Frequently Asked Questions

The Greenfield Police Department is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If a clerk is not on duty, an intercom in the vestibule will put you in touch with a dispatcher.

1. In the City of Greenfield you DO NOT need a parking permit.
2. No need to call in your vehicle
3. Park on even sides of the streets on even days and odd sides of the street on odd days

DURING SNOW EMERGENCIES:

       * NO PARKING ON ALL MAIN STREETS

(S. 27th Street, S. 35th Street, S. 43rd Street, S. 51st Street, S. 60th Street, S. 68th Street, S. 76th Street, S. 84th Street, S. 92nd Street, S. 104th Street, S. 112th Street, S. 116th Street, S. 124th Street and W. Morgan Avenue, W. Howard Avenue, W. Coldspring Road, W. Layton Avenue, W. Edgerton Avenue, W. Grange Avenue, W. Ramsey Avenue, W. College Avenue, W. Loomis Road, W. Forest Home Avenue, W. Beloit Road, S. 31st Street between W. Edgerton Avenue and W. Grange Avenue). Parking on all other streets in the city is restricted to alternate side AT ALL TIMES (park on the side of the road with even addresses on the even day and odd addresses on the odd day).

A City of Greenfield citation, whether it be traffic related or an ordinance violation, is handled under the jurisdiction of the Greenfield Municipal Court.

If you wish to contest the citation, you must appear in court on the date and time indicated on the citation. At that time you will be given an opportunity to enter a plea to the offense. If your plea is "Not Guilty", you will be given a trial date on which to return and present evidence to the Judge. If your plea is "Guilty" or "No Contest" you will be found guilty, but the Judge will give you an opportunity to speak on your own behalf and offer any mitigating circumstances.

In most circumstances, the Judge will give consideration to those individuals who have corrected driver license, registration and equipment violations and who bring proof to court.

The Greenfield Police Department utilizes N and S Towing of West Allis. In most circumstances, the vehicle will not be held at the Police Department impound lot, but would instead be held by N and S Towing at their yard. Contact the officer who handled the case or N and S Towing to find out the location of your vehicle.

N and S Towing can also advise you regarding payment of the towing fees and storage charges. If a vehicle is impounded at the Greenfield Police Department, all towing fees must be paid to N and S before the vehicle is released. A receipt must be shown to pick up your vehicle. N and S can be reached at 414-476-8697 and are located at 1719 S. 83rd St, West Allis, Wisconsin 53214.

Reports are usually available within 5 days after the incident and can be requested in person at the Law Enforcement Center from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week, online and over the phone (414) 761-5300.  The cost for a report is $.25 per page, $1.00 per page for photos and $8.00 for a DVD.  Please consult the clerical page for further information.

Vehicle registration and driver licensing is handled by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The Motor Vehicle Department has an on line registration renewal site. The nearest Motor Vehicle Station is at 5500 West Grange Avenue and can be reached at 414-266-1000.

Greenfield Municipal Code requires that sidewalks be cleared by noon of each day or immediately after snow has fallen. Violations should be reported to the Department of Code Enforcement.

In order to make a records request you can either fill out the request form online through the Greenfield Police Department website, by calling the records department (414) 761-5300 ext #4 or coming into the police department itself and speaking with a clerk there.  The records department is open everyday including weekends and holidays from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM.

No, we only send the original tax bill to the owner on record. We may provide a file of tax bill information to mortgage companies upon their request. Please contact your mortgage company if you have questions regarding how your property tax escrow funds are distributed.

Aside from a post office delivery issue, if you recently purchased the home or business, you may not have received a tax bill.  Our mailing address information is based on what the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds sends to our Assessor’s office.  We generally have all recorded changes from the County through October.  To obtain a copy of the tax bill, see question number 4.

You may find your tax bill by using the Milwaukee County Public Portal.  Sign in as a guest by accepting the terms and clicking on the “Accept and Sign In” button.  Search for your property using only one criteria. The 10 digit parcel number works best but the address, using the house number and street name only (for example, for 9999 S. 27^th Street just use 9999 for the house number and 27 for the street) OR your name works well too. Choose the line with your property and tax year you are looking for. Then click the blue taxes tab, and finally, click on the “Print Tax Bill” button.

