Rib Mountain Residents Overwhelmingly Approve to Declare Themselves a Village

Thursday, July 13th, 2023 -- 8:01 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) Voters in Rib Mountain have overwhelmingly approved a referendum declaring themselves a village.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, Administrator Gaylene Rhoden says it's a day for all of the town's residents to be proud of. "It is a sense of community and knowing. That was all part of when we put together the application. Submitting was about showing how we are a community. It really was the residents that started this whole process to get the petition to go to get to that next step to start the incorporation process."

Once finalized the vote will prevent Rib Mountain from being taken over by neighboring communities like Rothschild or Wausau, meaning landmarks like the Rib Mountain State Park will bear the name of the community they are in. "It's nice to know that we can call ourselves Rib Mountain, have our boarders secure, and really have control of our own destiny."

She says it makes sense to create a lasting community image as a village because of their thriving business districts. "Some of the businesses already identify themselves as being in Rib Mountain as opposed to Wausau. So, that's nice to know."

She says the vote marks the end of what has been a two year application process- but in reality discussion about incorporation has gone on for decades. "It's come up. I mean, I've been with the Committee for 20 years and, certainly, that conversation has come up, so it's not been any kind of new initiative."

Unofficial results showed 92 percent of the 13 hundred votes cast on Tuesday were in favor of incorporation, just 104 people voted no, and four people returned their ballots blank. The results now move to the state Department of Administration for certification.

Once that's complete Voters will return to the polls in the next two months to elect a Village President and Trustees. Rhoden says more information about that election will be released when it's available.

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