RIB MOUNTAIN, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – The Town of Rib Mountain could soon have the new title of “village”. The community is debating whether to incorporate.
While it may not seem like much of a change, the change is significant.
“We’ve grown to the point where we’ve realized that maybe we’re a little bit bigger than a town should be,” said Chairman Allen Opall.
In addition to that growth, officials say there have been growing concerns for years over the possibility of the town being annexed, a process which could be stopped if the incorporation process began. “We protect our own boundaries, we protect our own identity,” Opall said.
Officials acknowledged that there are pros and cons to the process.
While it would give Rib Mountain more control and would not increase taxes, it would mean increasing staff, updating ordinances and would make competitions for federal and state aid more stiff.
There’s also a possibility the court could dismiss the petition at any time. “I think anything I might be concerned about would be minimal,” said resident Allen Schroeder. “I think all the benefits of becoming a village or city would outweigh anything on the front end.”
No matter what happens, officials say they want residents to be well informed at every step. “We want to keep our residents fully informed, no surprises,” Opall said. “They vote for us, they control us, we work for them.”
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