Section 60.13. Presiding officer.

 

(1)   Who presides.

(a) If present, the town board chairperson shall chair the town meeting. If the town board chairperson is absent, another town board supervisor shall chair the town meeting. If no town board supervisor is present, the town meeting shall elect the chairperson of the meeting.

(b) If the annual town meeting is held in a year when the office of town board chairperson is filled by election, the person holding the office on the day prior to the date of the election to fill the office shall preside at the annual town meeting and is entitled to receive the per diem which is ordinarily paid to the presiding officer. If such person is absent or refuses to serve as the presiding officer, the presiding officer shall be chosen under par. (a) .

(2)   Duties. The town meeting chairperson shall conduct the meeting's proceedings in accordance with accepted parliamentary procedure.

(3)   Enforcement authority. The town meeting chairperson shall maintain order and decorum, and may order any person to leave a town meeting if the person has conducted himself or herself in a disorderly manner and persisted in such conduct after being directed by the chairperson to cease the conduct. If the person refuses the chairperson's order to withdraw, the town meeting chairperson may order a constable or other law enforcement officer to take the person into custody until the meeting is adjourned.

1983 a. 532 .