Town of Washington Incorporation Effort Hits Major Setback

The Wisconsin Department of Administration has recommended dismissing a petition from the Town of Washington to incorporate into a village.

The agency issued its draft determination following a hearing on Tuesday, finding that the Town’s proposal does not meet the requirements for incorporation. Those requirements include providing a compact and homogenous boundary and having the potential for future development.

The draft determination also questioned whether the Town could provide adequate services like law enforcement, EMS, and public works if incorporated into a village. Additionally, it found that the Town would not bring in the tax revenue required to financially support a village.

The Town of Washington began circulating the petition for incorporation in 2024 in order to prevent further land annexations by the City of Eau Claire and City of Altoona. Portions of the Town have been annexed over recent years for housing developments. Residents largely opposed those projects due to concerns with increased traffic and changes to the fabric of their neighborhoods with the introduction of higher density housing.

The City of Eau Claire also passed a resolution during the early stages of the process stating that it expected to annex more land in the future for utility expansion. That resolution was considered as part of the hearing process.

The Department of Administration Incorporation Review Board ordered the draft determination dismissing the petition to be finalized by May 1st. According to a WQOW report, Town of Washington officials say they still have the option to make changes to the petition and start the years-long process over again, but for now they are weighing their next steps.