60 Op. Att'y Gen. 95 | Wis. Att'y Gen. | 1971
JAMES R. ERICKSON, District Attorney, Polk County
You advise that the Polk County Board of Supervisors has designated three of the seven weekly newspapers located in Polk County, Wisconsin, as official newspapers for the publication of legal notices of the county. Consequently, such notices are published in all three newspapers when a notice is required by law. You, therefore, request my opinion on the following question:
"May a County Board designate more than one newspaper having a general circulation in the county as its official newspaper?"
Chapter 985, Stats., which relates to the publication of legal notices, does not appear to authorize a county board to designate more than one newspaper having general circulation in the county as its official newspaper. *96
It should first be pointed out that ch. 985, Stats., does not require that your county designate any newspaper as its official newspaper. Section
The foregoing notwithstanding, it will be noted that sec.
In conclusion, then, nothing in ch. 985, Stats., would prevent your county board from designating a newspaper or combination of newspapers in which a legal notice or certain legal notices should be published, so as to insure that persons throughout the county receive proper notice. If, on the other hand, the county desires to designate an official newspaper for the publication of its notices, it would designate only one newspaper as such, even though it might consider *97 it necessary to publish a particular legal notice in other qualified county newspapers as well.
RWW:JCM