By Shereen Siewert

Rib Mountain will hold a public meeting to discuss the pros and cons of incorporation, part of the town’s decision-making process.

The meeting is set for Tuesday at Doepke Park.

Officials in Rib Mountain have been considering incorporation for months, a move that would come with considerable changes to the municipality’s structure. Counties and towns belong to the state, and can only do what the state legislature authorizes, according to a list of advantages and disadvantages distributed in February by Town Administrator Gaylene Rhoden. Incorporating would also protect Rib Mountain from annexation and pave the way for long-term debt borrowing. As a village or city, debt terms can be extended to 20 years.

Incorporation would also create a one-stop shop for the sanitary district, which would eliminate an extra layer of government, Rhoden said in a Feb. 4 interoffice memo. There are also benefits to having complete authority over budgeting, while allowing for the potential to expand Rib Mountain’s boundaries to the west and south through annexation.

But the move could also come with some increased costs and the process could be complicated by potential objections from neighboring communities, Rhoden said.

The public information meeting is being hosted by the board of supervisors to share information about incorporation, how the process develops and potential benefits and drawbacks. The Lions Club and COW will set up food stands at the event.

If you go

  • What: Public information meeting on Rib Mountain incorporation
  • When: 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29
  • Where: Doepke Park, 1644-2726 CTH N, Rib Mountain
  • Rain location: Rib Mountain Municipal Center
  • For more information: Visit the event Facebook page.