Yes, use the Milwaukee County Public Portal.   Sign in as a guest by accepting the terms and clicking on the “Accept and Sign In” button.  Search for your property using only one criteria. The 10 digit parcel number works best but the address, using the house number and street name only (for example, for 9999 S. 27^th Street just use 9999 for the house number and 27 for the street) OR your name works well too. Choose the line with your property and tax year you are looking for. Then click the blue taxes tab, and finally, click on the “Print Tax Summary” button. Your payment(s) will be listed at the bottom of the sheet.

A receipt will be sent to you by mail if you enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with your request or payment.  We can also email a receipt to you if you make note of your email address.  We DO NOT automatically mail out a receipt if payment is made directly to us by your mortgage company unless there is an unpaid balance unrelated to an installment amount.

You may print a receipt from home using the Milwaukee County Public Portal. Sign in as a guest to the portal by accepting the terms and clicking on the “Accept and Sign In” button. Search for your property using only one criteria, either the 10 digit parcel number, OR address, using the house number and street name only (for example, for 9999 S. 27^th Street just use 9999 for the house number and 27 for the street) OR your name.  Choose the line with your property and tax year you are looking for.  Then click the blue taxes tab, and finally, click on the print tax summary button.

(1) The Treasurer’s Office at City Hall, 7325 W. Forest Home Ave, in room 103. 

(2) ONLY IN DECEMBER - Tri City in the Pick N Save Metro Market at 4279 South 76 Street.  Cash and check payments only are accepted at Tri City.  You do not need to be a customer of the bank and a receipt will be provided.  The bank will need to see a copy of your tax bill or payment stub to process your payment.   

******If you cannot make your payment during business hours, Greenfield City Hall at 7325 West Forest Home Ave. has a secured deposit box located on the south side of the building to drop off check payments.

Personal checks, cashier checks, money orders, cash and credit/debit cards are accepted at Greenfield City Hall Treasurer’s Office.  Please add your phone number to your personal checks so we may contact you if we have a question or issue with your payment.  Credit/debit card payments incur a 2.55% transaction fee (minimum of $2.00), except for Visa debit payments which are charged a flat $3.95.

Yes, credit and debit card payments can be made online and in person at the Treasurer’s Office in City Hall.  There is a processing fee for credit and debit card payments both online and at the Treasurer’s Office of 2.55% transaction fee (minimum of $2.00), except for Visa debit payments which are charged a flat $3.95. E-check payments must be made online. The e-check online processing fee is $ 1.50.

Online payment directions are as follows:

Use the Milwaukee County Public Portal and sign in as a guest by accepting the terms and clicking on the “Accept and Sign In” button.  If necessary, click the blue, “More Search Fields” button on the search screen.

Enter one type of search criteria.  The 10-digit parcel number works best.  If searching by address, use only the house number (for example, 9999) and the street name without direction or type (for example 34, not S. 34^th St. or Main, not S. Main St.).  Then click the blue “Search” button.  On the resulting listing, be sure to choose your property listing for 2025 if paying the most current bill.  On the following screen, click on the “Taxes” tab in blue lettering.  

To start the payment process, from the tax screen click the “Add to Cart” and then the “View Cart” blue buttons. If making a partial payment, on the cart screen, click the blue “Pay” button and choose your payment option or type in an amount in the “Other” area.  Then hit the “Apply” button.  When the amount in the Payment Total box matches what you are planning to pay, click the blue “Checkout” button.  Choose your payment type on the next screen by clicking on it and then follow the prompts. 

The current owner of a property is responsible for the taxes. If the property was in existence as of January 1, you are responsible for the taxes for the full year. Please check your closing papers from the sale of the home or your title company to find out how the taxes were handled.  Usually, taxes are pro-rated at the time of closing. They may have been deducted from the sales price as a credit to you.

Yes, in order to process your payment, the escrow check needs to be signed by all payees.  This should be done on the back of the escrow check near the top.  Failure to do so could create delays in processing and possible tax delinquency.

