Wisconsin Statutes Organization of State Government (Ch. 13 to 22) § 17.12. Removal and suspension of city officers

(1) General and special charter. Officers of cities, except public officials, as defined in s. 62.51(1)(b), operating under the general law or under special charter including school officers, may be removed as follows:

(2) Commission form. Officers of cities operating under the commission form of government may be removed as follows:

(3) Suspension. The mayor of any city may summarily suspend from office any officer thereof whose removal is sought and against whom charges have been preferred therefor, and may appoint an officer to discharge the duties of such office until such charges have been disposed of. If such charges are dismissed, the officer so suspended shall thereby be restored to office and be entitled to the emoluments of the office for all of the time the officer would have served therein had the officer not been suspended.

(3m) Common council authority. Notwithstanding subs. (1) and (2) and subject to sub. (4), a city may by ordinance provide that any appointed city officer may be removed only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, official misconduct, or malfeasance in office.

(4) General exception. But no officer of any city, appointed according to merit and fitness under and subject to a civil service or to a police and fire commission law, or whose removal is governed by such a law, shall be removed otherwise than as therein provided.