Town of Orion

Mail: PO Box 506, Muscoda, WI 53573

Address: 22304 Thiede Road, Muscoda, WI 53573

Office Hours: Tues 9-12, Thurs 1-5 or by Appointment

Office Phone: (608) 739-0515

Town of Orion

Wisconsin

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Orion Annual Letter
New-Town-Hall-Orion

Orion Town Hall is located at
22304 Thiede Road Muscoda, WI 53573

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Orion is a town in
Richland County, Wisconsin

The town of Orion lies in the southern tier of towns the second from the east line of the county, and is bounded on the north by Richland; on the east by Buena Vista; on the south by Iowa county, from which it is separated by the Wisconsin river, and on the west by Eagle. The population of town Orion is 628. The unincorporated communities of Orion and Twin Bluffs are located in the town. The town has a total area of 36.2 square miles.

Our History

Orion, commonly referred to as Orion Township, is a rural municipality found in Richland County WI Richland County, Wisconsin, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.2 square miles (93.8 km2), of which, 35.8 square miles (92.7 km2) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.1 km2) of it (1.19%) is water. The population was 628 at the 2000 census. Using the January Preliminary Population Estimates provided by the WI State Department of Administration, there has been a decline in population. Prelim_Est_Alpha_2024.pdf (wi.gov) The preliminary estimated population for 2024 is 542 with 419 residents to be of voting age. The unincorporated communities of Orion and Twin Bluffs are located within the town of Orion. Our town is a picturesque rural area that made up of hills, valleys, woodlands, and fields with the Wisconsin River being our southern border.

Originally called Richmond, at a town meeting held on December 20, 1856, board members approved a name change and Richmond became Orion. Board Members held their first meetings at various homes in what is now the unincorporated community of Orion. On October 24, 1912, a small piece of land was leased to the Town of Orion at the intersection of County Hwy O and County Hwy OO for the sum of fifty dollars ($50.00) to be in place if the Town of Orion used the land for Town Hall purposes. That lease is still in effect today, though the Town of Orion will soon return the land to the family which leased it to us originally. The town built the white building to use as its Town Hall shortly after and it served the town of Orion for many years.

At some point, primarily due to lack of facilities, the town began to use the basement of the Ash Creek United Methodist Church, located on Henery Clark Lane for elections and annual town meetings events that lasted more than an hour. The town used the church basement for many years, and they were grateful to have a place to hold elections and annual meetings. The board continued to use the Ash Creek Methodist Church through 2023 hold monthly meetings in the old town hall until January 2024.

Eventually, the town determined they would build a new town hall funded in part by money received through a grant. Construction on the new town hall began in late 2023 and the building was completed in March of 2024. Board members held the first board meeting in the new building in February of 2024.

Source: Library Of Congress

Learn More about Orion Wisconsin History

Orion Annual Letter

Greetings from your new Town Treasurer – Denise D. Ewing – First, I would like to thank all who elected me to this position, I am excited to be working for the Town of Orion. I am confident, with over 20 plus years of accounting experience, that I can meet the expectations of the role. I look forward to meeting you during my term as Town of Orion Treasurer.


As you read through this letter, please notice the bolded changes, specifically the new Drop Box, the warning regarding postmark date, the requirements for Dog licensing and payments for those licenses, and the closing of the Richland Center landfill.


Real Estate Taxes / Personal Property Taxes – The Treasurer for the Town of Orion, in Richland County, WI is the collector for the first installment period of property tax payments which are due by January 31, 2026. You may choose to pay the total due in the first installment, or to pay only the amount do in the 1st installment. See your property tax bill for amounts due. No matter if you pay one installment or two, the first payment must be made by January 31, 2026. If you wish to receive a receipt from the Town of Orion, you MUST include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your payment.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH

*In Person Tax Payment may be made at 22304 Thiede Road Muscoda WI 53573 during the following hours:

December 2025
Dec 23 – 10:00am – 12:00pm
Dec 27 – 10:00am – 12:00pm

January 2026
Jan 06 – 11:00am – 1:00pm
Jan 10 – 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Jan 20 – 11:00am – 1:00pm
Jan 31 – 12:00pm – 4:00pm

**We also have a “drop box” located at the Town Hall, 22304 Thiede Road, where you may drop off your tax payments. Make sure you have your check and parcel numbers clearly stated for recording. Payments deposited in the “drop off” box after 5pm on January 31, 2026 will be late.

