Earlier this year, the town of Hayward, Wisconsin, used an obscure state law to hold its annual town meeting without public notice and passed three resolutions, one of which authorized a sizeable expense. Citizens gathered signatures on petitions demanding a special town meeting, which the town clerk denied. Several citizens asked Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty to get involved and as a result of WILL’s involvement last week the clerk issued an agenda for a special meeting that happened yesterday.
Last night’s agenda included citizens voting on reconsidering the resolutions that were passed at the annual meeting. This is an example of what can happen when citizens find their voice and get the help they need from others. Local government is the level of government where citizens’ voices are most effective. Hayward citizens beautifully exemplify this!