If the check was made out to you and the City, a refund will be processed by our Accounting Department, and a check will be issued to you after 15 business days.   If your mortgage company sent the overage payment directly to us or the check you submit is only made out to the city, the refund will be sent to the mortgage company. 

Tri City Bank in the Pick N Save Metro Market at 4279 South 76th Street will issue an immediate refund for overpayments from escrow checks.  Cashier’s checks will be issued to all payees listed on the check for the amount of the refund.  You do not have to be a customer of the bank for this service but must bring a copy of your tax bill or payment stub with your payment.  The refund check may be cashed immediately at the bank with a valid ID when all owner payees are present.

No. An escrow check must be applied in full to your tax bill.

December 31 is not a property tax due date, but some owners choose to pay in December for income tax purposes.  To ensure a payment receipt is dated in December, a mailed payment to the City of Greenfield must be in a properly addressed envelope with a December postmark from a mail delivery service, such as the United States Postal Service, Fed Ex, and United Parcel Service (UPS).  Mail received in our office in January having this proper December dated postmark will be processed as December payments.

We process payments as quickly as possible.  Please allow one week for your check to clear your account.  If more than one week has passed and your check has not cleared your account, please contact the Treasurer's Office at 414-329-5259 or treasurerdept@greenfieldwi.gov. 

Some mortgage companies send escrow checks to a third party tax service for distribution.  That third party then forwards the funds to the City.  In this case, your mortgage company may tell you the check was issued early in December, but we may not receive the payment for your taxes from the third party until late December or even January.

The installment due dates are January 31, April 30, and June 30.  The installment amounts listed on your tax bill are the minimums due by those dates.  You may pay more or earlier than the dates listed.  For each installment, please include your tax payment stub or include a note with your parcel number or address of the property you are paying for and a contact phone number.  Mailed installment payments will be posted promptly, and a receipt will be mailed.  A return envelope will be enclosed with the receipt if another installment is due.

No, the City of Greenfield does not send out reminders regarding installments or for remaining unpaid balances due. Please mark your calendar to remind yourself of the due dates.

Any payment not received by the State mandated 5 business day grace period after the due date results in delinquency of the entire unpaid tax balance and loss of the installment option for that tax bill.  In addition, all delinquent taxes accumulate interest and penalty charges from February 1 at 1.5% per month, regardless of when it becomes delinquent.

If by January 31st, you have paid equal to or more than the total of your January and April installment, you do have the option of paying the remaining balance by the June 30th due date.

If you haven’t already, examine your tax bill to determine if you could meet the tax installment amounts by their due dates, rather than paying the total of the bill by January 31.  Also, check with the Finance Office for the official end of the State mandated five business day grace period after the due date.  If those options still don’t help, it is best to pay as much as you can and as soon as you can.  All delinquent property tax accumulates interest and penalty charges from February 1 at 1.5% for each month on the entire unpaid principal balance.  Therefore, any payments made will help reduce the amount of interest and penalty accrued.  The City of Greenfield will only be able to accept payments through the last business day in July when all delinquent real estate taxes will be turned over to Milwaukee County for collection. 

Every taxable parcel in the State of Wisconsin that contains a real property improvement qualifies for the First Dollar Credit.  This includes business, commercial and private property.  This credit will be automatically applied to all qualifying properties.  If the property tax bill has an amount shown in the “Assessed Value Improvements” box, then that property should receive the credit.  Unlike the Lottery and Gaming Credit, the property does not need to be the primary residence of the owner, and an owner may receive the First Dollar Credit on more than one property.

The Lottery and Gaming Credit provides property tax relief in the form of a deduction on qualifying parcels’ bills.  The amount of the credit varies by school district.  A property is eligible for the credit only if it is used as the primary residence of the owner as of January 1 of the tax year.  The credit is printed near the middle of the bill across from “Lottery and Gaming Credit” in the net tax column.  If no amount is listed in the Lottery and Gaming Credit line, the property did not receive it.

