Incorporations of villages and cities involving more than one town

2. A circuit court hearing on the petition at which the court determines whether a number of statutory standards are met, including resident population and population density.

3. If the court finds that the standards are met, a review of the petition by the Incorporation Review Board (board) for a determination on whether a number of statutory standards are met, including the characteristics of the territory, the level of governmental services that are desired or needed by the residents compared to the level of services offered by the proposed city or village, the impact upon the remainder of the town from which the territory is to be incorporated, and the impact of the proposed incorporation on the metropolitan community. If the board dismisses the petition, the circuit court must issue an order dismissing the petition.

4. If the board grants the petition, the circuit court must order an incorporation referendum. If a majority of the votes on the referendum are cast in favor of a village or city, the secretary of state must issue and record a certificate of incorporation.

Under this bill, if the territory to be incorporated includes portions of more than one town, the electors of each town must approve the referendum for the incorporation to take effect. In addition, the majority that is required to approve the referendum in the territory with the smallest population, that is located solely in one of the towns, is 75 percent.