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The Town of El Paso is located nearly in the center of Pierce County, WI. It is bordered on the West by the Town of Ellsworth, on the East by the Town of Rock Elm, on the North, by the Town of Gilman, and on the South by the Town of Salem. The Town of El Paso has one small village named El Paso, which is usually a quiet town with the exception of the third weekend of August, at which time the annual El Paso Days celebration takes place. Then the tiny hamlet swells to perhaps 2,000 people! There are games for all ages, a horse pull, a horseshoe tournament, and a greased pig contest, all topped off with a grand parade and dancing. The river that flows through the Town of El Paso is the Rush River. There are a few creeks. They are Brush Creek, Cave Creek, and Lost Creek. The river and creek valleys are picturesque places to visit. There are farms situated on the rolling hills as well as the homes of many people that commute to work. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF EL
PASO
Town
Officials The regular town board meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 PM at the town hall. There is a portion of this meeting set aside for public input. If you wish to have an item put on the agenda, please call Melanie Schoepp at 715-273-4811 (mailbox #2). Notices for the meetings are in the Pierce County Herald, and will also be posted on this web site. The Annual Town meeting is held every Spring on the second Tuesday in April. At the town meeting the voting residents of the Town of El Paso can inspect the Financial Report of the previous year and raise concerns regarding the town. The Budget Hearing is held in October of each year. Town residents are encouraged to attend for input and information. Voter registration is required. You may register at the polls with a valid Wisconsin Drivers License. However, to save time, contact Clerk Melanie Schoepp at 715-273-4811- (mailbox #2) to register to vote. Polling hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Town Hall is handicap accessible. Absentee voting is available by contacting Clerk Melanie Schoepp. Please allow enough time (minimum of a month) for absentee ballot applications and ballots to be sent and returned by mail. Town of El Paso residents may vote for town, county, state and federal elections at the town Government Center. Effective September, 2008, voting will be done using a combination of touch screen voting machine and paper ballots with an optical scan. Town Elections: The Town Chair, Supervisors, Clerk, and Treasurer are elected in April of odd-numbered years and serve a two-year term. Candidates for these positions are nominated by town residents at the town caucus, which is held in January of odd numbered years. All town residents are invited to nominate persons for these positions at the caucus. The date for caucus is set at the December Town Board meeting in even numbered years. The current officers are up for election in April 2011. 2011 Election Calendar Spring Primary – February 15, 2011 The first meeting shall be within thirty days after the second Monday in May. However, if the tax rolls are not complete at that time, a new date shall be set. Open book allows the taxpayer to see how their tax was computed. Tax objectors must file their objections in writing with the clerk, either before or during the first two hours of the first scheduled meeting. In the case of later scheduled meetings, the written objection must be filed at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Telephone contact is acceptable in the case of qualifying ill and disabled persons only if all parties waive such notices in the minutes. Open Book: June 15, 2011 - 2:00 - 4:00 pm Board of Review: June 15, 2011 - 5:00 - 7:00 pm Real estate taxes may be paid by mail or in person. The first one half of real estate taxes are due on or before January 31. The town Treasurer will collect taxes at the town Government Center on January 23, 2010 from 9:00 AM – to Noon. You may pay at the home of the town treasurer, Mary Foley, by appointment only. Call her at 715-273-5508 to set up a time. The second half of your taxes are due on or before July 31, 2010 and must be paid to the Pierce County Treasurer’s office located at 414 West Main St., Ellsworth, WI 54011. Real Estate Tax payments can be made with a credit card. To use the online method, go to www.officialpayments.com or call 1-800-272-9829 The Jurisdiction Code assigned to the Town of El Paso is 6759. This 4-digit code is required for telephone payments. The convenience fee for credit cards payments is 2.75% times the amount paid. These payments are handled through Official Payments, our processing center. The Town of El Paso receives no proceeds from these fees. To view the 2010 Real Estate Tax List - click on Tax Town of El Paso Building Permit Building permits may be obtained from Melanie Schoepp, clerk (715-273-4811 - Mailbox #2). When considering the erection of a structure, consult the clerk to see is a permit is required. All new buildings require State permits obtained from the building inspector or clerk. Burning of trash in a burning barrel is illegal in the Town of El Paso. It is permissible to burn brush, wood, etc, after obtaining permission from the town chairperson (Ron Kannel at 715-778-5772). He will instruct you to call the Pierce County Solid Waste Department (715-273-3092) AND the Sheriff’s Department (715-273-5051) to report that you will be burning. Even after obtaining permission from the town chairperson, you are still responsible for the fire that you start. No other materials are allowed to be burned. This is a DNR rule. Driveway permits cost $100.00 and can be obtained from Ron Kannel, town chairperson. The following licenses are required in the Town of El Paso.
Liquor License Dog Licenses Dog owners have the responsibility to purchase a dog license for all
their dogs, to secure the license tag to the dog collar and to keep the
dog on their property. A non-licensed, untagged dog running at large
will be picked up by Dan Fischer. Contact Mary Foley at
715-273-5508 to obtain your dog licenses. A dog license is required for all dogs over the age of 5 months.
All dogs must have a rabies vaccination and proof of such
vaccination must be shown to purchase a license for your dog.
Please pay with a separate check when paying your first ½ taxes.
The fee schedule is as follows:
Neutered Male
$5.00
Male $10. Please properly dispose of your wastes through one of the many opportunities listed below. It is illegal to burn garbage in Pierce County. If you have questions about waste disposal or recycling in Pierce County, contact the Pierce County Solid Waste/Recycling Department or where to recycle or call them at 715-273-3092. Garbage/Waste: Dumpsters are available for waste disposal at the closed landfiill site off of State Highway 72 (1/2 mile East of 190th Street). It is open year round on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This service is for EL PASO AND ROCK ELM RESIDENTS ONLY. Residents must pay a fee of $3.OO PER BAG. An on site attendant is on duty to collect the fee. A standard 30-gallon bag full of garbage requires one tag. Please note that the $25 Solid Waste Fee added to your real estate property tax bill goes to the county. Recycling: Recyclables may be placed in the recycling bins at anytime. These bins are located at the closed landfill site. There is no charge for recycling. Please follow the guidelines in the Pierce County Recycling Guide located on a board near the recycling bins. Please take the time to place your recyclables in the correct bin. 911 SERVICES The Town of El Paso contracts with two fire departments and two ambulance services. (Please note the town section in which you live.) The Ellsworth Fire Department provides fire protection for persons living in sections; 5,6,7,8,9,10,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,28,29,30,31,32, and 33, all lying on the West side of Rush River. The Ellsworth Area Ambulance Service provides service in the same area as the Ellsworth Fire Department. The Elmwood Fire Department provides fire protection to persons living in sections; 1,2,3,4,11,12,13,14,22,23,24,25,26,27,34,35,and 36, all laying on the East side of Rush River. The Elmwood Area Ambulance Service provides service to the same area as the Elmwood Fire Department. Snow Plowing Snow plowing of driveways is done on a can do basis. To have your driveway plowed call Larry Peterson at 715-273-4811
This page was last updated on March 17, 2011 |