Perhaps you do not qualify for the credit.  Or you may have purchased a home that was either not a primary residence for the previous owner or a completed Lottery and Gaming Credit Application was not  submitted for the property.  Please see questions 25 - 27 below for eligibility requirements and instructions on how to change a property’s Lottery and Gaming Credit status.

To qualify for the Lottery and Gaming Credit for a tax year, you must be a Wisconsin resident, own the dwelling, and use it as your primary residence as of January 1 of that year.  Primary residence is where you live for more than 6 months out of a year.  When you are away, it is the home to which you intend to return to.  You can only have one primary residence.  Rental properties and businesses are not eligible for the credit.

If a home was purchased after the January 1 date and there is currently no credit, it may be claimed only if the new owner can attest that to the best of their knowledge the previous owner used the home as their primary residence as of January 1.  If the previous owner did not use the property as their primary residence, the new owner should claim the credit for the following year when January 1 primary residence is accurate.

If your property is eligible for the Lottery and Gaming Credit and did not receive it on the tax bill, a completed application must be submitted to get it added to the tax account.  You may complete the LC-100 form by January 31 and submit it to the Greenfield Treasurer’s Office at 7325 W. Forest Home Ave., Room 103, Greenfield, WI, 53220 or via e-mail to TreasurerDept@greenfieldwi.gov.  You may also apply for the credit online through the State of Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s online portal.  If you missed the January 31 deadline, a late claim can be filed through the State’s portal until October 1.

Removing a property’s ineligible Lottery and Gaming Credit will avoid having to pay it back to the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue in the future.  You may complete the Wisconsin Lottery and Gaming Removal Request form, the LC-400, and submit it to the City of Greenfield Treasurer’s Office, 7325 W. Forest Home Ave., Room 103, Greenfield, WI, 53220 or via e-mail to TreasurerDept@greenfieldwi.gov. It may also be removed through the State of Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s online portal.  

Delinquent balances from the quarterly sewer or water bills at the time of tax preparation will be placed on the owner’s tax bill as special charges, along with an additional 10% penalty.  To inquire about a sewer account, please call the Greenfield Treasurer’s Office at (414) 329-5259 or access the online sewer site using your 5 digit sewer account number. To inquire about a water account, please call Milwaukee Water Works at (414) 286-2830 or access their online water portal with your water account number.  

Trash and recycling services are provided for single family homes, apartments under 5 units, and some condominium complexes.  The City of Greenfield uses Johns Disposal Services (phone number 1-888-473-4701).  The fee for this service is listed as a Special Charge under the Net Property Tax Amount on the tax bill.   

Please use one of the options below to obtain more information on trash and recycling collection.

• The Department of Public Works’ web page 
• The city’s "Recreator” magazine online, and which is mailed to all homes four times a year.  
• Handouts are kept in the literature wall racks at City Hall in the first floor hallway and in room 203.

Jobs are posted on the Human Resources Page, and are posted on bulletin boards at City Hall in the Human Resources Department and in the lobby outside the Finance Department. You may also visit Human Resources website career pages.

There are no residency requirements.

Seasonal workers are hired primarily by our Parks and Recreation Department for a limited period of time to work in City park and recreational facilities.  The Division of Public Works hires individuals 18 and over during summer months.  Anyone interested should visit the Human Resources website at https://www.ci.greenfieldwi.us/jobs.aspx for available positions.

The application process is outlined within the posting of each available position.  Please follow the application process for the position in which you are interested in applying for.

Applications for Firefighter and Police Officer are only accepted when an eligibility list is being established. When vacancies occur, candidates are drawn from that list. Eligibility lists are developed on a periodic basis, as the need arises.  Anyone interested in submitting an application may visit the Human Resources website at https://www.ci.greenfieldwi.us/jobs.aspx for the application process.

The Library and School District are separate operating facilities, and each do their own hiring.  Please visit websites at:

Library: https://www.greenfieldlibrary.org/index.asp?Type=B_JOB&SEC={275C2E51-7316-4681-BB2B-70D6EE7A93C9}

School District of Greenfield: https://www.greenfield.k12.wi.us/district/human-resources.cfm

Whitnall School District: https://www.whitnall.com/district/employment.cfm

No. We will contact all applicants regarding their status in the hiring process. 

