• A specialized unit of government formed and designed to address specific water quality issues and promote the overall health of lakes within their boundaries. They have the authority to fund projects such as:
  • Water quality improvement: This includes initiatives like invasive species control, shoreline restoration, and nutrient reduction strategies.
  • Public access: Lake Districts may work to maintain and improve public access points, such as boat launches and piers.
  • Education and outreach: They often organize educational programs to raise awareness about lake ecology and conservation.
  • Empowerment: Empowers property owners and local communities to take ownership of their lakes.
• Chapter 33 of the Wisconsin State Statutes:
  • Lake Districts are established under this state statue, passed in 1974, and provides the power to levy taxes on property owners within their boundaries.
  • This law was a response to a demonstration project by the University of Wisconsin Extension and the Department of Natural Resources.
  • This statute has led to forming over 250 Lake Districts in Wisconsin.

• Securing consistent funding: The need for stable, year-over-year funding to support essential programs such as milfoil monitoring and control. This would create a sustainable funding model towards the health, safety and vitality of our lakes.
• Reduced grant availability: Increased competition for Wisconsin DNR grants makes future funding less reliable.
• Unsustainable reliance on donations: Annual appeals to members and property owners to raise significant funds (e.g., $50,000 or more) during years without grants is not a viable long-term solution.
• Shared responsibility: A belief that all property owners, whether association members or not, should contribute to protecting and enhancing the Round Lakes ecosystem and property values, thereby creating a more equitable solution.

• Local Control: Decisions are made by people who live in or own property within the district.
• Accountability: Elected officials are accountable to the voters.
  
• Community Empowerment: Residents and property owners have a direct say in how their lake district is managed.
• Diverse Perspectives: The board of commissioners represents a variety of interests, including residents, property owners, and the county.
• Legal Standing: Can take legal action to protect lake resources.
• State Assistance: Eligible for state grants and cost-sharing programs.
• Taxing Authority: Can raise funds for lake management projects.
• Tax Exemption: Exempt from federal income tax.
  

• Legal Status: Lake districts are government entities, while lake associations are typically non-profit organizations.
• Taxing Authority: Lake districts can levy taxes, while lake associations rely on membership dues and donations.
• Regulatory Powers: Lake districts have regulatory authority over lake use and development, while lake associations typically do not.
• Governance: Lake districts are elected and appointed, while lake associations usually rely on a board of elected volunteers.
• Agility: Lake districts are more structured and fixed, while lake associations can be more agile and dynamic.
• Costs: Lake districts may incur additional management & administrative costs that an association may not incur. 
  
  
  
  
  

• Time Period: We anticipate it may take up to 2 years from the time it was first announced at our RLPOA annual meeting in August 2024, should the decision be made to form a Lake District.
  • Timeline Milestones:
    • District boundary defined
    • Petition signers identified
    • Board Go/No-Go decision to move forward
    • Circulate and solicit petition signatures
    • Property owners Go/No-Go decision (51% signer threshold)
    • Go decision by property owners
      • File petition with Sawyer County
      • Sawyer County public hearing
      • Decision by Sawyer County commissioners (up to 6 months)
      • Petition approval by Sawyer County commissioners
        • Appointment of commissioners
        • Lake District initial meeting
        • Annual meeting where property owners vote on the budget, commissioners and other matters.
      • Petition denied by Sawyer County commissioners
        • Next steps will be explored
    • No-Go decision by property owners
      • Continue with the RLPOA to run and manage as it is today
• Members & Property Owner Engagement:
  • In-person & Zoom meetings
  • Social gatherings
  • RLPOA Website – Resources & Education
  • Question & comment solicitation
  • Electronic surveys
  • Outreach efforts
• Commitment: The RLPOA board is committed to a transparent process, prioritizing the best interests of our members and property owners. Ultimately, you, the property owners, will decide our governing future.

• Methods: Lake Districts can be formed in any one of four ways.
  • By landowners petition to the county board – most common
  • By landowners petition to the county board
  • By resolution of municipal governing body
  • By conversion of a sanitary district
• Boundaries: Create the proposed boundary of properties that are to be included within the district.
• Petition: A petition is created for signing and includes:
  • Proposed name of the district
  • Statement about the necessity and benefit of the district
  • Description of the boundaries of the district
  • A plat or sketch indicating the approximate area and boundaries
• Petition Signing: The petition is sent out to all property owners within the district.
  • Identify all eligible signer(s) present on tax rolls (property tax statement) for each property.
    • If 2 names appear on the tax roll, each individual is an eligible signer.
    • Owners who have multiple properties are only allowed to sign once.
    • Partnership, corporation, trust, foundation, association or local unit of government is treated as a single owner, as allowed only one vote.
    • Condominiums or shared access lots, only those names that appear on the tax roll are eligible signers.
  • Petitions are distributed to mailing addresses and/or property address on current tax roll.
  • Signed petitions are returned and collected.
  • 51% of the eligible signers must be met before any further action can be taken in creating a Lake District.
• Petition Filing: Provided the 51% threshold has been met, the petitions and supporting documents are submitted to the county clerk.
• Hearing: Within 30 days, the county is required to appoint a committee and conduct a public hearing:
  • Publish notice of the hearing
  • Mail notice of the hearing to the last known address of the landowner
  • Notify the WI DNR of the hearing
  • Hear the public comments related to the formation of the lake district
• Decision:
  • The county committee must provide the county commissioners a report including a summary of the hearing and comments provided before the hearing, and subsequent findings and recommendations.
  • The county commissioners must make a decision within 6 months of the hearing. They can accept the petition as is, can accept the petition with boundary changes, or deny the petition.
  • County petition decision criteria includes it was signed by the requisite number of owners, district is necessary, public benefits from its formation and property owners in the district will benefit.
• Formation: See “How are Lake Districts Governed”
  • Commissioners are assigned
  • Initial meeting is held
  • Annual meeting is scheduled and held, with property owners voting on commissioners, budget and other possible matters.
• Regulations: Statutory and regulatory requirements must be followed

