West Sweden Info At A Glance

History of West Sweden Property Tax Payments Zoning Election Information Open Book & Board of Review Building Permits Rural Address Signs Ordinances & Resolutions Driveway Construction & Permits Board Meetings ATV Routes Dog License Town Road Maintenance 20 Year Road Plan Town Shop Replacement Useful Links

Settlers first immigrated to this region in the 1860s. Some of the earliest settlers were the Chell families, the Friberg families and the Lundquist families. As the years passed, and more people settled in this area, businesses began to spring up as well as the church – which was founded in 1873. A school was built in the early 1870s and served as a community meeting place, along with the church using the building too. The actual township was officially formed in November of 1875, and the name of the township was aptly named -West Sweden, because all the settlers in this new community were now living “West” of their original homeland of Sweden. A larger school was built in later years and then dismantled in the early 1960s. Original businesses were a creamery, blacksmith shop, a general store and a post office. The Village of Frederic eventually sprang up in the middle of West Sweden property. Commerce switched to Frederic when the railroad went through the village of Frederic. All public meetings for the Town of West Sweden were held at schools, churches and in the Frederic Village offices, until the Town acquired its first town hall- in the 1990s and where the town hall is located today. The creamery is still standing, as well as the church, but all other original buildings are gone.

First half of property taxes are payable to the West Sweden treasurer, Lori Lundquist, and are due by January 31st.
Questions can be directed to Lori Lundquist at 715-220-6297.
Mail taxes to West Sweden Treasurer, P O Box 391, Frederic WI 54837.

The Town of West Sweden requests that you pay for dog licenses with a separate check.

Second half of property taxes and delinquent taxes are payable to the Polk County Treasurer, Amanda Nissen and are due July 31st.
The Polk County Treasurer can be reached by phone at 715-485-9255 or by  Email.

Please note, if your taxes are paid by an escrow account and the check is for more than your taxes, a refund check will be issued at the next regular board meeting and mailed to you.

NEW STARTING IN 2026
You are now able to pay your first and second half taxes online. Follow the link below:
https://www.polkcountywi.gov/government/elected_officials/treasurer/pay_taxes_online.php
– follow the on-screen instructions.
If you want to pay for more than 10 parcels in a transaction, please contact the Polk County Treasurer’s office at 715-485-9255.

Please be aware that if you pay online by credit card, the fees may be high. You may also use your bank info online to pay your taxes.


West Sweden abides by County Zoning laws, please contact Polk County Zoning at 715-485-9279 for any questions pertaining to zoning. 
Jason Kjeseth is the Zoning Adminstrator and can be reached at  jason.kjeseth@co.polk.wi.us
West Sweden has no special zoning ordinances of its’ own, other than restrictions dealing with new driveways.

All elections are held at the town hall. Election dates vary from year to year, please check the Inter-County Leader for upcoming elections or the town website. 

Photo ID is required at all elections. Acceptable Photo ID will be required to vote at all elections. 
If you do not have a photo ID you may obtain a free ID for voting from the Division of Motor Vehicles.

At  myvote.wi.gov you can register to vote, check your voter registration status, find your polling place, see what’s on your ballot, request an absentee ballot and check provisional ballot status.
The Town Clerk is available to answer any questions you may have regarding registration or voting absentee as well.
Phyllis Wilder can be contacted via  Email or by calling 715-327-8951.

Upcoming Elections for 2026:

  • April 7th: Spring Election – Polls open 7:00am – 8:00pm
  • August 11th: Partisan Primary – Polls open 7:00am – 8:00pm
  • November 3rd: General Election – Polls open 7:00am – 8:00pm

Residents interested in finding out how the assessor arrives at the assessed value of their property can come to the Open Book which is typically held mid-May or June. Notices are posted on the town website, Town Hall and the Post Office, as well as in the Inter County Leader prior to the Open Book, this also applies to the Board of Review meeting date as Wisconsin state statues requires the notice to be published.

You will receive a notice from the assessor prior to the scheduled Open Book date informing you that the value of your property has changed, Open Book is the time to inquiry about the change. If nothing has changed you will not receive such notice but this is the time to inquiry about your assessed values.

The Board of Review is scheduled one week following the Open Book date.

The WI Revenue website below is an excellent resource and can answer many of the questions a land owner may have.
Of course, you may also contact your local officials with questions as well.
https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/Municipalities/boardofreview.aspx


The Town of West Sweden has contracted with Jon Mattson, dba, Atlas Inspections, for all uniform dwelling code permitting, inspections and enforcement.  Consult with the building inspector and the Polk County zoning department prior to any construction to ensure you have the correct permits as these are not issued by the Town.