Yes, you can call and pay over the phone during business hours Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

According to Section 10.19 of the City of Greenfield Municipal Code (ordinance #2891), dogs are permitted in parks, as long as it's in a designated area as allowed in accordance with posted restrictions, and on a leash no more than six feet in length.  Dogs are NOT allowed in parks at any time in picnic areas, children's play areas, athletic fields, or in the Farmer's Market.  Dogs are also not allowed in parks during the annual Dan Jansen Family Festival, Fourth of July events, concert in the park events, and other special events.  The City ordinance does not pertain to service dogs, or dogs that are necessary and required by any person having a hearing or sight impairment or disability.  Please pick up after your pet and dispose off premises.

Applications to appear before the Plan Commission must be received by the Department of Neighborhood Services Community Development Division by the second Thursday of the month prior to the meeting in which you wish to appear. All applications, fees, and applicable materials must be submitted at this time. Incomplete submittals will not be accepted. Applications can either be obtained online or at the Community Development Division. It is highly recommended that you contact the Community Development Manager at 414-329-5342 to determine if a pre-submittal meeting with staff is needed. 2020 Plan Commission Meeting Schedule & Deadlines

Fees for different applications vary for each request. The Planning Commission Application Fees List can be obtained online or at the Community Development Division. In addition, there may be separate charges as outlined in the Engineering Charges Form.

Setbacks vary depending on your zoning classification. In order to find your setbacks, you first need to find out your zoning. You can find out your zoning by using the online Property Information Search or by contacting the Community Development Division. Once you know your zoning, view the Chapter 21 of the Greenfield Municipal Code to find your setback requirements or contact the Community Development Division.

All proposed actions, prior to plan approval from the Common Council, should be first submitted to Community Development staff for their recommendation. Staff will then forward the plans to the Plan Commission. The Plan Commission will then make their recommendation to the Common Council. Plans and specifications shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and character of the work proposed. A Planning Commission Checklist can be obtained online or at the Community Development Division.

Staff will meet 2 weeks prior to the Plan Commission meeting to review your plans. You will be notified as soon as possible if any revisions are needed. You will be given an opportunity to revise your plans before the meeting; however, any revisions must be received before the agenda is sent out on the Thursday prior to the meeting. The Plan Commission will not review any plan revisions that have not been first reviewed by staff. A copy of the agenda and staff report for your item will be sent to you on the Thursday prior to the meeting. 

At the meeting, staff will present their recommendations, after which you will have an opportunity to address the Plan Commission to provide additional information or to answer any questions. The Plan Commission generally will vote on your item the same evening and forward their recommendation to the Common Council. After the meeting you will be sent a copy of the minutes of the Plan Commission meeting confirming the Commission’s recommendation, along with any conditions of approval. Once the Common Council has taken its action, please contact the Community Development Division for any necessary follow-up steps.

To determine what the zoning designation is for a piece of property use the online Property Information Search or contact the Community Development Division.

The Greenfield Comprehensive Plan is a comprehensive long-range plan intended to guide the growth and development of the City of Greenfield. The plan is intended for future land use and infrastructure development and protection of natural resources, developed in accordance with the requirements of Section 66.1001 of the Wisconsin Statutes. A comprehensive plan must address the 9 “Smart Growth” elements specified in the Statutes; must provide opportunities for public participation; and must be adopted by an ordinance of the governing body.

The Plan Commission meets at 6:00 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of every month (holidays excepted) at: Greenfield City Hall Council Chambers Room 100 7325 W Forest Home Avenue Greenfield, WI 53220 View the meeting schedules online or contact the Community Development Division for more information.

The wastewater of the city is collected and treated by MMSD (Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District). There are four components on the utility bill. Two of these components are billed on behalf of MMSD: the MMSD connection charge and the MMSD volumetric charge, which is based on water usage.  The local sewer charge covers operation and maintenance costs, and the storm water fee is mandated by the state to manage storm water quantity and quality on all impervious surfaces. The current rates are printed on the back of the bills as well as on our website. Detailed information can also be found on under Municipal Codes Chapter 14: Municipal Utilities and Chapter 33: Storm Water Utility.