• Board of Commissioners:
  • 1 appointed by the county (Sawyer County)
  • 1 appointed by the town with highest valuation in the district (Town of Hayward)
  • 3 elected by district residents and property owners. (May be expanded to 5 in the annual meeting)
• Shared Governance:
  • Board of Commissioners: Handles day-to-day business and operations.
  • Electors and Property Owners: Have significant authority in:
    • Setting the annual budget
    • Making major policy decisions
    • Electing commissioners
    • Other important matters at annual or special meetings
• Voter Eligibility: Both resident and non-resident property owners have voting rights and can hold office. You must be present at the meeting in order to vote.

• General Property Tax (Mill Levy): Lake Districts have the authority to levy taxes on all taxable property within the district boundary and is uniformly imposed on each taxable parcel. The mill levy is capped at the rate of 2.5 mills or $2.50 per $1,000 of equalized valuation.
• Savings & Borrowing: Authorized by the electors and property owners at the annual meeting. Any surplus funds at the end of the year is applied to the next year’s annual budget.
• Grants, Programs & Gifts: Funding from state and federal grants and programs, along with fund raising efforts and gifts. These revenue funds would be applied to the budget.
• Special Charges & Assessments: These are typically used for larger capital projects. *Note: RLPOA board does not foresee any such immediate need for this type of funding.

• At this time, the Lake District Boundary has not been finalized and the Lake District Budget has not been approved, therefore we can only provide an estimated tax levy rate. The final tax levy will be determined by property owners at the annual meeting.
  • The following example is NOT valid total assessed values, as this will be determined on the final district boundary and the actual assessed values at the time /year actual tax statements are generated.
  • The following example is NOT a valid budget. The actual budget will be voted on by property owners at the annual meeting.
  • Assumptions:
    • 2024 total assessed values: $420,000,000
    • 2023 (do not have 2024 yet) total equalized values: $530,000,000
    • 2024 mean assessed value: $500,000 riparian
    • 2024 median assessed value: $440,000 riparian
    • $84,000 annual budget
  • Example tax levy calculation
    • $84,000 / $420,000,000 = 0.0002 = 0.20 mills or $0.20 per $1,000 of property assessed value
    • Property assessed @ $500,000 * 0.0002 = $100 annual tax
  • The budget, and the subsequent tax levy, could be reduced by the Lake District applying for and receiving grants and funds that the district secures in the previous year.

• We are exploring the potential establishment of a lake district. Our top priority is to involve our association members and property owners in the process, ensuring they remain informed every step of the way. Since they will ultimately decide whether to formally create the lake district, it is too early to determine what the district's boundaries might look like.

  
  

• No. However, the Callahan Mud Lake Protection Association is currently actively pursuing the formation of a Lake District. As of the official county public hearing on 11/6/2024:

  • They had secured the required 51% petition threshold of signatures and have submitted the petition to Sawyer County
  • It is now under review by Sawyer County commissioners, and a decision is required within 6 months of the public hearing.
  • *Note: Callahan & Mud Lake circumstances are quite different from Round Lakes:
    • Their primary reason in forming a lake district is due to an aging dam in disrepair. It either must be replaced or removed. If removed, much of their lakes would become a marshland with a river running through it.
    • Our primary reasons are AIS management and safety.
  • More information can be found on their web site Save Our [Dam] Lake! | Callahan Mud Lake Protective Association

• University of Wisconsin Stevens Point – Extension Lakes has a vast amount of information dedicated to preserving Wisconsin lakes through education, communication, and collaboration. A good starting point is their “People of the Lakes Guide”, especially Forming a Lake District and Operating a Lake District chapters.
• Wisconsin Chapter 33 Statute was created to provide for the formation of a new kind of lake management organization to protect and rehabilitate inland waters, and to promote environmental values and public welfare.
• Wisconsin Lakes is to conserve, enhance and restore Wisconsin’s lakes to ensure their sustainability for the benefit and collective use and enjoyment for this and future generations.
• Wisconsin DNR Lakes partners with the University of Wisconsin – Extension Lakes, citizens and organizations around the state to help protect and maintain these natural resources.
• WI Lake District List with links *Source: University of Wisconsin Stevens Point – Extension Lakes as of 11/24/2024

• Milfoil is a submersed, rooted aquatic plant native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.
• Milfoil can reproduce via fragmentation, meaning a single stem fragment introduced to a waterbody could take root and establish a new population.
• The plant can form large, floating mats of vegetation on the surface, preventing light penetration for native aquatic plants and causing a navigational impediment.
• Milfoil provides some habitat for fish and invertebrates, it gives lesser quality habitat than the native plants it displaces if it grows too high densities and forms a monoculture.

WDNR Eurasian Watermilfoil Information

Milfoil was first identified in 1998.  Since then it has grown to be the problem it is today.

A treatment that selectively kills all and only Eurasian Watermilfoil does not exist.  It will need to be monitored and controlled for generations to come. Current treatment protocols can only to minimize its impact on the lakes’ ecosystem and on the enjoyment of the people who use the lakes.

RLPOA is funded from three sources: 1) membership dues, 2) AIS donations, and 3) grants awarded by the Wisconsin DNR through their Surface Water Grant program.

The RLPOA budget over the past five years has averaged about $75,000 per year. Of this amount about $55,000 is spent on the monitoring and treatment for EWM. The remaining amount is spent on navigation and safety buoy equipment and maintenance, miscellaneous expenses, and administrative costs to run the organization.