Category: General

VOTING BY ABSENTEE BALLOT

Any qualified elector who is unable or unwilling to appear at the polling place on Election Day may submit a request to vote an absentee ballot to their municipal clerk.  A qualified elector is any U.S. citizen who:

• will be 18 years of age or older on Election Day.
• has resided in the ward or municipality where they wish to vote for at least 28 consecutive days before the election. 

The elector must also be registered to vote to receive an absentee ballot.  Proof of identification must be provided before an absentee ballot may be issued*. 

Making application to receive an absentee ballot by mail

Contact your municipal clerk and request that an application for an absentee ballot be sent to you for the primary or election or both.  You may make written application to your municipal clerk for an absentee ballot by mail, by fax, by email or at MyVote.wi.gov.  Or you may apply in person at the clerk’s office during the In-Person Absentee Voting period listed below.

Your written request must include:

1. your voting address within the municipality where you wish to vote
2. the address where the absentee ballot should be sent, if different from the address above
3. your signature 
4. a copy of your photo identification*

The deadline for making application to receive an absentee ballot by mail is: 5:00 pm on the fifth day before the election, Thursday, October 29, 2026**.

*Voters who are indefinitely confined due to age, illness, infirmity, or disability may not be required to provide photo ID. If this applies to you, contact the municipal clerk regarding deadlines for requesting and submitting an absentee ballot.

**Special absentee voting application provisions apply to electors who are indefinitely confined, in the military, hospitalized, or serving as a sequestered juror.  If this applies to you, contact the municipal clerk regarding deadlines for requesting and submitting an absentee ballot.

Voting an absentee ballot in person You may also request and vote an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office or other specified location during the days and hours specified for casting an absentee ballot in person. ***Absentee voting is by appointment; unless noted.

City of Oconto Camille Belleau (920) 834-7711

1210 Main St, Oconto, WI 54153

***City of Oconto Office Hours:  Mon.– Fri. 7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m.  No appointment necessary

The first day to vote an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office is:  Tuesday, October 20, 2026

The last day to vote an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office is:  Friday, October 30, 2026 at 5:00 pm*

No in-person absentee voting may occur on the day before the election. The municipal clerk will deliver voted ballots returned on or before Election Day to the proper polling place or counting location before the polls close on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.  Any ballots received after the polls close will not be counted.

TYPE A NOTICE OF REFERENDUM ELECTION

November 3, 2026

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that at an election to be held in the several towns, villages, cities, wards, and election districts of the State of Wisconsin, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the following questions will be submitted to a vote of the people pursuant to law:

QUESTION 1: “Partial veto. Shall section 10 (1) (c) of article V of the constitution be amended to prohibit the governor, in exercising his or her partial veto authority, from creating or increasing or authorizing the creation or increase of any tax or fee?”

QUESTION 2: “Freedom to gather in places of worship during an emergency. Shall section 18 of article I of the constitution, which deals with religious liberty, be amended to prohibit the state or a political subdivision of the state from ordering the closure of, or forbidding gatherings in, places of worship in response to a state of emergency, including a public health emergency?”

QUESTION 3: “Governmental entity discrimination prohibited. Shall section 27 of article I of the constitution be created to prohibit governmental entities in the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, public contracting, or public administration?”

This referendum ballot is a result of 2025 Senate Joint Resolution 116, 2025 Assembly Joint Resolution 10, and 2025 Assembly Joint Resolution 102. The text of the joint resolutions can be found at  https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/asm/joint_resolution and https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/sen/joint_resolution.

A copy also can be obtained from the office of the county clerk, or the Legislative Documents Room at 1 East Main Street, Madison, Wisconsin.

On September 30th, the City of Oconto will begin the reconstruction of Water St from Superior Ave to Pecor St. Water St will be closed to the public until construction is complete. If you need utilize the backside of Main St businesses in that area, they can be accessed from Holt Ave, the East parking lot of Oconto Pharmacy or Family Dollar.