Sewer service bills are billed quarterly to all residential and commercial properties. Bills are mailed out sometime in early February, early May, early August and late October. The due dates are at least 22 days after the billing date

Sewer bills are generated by the Treasurer’s office at City Hall. You can contact us by phone at 414-329-5259 or send an email to Sewer Billing.

You may pay your sewer bill in person at the Treasurer’s Office in Room 103 between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at City Hall, which is located at 7325 W Forest Home Ave. Outside of normal business hours, your payment can be placed into the drop box located on the south side of the building. You may also mail your bill to: City of Greenfield, P.O. Box 20739, Greenfield, WI 53220. Make checks payable to "City of Greenfield."

There is no fee to have payments automatically withdrawn from your checking or savings account on the due date. You simply fill out the form, attach a voided check, and drop it off, email it to Sewer Billing, or mail it to the Finance Department at City Hall. The form can be emailed or mailed to you. It can also be found on the City's website. A link to the PDF form can be found by typing "automatic payment” in the search box on the City's website homepage.

Yes, you have the choice to receive the bill in the mail, by email, or both. There is a box to check on the form for you to indicate your choice. The email bill is sent in a PDF form. The wording “Auto Acct: Do Not Pay” will appear on both email and physical bills. The bill is sent for notification and the amount due will be deducted from the bank account on file on the due date.

Yes, contact us to request the bill be sent to your email address. You may email Sewer Billing from the email address you wish to use.

Yes, all three methods can be used for online payments, however, only a credit card or debit card can be used in our office. To use this service, a fee will be assessed at the time of payment. For debit or credit card payments, the fee is 2.5% with a minimum of $2.00. E-checks will have a flat fee of $1.50 up to $10,000; over $10,000, the flat fee is $10.00. 

To make an online payment, go to the City of Greenfield website and choose the Pay button. Then choose Sewer Bills, and follow the prompts. You will need to have your sewer account number to gain entry. Payments by phone can be made by calling Point and Pay at (866) 666-5723.      

Unlike water, there is no final read or a shut off request for sewer, as it is linked to the property address. If your name was on the bill or you are enrolled on the automatic payment plan, please call our office at (414) 329-5259 or email Sewer Billing in order to cancel it. In a traditional closing, the title company will prorate using the latest quarter’s bill amount and give that credit amount to the buyer. You may want to check the credit column of your closing documents.

If it is a newly constructed home, service will be established once you are granted an occupancy permit and Milwaukee Water has given us the meter information. If you bought an existing home, you may want to call our office at (414) 329-5259 to update owner information. If an owner’s name was not requested, the bills get mailed to occupant. If you received your bill and want to change mailing information, make note of it on the return stub of your bill when you send in payment. 

PDF copies of sewer bills can be viewed and printed from the City of Greenfield website. From the homepage, choose Services, and then click on Sewer Billing. You will see a link towards the top of the page where you can access the account to make payments, print bills, and view account history. 

**Please note - you must have your sewer account number to access this system.**

Yes, a bill can be mailed to both a landlord as well as the tenant. This request can be done by notifying our department.

Yes, a late fee of 4.5% is applied to any unpaid balance on the account. Any delinquent balance remaining on the account after the due date in November will be transferred over to the property owner's tax bill, with an additional 10% penalty.

Property zoning can be obtained from the website, front page, the GIS button along the bottom.  Type in the house number and select the street from the list.  If further information is needed please contact 414-329-5342.

Please contact Inspection at 414-329-5330.  Inspectors have daily office hours of 8:00 am – 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. 

Mechanical type permits are issued and mailed to contractors within a few business days of their receipt.  Those types of permit requiring review, such as commercial building & residential construction, can take between one to two weeks. 

Yes, credit card payment may be made in person or via telephone during our daily business hours of 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.  Please contact Inspection at 414-329-5330 for more information. 

Please contact Inspection at 414-329-5330 at least 24 hours in advance of when you would like an inspection appointment. 

Please contact Inspection at 414-329-5330 and we can check the file to see if a survey is available. 