Rural address signs, aka Fire Signs, are available through the Land Use Department at Polk County.  The following link will provide the application needed to request a new or replacement sign:  Sign Application








A permit is not needed for the installation of a driveway off of a town road however inspection by a town board member or patrolman is required prior to construction to determine the suitability of the proposed driveway location.

West Sweden Driveway Policy:

SECTION 1 – PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to regulate and control driveway development within the Town of West Sweden in order to promote public health, safety, general welfare and water quality. This can be accomplished by requiring an orderly layout and use of land, providing safe access to highways, roads and streets, facilitating adequate provision for transportation and surface drainage. This is not a zoning ordinance. This policy applies to Town of West Sweden roads only, driveways built on County or State roads must comply With their regulations.

SECTION 2 – DEFINITIONS

  • TOWN – Town of West Sweden
  • DRIVEWAY – An access used for purposes of ingress and egress of a residence

SECTION 3 – MINUMUM DRIVEWAY STANDARDS

A town board member or its agent shall inspect all driveways to ensure the driveway is placed in a safe location that meets the following minimum specifications:

  1. Culverts, if needed, must be a minimum of 15″ in diameter and 30′ wide and made of galvanized steel or rigid plastic.
  2. Within the Town Right-of-Way, the entrance to the driveway must meet the following minimum requirements.
  3. Ditch bottoms to follow the topographical lay of the land
  4. 30′ road entrance with the remainder a 14′ driving lane
  5. 4″ base of minimum of class 5 gravel in right-of-way

SECTION 4 – The Town of West Sweden will pay for the first culvert (15″ x 30′) that is to be installed for a new construction of a dwelling. End walls and sloping is the responsibility of the owner. If the owner chooses to install a larger culvert the additional cost would be the owner’s responsibility. Proof of building permit is required to be presented at the regular Town Board meeting prior to construction of the driveway.

SECTION 5 – Replacement of a culvert on any driveway on owner’s property is the responsibility of the owner. The Town of West Sweden may replace culverts on driveways at no charge to the owner if while doing road construction it is deemed necessary to preserve the integrity of the road.

West Sweden Town Board meetings are normally held on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:00pm unless otherwise posted.  Meetings are held at the West Sweden Town Hall located at 209 3rd Ave North – Frederic, WI.  Meeting agendas are posted at least 24 hours prior at the town hall.  The public is encouraged and always welcome to attend these meetings.  To be on the agenda contact the town clerk or chairman.

All town roads within the limits of West Sweden are open for ATV use. ATV operators shall observe a 25mph speed limit ( 10mph or less when operating within 150 feet of a dwelling ) and shall ride single file.  ATV operators must have a valid driver’s license, current registration on the ATV and proof of insurance.  ATV hours of operation on town roads are restricted between the hours of 10:00pm and 7:00am.

Dog license information is included with your annual tax statement. If you need to license your dog outside of this period please contact the town treasurer for information.  Current license rates are:  $10.00 for Unneutered or Unspayed dogs and $5.00 for Neutered or Spayed dogs.

The Town of West Sweden is responsible for approximately 52 miles of roads. The town board is in the process of developing a 20 year road plan to address the age and severe deterioration effecting many of those roads. As discussions progress it is important to communicate that increasing property taxes and turning some asphalt roads back to gravel is almost a certainty. With the cost of replacing a mile of asphalt nearing the $200,000 mark (pulverizing, adding gravel base, replacing culverts, paving and shouldering) it is financially unfeasible to maintain the current number of miles of paved roads we currently have.  This website will be used to communicate as much information as possible as to the development of that plan.

In 2021, due to the rapidly deteriorating condition of the current building, the town board began the pre-planning process of building a new shop/town hall. Unfortunately, the lack of existing structures that would meet the Town’s needs and the financial scope of new construction make such a project nearly impossible at this time. The the replacement of the current shop/hall has been tabled until further notice.

Equipment stored in the current shop:

  • 2025 John Deere 620 Grader – $380,000
  • 2022 F350 w/ Plow – Replacement Cost $75,000
  • Doesn’t fit in the shop during the winter months when plows & wings are on other equipment
  • 2021 International Plow Truck – Replacement Cost $220,000
  • 2016 New Holland Backhoe – Replacement Cost $160,000
  • Sits outside in the winter months at an offsite sand pile
  • 2013 John Deere 5115M Tractor w/Mower – Replacement Cost $210,000
  • Usually sits outside because it doesn’t fit in the shop any time of the year.
  • Total Equipment Costs – $1,045,000