The City of Oconto is hoping to have the project complete by November 1st. The improvement project will change Water St from a two-way street to a one-way St creating roughly 35 parking stalls for downtown businesses and events. Once the project is complete, Water St can only be accessed from Superior Ave and exiting on Pecor St. If you have questions or concerns, you can reach Jeremy Wusterbarth at 920-834-7725 or jeremy@cityofocontowi.gov

• Monday, September 7^th – No pick-up – City Hall closed

• Tuesday, September 8^th – Garbage pick-up for residents on or North of Pecor St except for residents living on North Bayshore Rd, Harbor Rd, Spies Rd, Yacht Club Rd, Hart St, Turner Ave, Lamkey St, and Water St or that normally get picked up on Mondays.

• Wednesday, September 9th^th – Garbage pick-up for residents on or South of Pecor St including residents living on North Bayshore Rd, Harbor Rd, Spies Rd, Yacht Club Rd, Hart St, Turner Ave, Lamkey St, and Water St or that normally get picked up on Tuesdays.

• Thursday, September 10^th – Recycling pick-up for residents on or North of Pecor St except for residents living on North Bayshore Rd, Harbor Rd, Spies Rd, Yacht Club Rd, Hart St, Turner Ave, Lamkey St, and Water St or that normally get picked up on Wednesdays.

• Friday, September 11^th Recycling pick-up for residents on or South of Pecor St including residents living on North Bayshore Rd, Harbor Rd, Spies Rd, Yacht Club Rd, Hart St, Turner Ave, Lamkey St, and Water St or that normally get picked up on Thursdays.

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 – Friday, August 7, 2026

Attention, City of Oconto voters:

In-Person Absentee Voting begins today, Tuesday, July 28, 2026!

To early vote in-person, come to City Hall between now and Friday, August 7, 2026 from 7:30am to 4:00pm.

Please be sure to bring a valid photo ID to be allowed to vote.

For additional election information, please visit: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/.

Check out our fun activity rentals available at Holtwood Campground.

City of Oconto Holtwood Campground – 400 Holtwood Way, Oconto WI 54153 – 920-834-7732

Applications will be accepted until job opening is filled.

CITY OF OCONTO

JOB OPPORTUNITY

HARBORMASTER

$15.30/hour

The City of Oconto Public Works & Parks Department has a job opening for a Harbormaster. This is a part-time summer position, working months are from the middle of April to end of October (weather permitting on both start & end dates for positions).

Must be at least 18 years old with a valid driver’s license and available to work at least one or two weekends a month. Position starts at $15.30 per hour.

Applications are available online at www.cityofoconto.com/employment/ or at Oconto City Hall, 1210 Main St, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All positions are subject to background check.

If you have questions regarding any of the above information, please call the Public Works & Parks Department at (920) 834-7725 or e-mail questions to jeremy@cityofocontowi.gov.

Notice of the City of Oconto Open Book & Board of Review

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Review for the City of Oconto of Oconto County shall hold the following meetings:

Open Book: Pursuant to Sec. 70.45 of Wis. Statutes, the assessment roll for the Year 2026 assessment will be open for examination on Wednesday, the 17^th day of June 2026 from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM in the Council Chambers at the City Municipal Building, 1210 Main Street.

Property owners are encouraged to contact R & R Assessing, 307 N Chestnut Avenue, Oconto Falls, Wisconsin (920-846-4250) before June 17^th, 2026, if they have questions about the valuation of their real estate.

Notice of Board of Review Two-Hour Meeting to convene on Thursday, the 2^nd day of July 2026 starting at 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM in the Council Chambers at the City Municipal Building, 1210 Main Street to hear objections from property owners who follow the below listed requirements.