The City does not have a surveyor on staff.  An internet search using “Land Surveyors” would guide you to a State licensed surveyor and then you would make those arrangements privately.  

This can be verified by Code Enforcement, at 414-761-5336. 

Please contact Inspection at 414-329-5330 and we can check if any permits have been submitted for a particular address. 

Variances are granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals, a citizen member panel.  Please contact Inspection at 414-329-5330 to see if what you are pursuing meets the guidelines for a variance; mainly what hardship you are enduring that a variance would alleviate. 

Visit our Licensing page and click on the Operator's (Bartender) License tab to view the application.

You can register online by visiting https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/RegisterToVote  or go to our Voter Registration page to find an application to submit to the City Clerk's office.

You can request an absentee ballot online by visiting https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/VoteAbsentee  or go to our Absentee Ballot page to find an application to submit to the City Clerk's office.

Go to our Elections page to find the dates of upcoming elections.

Visit our Elections page to find out your polling location.

The polls are open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

You can find a complete list of acceptable photo IDs at https://bringit.wi.gov/.

The Milwaukee Area Investigation Team (MAIT) is a unit of dedicated law enforcement supervisors, investigators, and detectives from law enforcement agencies in Milwaukee County, the City of Waukesha, and the City of Brookfield. Investigators can call upon specialty units from the Wisconsin Regional Crime Lab to help process crime scenes or from the Wisconsin State Patrol to help document crash scenes. 

 In 2013 WI Act 348 enacted Wisconsin State law, WI §175.47, to take effect in April of 2014, which requires an independent law enforcement agency to investigate an incident at another law enforcement agency, if the involved agency had an event where the death of an individual results directly from an action or an omission of a law enforcement officer.  

As is typical in these critical situations, the amount of personnel and other resources used to investigate an officer involved critical incident lends itself to the use of outside resources or the pooling of resources.  This team exists to investigate critical incidents in Milwaukee County and parts of Waukesha County, while ensuring investigators are following law enforcement best practices and ensuring public trust by conducting accurate, objective, transparent, timely, and professional multijurisdictional investigations of major incidents, which are primarily officers involved in critical incidents. 

As previously noted, in 2013 WI Act 348 required WI law enforcement agencies to have an outside agency investigate these incidents. MAIT doesn’t just meet this requirement, it goes above and beyond this requirement. MAIT has a well-trained and well-equipped team of over 150 investigators and supervisors from multiple agencies. This allows MAIT members to be available at a moment’s notice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

We strive to share the latest technological equipment and investigative techniques and to consolidate and share the skills of the most experienced supervisors and investigators. 

The idea was brought forward in 2015 by a Lieutenant from the Milwaukee Police Department. This was part of the Lieutenant’s project, which was a requirement of graduation from a police leadership program called the Wisconsin Command College. Ultimately, this concept was brought forward to the Milwaukee County Chief’s, which became codified and implemented starting in June 2016. The reason was to comply with WI §175.47, which requires an investigation conducted by at least two investigators, one of whom is the lead investigator and neither of whom is employed by a law enforcement agency that employs a law enforcement officer involved in the officer-involved death. 

In the beginning, the team was called the Milwaukee County Investigative Team. Law enforcement agencies in surrounding counties became aware of the thorough, transparent, and competent investigations and wanted to be part of the team. The City of Waukesha and the City of Brookfield soon became team members and lead investigative agencies. The team has investigated well over 70 critical incidents since inception. Many other law enforcement agencies across the US have looked to the MAIT to develop their own critical incident investigative teams. 

All the law enforcement agencies in Milwaukee County are a part of MAIT and have been since June 2016. In 2019, the City of Waukesha joined, and in 2022 the City of Brookfield joined MAIT. 

The MAIT will investigate a critical incident anywhere in Milwaukee County, the City of Waukesha, or the City of Brookfield. In cases where a Milwaukee County law enforcement officer, City of Waukesha or City of Brookfield officer is involved in a critical incident outside these jurisdictional boundaries, the team may or may not respond. This is dependent on the incident and the involvement of a MAIT member officer. Often, the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation investigates most other officer involved incidents throughout the State.  

