A Brown County judge has ruled in favor of the village of Howard, stating that its annexation of 39.9 acres of land in Pittsfield is legal. The town of Pittsfield had filed a lawsuit against Howard, claiming that the annexation was too far from the village borders and therefore illegal.

Details of the Ruling

In her seven-page ruling, Judge Samantha Wagner stated that the key issue was whether the land met the statutory definition of being ‘near’ the village. The annexed property is located off Highway U, between School Drive and Kunesh Road, and is approximately 1.3 miles from the Howard border. According to the ruling, this distance is considered ‘near’ and therefore the annexation is legal.

The decision also noted that Howard’s plans for expansion in the area are not ‘far fetched.’ However, the ruling did express sympathy with Pittsfield’s concerns about the potential impact of the annexation on the future of small towns.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.