Please be advised of the following requirements to appear before the Board of Review and procedural requirements if appearing before the Board:

1. After the first meeting of the Board of Review and before the Board of Review’s final adjournment, no person who is scheduled to appear before the Board of Review may contact or provide information to a member of the Board of Review about the person’s objection, except at a session of the Board of Review. Open book shall occur no less than 7 days prior to the Board of Review.
   1. The Board of Review may not hear an objection to the amount or valuation of property unless, at least 48 hours before the Board of Review’s first scheduled meeting, the objector provides to the Board of Review Clerk written or oral notice of an intent to file an objection, except that upon a showing of good cause and the submission of a written objection, the Board of Review shall waive that requirement during the first 2 hours of the Board of Review’s first scheduled meeting, and the Board of Review may waive that requirement up to the end of the 5th day of the session, or up to the end of the final day of the session if the session is less than 5 days, with proof of extraordinary circumstances for failure to meet the 48-hour notice requirement and failure to appear before the Board of Review during the first 2 hours of the first scheduled meeting.
   1. Objections to the amount or valuation of property shall first be made in writing and filed with the Board of Review Clerk within the first 2 hours of the Board of Review’s first scheduled meeting, except that, upon evidence of extraordinary circumstances, the Board of Review may waive that requirement up to the end of the 5th day of the session, or up to the end of the final day of the session if the session is less than 5 days. The Board of Review may require objections to the amount or valuation of property to be submitted on forms approved by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and the Board of Review shall require that any forms include stated valuations of the property in question. Persons who own land and improvements to that land may object to the aggregate valuation of that land and improvements to that land, but no person who owns land and improvements to that land may object only to the valuation of that land or only to the valuation of improvements to that land. No person may be allowed in any action or proceedings to question the amount or valuation of property unless the written objection has been filed and that person in good faith presented evidence to the Board of Review in support of the objections and made full disclosure before the Board of Review, under oath, of all of that person’s property liable to assessment in the district and the value of that property. The requirement that objections be in writing may be waived by express action of the Board.
   1. When appearing before the Board of Review, the objecting person shall specify in writing the person’s estimate of the value of the land and of the improvements that are the subject of the person’s objection and specify the information used to arrive at that estimate.
   1. No person may appear before the Board of Review, testify to the Board of Review by telephone, or object to a valuation if that valuation was made by the assessor or the objector using the income method of valuation, unless no later than 7 days before the first meeting of the Board of Review, the person supplies the assessor with all the information about income and expenses that the assessor requests, as specified in Assessor’s  Manual  Under  Wis.  Stat.  § 73.03(2a). The City of Oconto has an ordinance for the confidentiality of information about income and expenses that is provided to the assessor under this paragraph that provides exceptions for persons using information in the discharge of duties imposed by law or the duties of their officer or by order of a court. The information that is provided in this paragraph, unless a court determines that it is inaccurate, is not subject to the right of inspection and copying under Wis. Stat. § 19.35(1).
   1. The Board of Review shall hear upon oath, by telephone, all ill or disabled persons who present to the board a letter from a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber certified under Wis. Stat. § 441.16(2) that confirms their illness or disability. No other persons may testify by telephone unless the Board of Review, in its discretion, has determined to grant a property owner’s or their representative’s request to testify under oath by telephone or written statement.
   1. No person may appear before the Board of Review, testify to the Board of Review by telephone, or contest the amount of any assessment unless, at least 48 hours before the first meeting of the Board of Review , or at least 48 hours before the objection is heard if the objection is allowed under Wis. Stat. § 70.47(3)(a), that person provides notice to the Board of Review Clerk as to whether the person will ask for the removal of a member of the Board of Review and, if so, which member, and provides a reasonable estimate of the length of time the hearing will take.
   1. No person shall be allowed to appear before the board of review, to testify to the board by telephone or to contest the amount of any assessment of real or personal property if the person has refused a reasonable written request by certified mail of the assessor to enter onto property to conduct an exterior view of the real or personal property being assessed.

Notice is hereby given published as a Class 1 Notice this 17^th day of June, 2026 by: Brittney M. Burruel, City Clerk