The lead agencies are select agencies which have the capacity to take on the size and complexity of officer involved in critical incidents. The lead agencies are supplemented by the many other law enforcement investigators from the MAIT member agencies. The lead agency has overall responsibility of the investigation and often calls upon these other investigators from other departments to use them as an investigation multiplier to help investigate. 

There are currently seven ‘lead agencies’ who will lead the investigation if there is a need for it. They are rotated after each incident, or 30-days, which ever comes first. There is always a ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ lead agency that are on call each month. This is in case the primary lead agency is involved in an incident, then the secondary lead agency is ready to lead the investigation.  

If an incident occurs which meets WI §175.47 to a MAIT agency, that agency contacts the MAIT supervisor. The MAIT supervisor calls upon the ‘on-call’ Lead Agency at that time, to conduct the investigation into this incident. The other uninvolved MAIT personnel from the uninvolved agencies respond to assist the Lead Agency with the investigation. There are over 150 MAIT members who are either investigators, detectives or supervisors. It should be noted that MAIT does not respond to incidents that do not involve MAIT agencies.

The MAIT team may investigate the following incidents

• Officer involved, duty related applications of deadly force which result in death or injury which may result in the death of a subject.

• Death, or injury which may result in death, to a subject while in police custody, detention, or control.

• Officer initiated actions or omissions in which death, or injury which may result in death, including tragic accidents directly resulting from police pursuits. 

• Any other officer involved critical incident that involves suspected criminal action that results in death or injury which may result in death including but not limited to off-duty or non-duty related incidents.

• In instances where the severity of the injury to the subject resulting from the officer involved action is uncertain.

• An executive (Chief, Sheriff or their designee) of a law enforcement agency belonging to MAIT can request resources when an incident overwhelms their investigative capacity (i.e. active shooter incident). 

A MAIT investigation is a criminal investigation into the incident. The investigation is just like any other investigation, in that it is fact-finding. That includes, but is not limited to: officer statements, offender statements, victim statements, witness statements, evidence collection, photography, videography, body-worn/squad camera video collection, witness or surveillance video collection, etc.  

The State of Wisconsin Crime Laboratory - Crime Scene Response Unit has been an invaluable partner. The Crime Scene Response Unit will respond to investigate small, medium, large, or very large crime scenes, which allow investigators to track down video or witnesses, meet with family members, or do other investigative tasks. Likewise, the Wisconsin State Patrol has responded when necessary to help document crash scenes using the latest technology in crime scene mapping tools. 

Upon completion of a MAIT investigation, it is presented in its entirety to the District Attorney’s office by the Lead Agency investigator. The District Attorney or Deputy District Attorney personally reviews the case and gives a legal opinion on the outcome of the case. Regardless of the jurisdiction of the lead MAIT agency conducting the investigation, the case will be presented to the District Attorney within the county where the incident occurred. This ensures proper legal review as well as final legal disposition of the investigation/case.  

The MAIT team is led by two people - the ‘Team Commander’ and ‘Chairman’ of the team. The team commander is in charge of an investigative division from a lead agency. For example, the first team commander was from the Milwaukee Police Department’s Homicide Division. It has since moved to other executives from lead agencies. The team commander position is voted on every two years by the lead agencies. Their duties include training new team members, logistical issues with callouts and relaying investigative concerns to the “Chairman.” The chairman is an executive (Police Chief) from a lead agency. Their duties include a monthly briefing to other executives in Milwaukee County as well as a yearly briefing. They are responsible for the overall team. The chairman position is voted on every two years by the lead agencies.

MAIT seeks out and provides training to all new members, as well as on-going training for all current members. Training is provided to the MAIT members on the best practices in investigations, as well as specific training on officer involved critical incidents. Specifically, training has been provided by Force Science, whose mission is: through high-quality research and training, Force Science advances expert decision-making, superior performance, and honest accountability in public safety. The MAIT receives training for any new members, as well as on-going training for its members, to stay relevant with current research, applications of unbiased scientific principles and processes related to officer critical incidents.