

59.17(7)

(7) Removal from office; vacancy, how filled. The county executive may be removed from office by the governor for cause under § 17.16. A vacancy in the office of county executive shall be filled temporarily, within 30 days of the date of the vacancy, by appointment by the chairperson of the board, subject to confirmation by the board, from among electors of the county. Within 7 days following the occurrence of the vacancy, the clerk shall order a special election to be held under § 8.50 to fill the vacancy. If the vacancy occurs after October 31 but not later than 49 days before the day of the spring primary, the special election shall be held concurrently with the spring primary and election.

59.17(8)(a)

(a) In the event of the inability of the county executive to serve because of mental or physical disease, the powers and duties of the office shall devolve upon the chairperson of the board until such time as the disability shall cease.

59.17(8)(b)

(b) In the event that a vacancy in the office of county executive occurs, the chairperson of the board shall immediately succeed to the office and assume the duties and responsibilities thereof until the board has confirmed an appointment to the office under sub. (7).