The Town of Oconomowoc and Lac La Belle officially merged on January 1 to create a new Village of Lac La Belle, but the merger has not come without controversy. According to TMJ4, the City of Oconomowoc and the Village of Oconomowoc Lake have filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the merger.
Robert Hultquist, the former chairman of the Town of Oconomowoc and now president of the newly formed Village of Lac La Belle, stated, “We were officially merged on January 1. We are now one organization.” As part of the transition, all members of the original Lac La Belle board resigned, allowing the Town of Oconomowoc board to take over leadership.
The lawsuit has left residents of the involved municipalities confused and searching for answers. “I didn’t know about the lawsuit,” a Town of Oconomowoc resident told TMJ4. A City of Oconomowoc resident added, “They don’t want them to merge? I don’t understand what the problem is.”
TMJ4 reports that Oconomowoc Lake Village President Mike Bickler declined to comment directly but pointed to a press release explaining their position. According to the release, the Village of Oconomowoc Lake had negotiated a “minor border adjustment” with the Town of Oconomowoc in May 2024. However, since the merger, the Town has not responded about whether it will honor the agreement.
As the lawsuit progresses, the newly formed Village of Lac La Belle remains focused on moving forward, despite the legal challenges posed by its neighbors. Residents and officials alike await clarity on what the future holds for these neighboring municipalities.