If you have any questions or would like to set up a different time to pay, please email me at treasurer@orionwi.gov or call 608-739-0515.

By Mail:

1st Installment due January 31, 2026
Town of Orion
Attn: Treasurer, Denise D Ewing
PO Box 506
Muscoda WI 53573

 

2nd Installment due July 31, 2026
Richland County Treasurer
PO Box 348
Richland Center WI 53581

*** Please note, In August 2025, the Postal Service instituted a nationwide change as to when a postmark is affixed to incoming mail. Postmarks are now stamped at regional sorting centers. This means your postmark could be several days after you put it in your mailbox. To avoid this issue, you may use the “drop box, bring your payment to the town hall during the listed hours, or you may want to use the on-line payment option.

Late Penalty is 1% interest each month on the unpaid balance until paid in full.

Online: Available again this year. The Town of Orion allows payments online through an internet interface with Value Payment Systems (VPS), LLC. The payment options of E-Checks, Debit Cards and Credit Cards are allowed through VPS. For more information, visit https://pp-richland-co-wi-fb.app.landnav.com/Login or you can look for the letter from Richland County Treasurer on our website.

Dog Licenses: Per Richland County, all dogs are to be registered on an annual basis. Annual Dog licenses need to be obtained in the Town of Orion Treasurer’s office by April 1st of each year.

To Obtain a Dog License for each of your dogs:

  1. Complete the dog license application. You can obtain the application from our web page at Orionwi.gov or request a copy from the treasurer via email or phone call.
  2. Provide a copy of your receipt from the Veterinarian for each dog you are seeking a license for that shows:
    a. Date of Rabies Vaccination
    b. Make & Serial number of the vaccine
    c. Expiration Date
  3. You must include the payment for each license requested:
    a. $3 for each dog that is spayed/neutered, OR
    b. $8 for each dog that is not spayed/neutered.

Payment must be made separately from your tax bill.

To obtain your dog license(s), mail the application, the veterinarian receipt, and full payment to the Town Treasurer at Town of Orion, Attn. Treasurer, POBox 506 Muscoda WI 53573. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish to have your dog tags mailed back to you. To avoid loss of tags in the mail, you can schedule a time with the Treasurer, Denise D Ewing by calling 608/739-0515 or emailing at treasurer@orionwi.gov.

From the Clerk: Have you visited our Web Page, Orionwi.gov yet? If so, I would appreciate any comments or suggestions on what you would like to see there. I have added a new Tab across the top of the page that is called What’s Happening. Under this tab you will find what is happening in the Town of Orion. If you have an event you want to share with the Town of Orion residents, please contact the clerk, Diane Parduhn.

Updates from the Chairperson: The Orion Town Board would like to share a notice we received on November 19, 2025, from the City of Richland Center, Richland County WI.

“At its October 7, 2025, meeting, the Richland Center Common Council approved a motion to permanently close the landfill transfer station effective March 31, 2026. The last day of operation will be Monday, March 30, 2026.

Township residents will continue to have access to the facility through the first quarter of 2026 while alternate disposal arrangements are being established. During this period, each participating township will be billed a prorated amount equal to one-quarter of its annual negotiated contribution toward transfer station costs, to be determined and invoiced as usual.

After the closure, nearby disposal alternatives will be available through Town & Country Sanitation in Lone Rock and Boscobel.”

This will impact anyone who currently relies on the Richland Center landfill to dispose of garbage. You will need to make other arrangements to dispose of your trash and recyclables before the landfill closes. One solution is to contract with Town & Country Sanitation; many residents of the Town already use this service. You can contact Town & Country at https://www.townandcountrysanitation.com/contact-us or by phone at 800-626-1915 to gather information about their services.

The board is currently looking at options to provide disposal of large items once or twice a year for Town of Orion residents. At this point no decisions have been made by the board regarding what we will do. Please feel free to reach out if you have questions or suggestions.