The Departent of Public Works is the Waukesha County department that builds and services the county roads and buildings. For permits on driveways or culverts, residents will need to make a visit to the Public Works department. For more information, be sure to visit the Waukesha County website.
The Division of Motor Vehicles Service Center provides vehicle registration and driver's licenses for residents throughout the Milwaukee area. Various services are available, including driver's tests, license plate renewal, driver's licenses and state-issued photo identification cards. Online services include requesting vehicle records, applying for a duplicate driver license, license plate look-up, road test scheduling and occupational license eligibility.
The town of Saukville is made up of 36 or so acres of rural land that about 1,800 residents call home. Town hall operates Tuesdays through Thursdays, and the town board meets here monthly.
Tom Farley is the Waukesha County corporation counsel, which essentially is the attorney for the county. The office provides child support services, legal direction on county policies, ensures the county is following state statutes and reviews contracts.
The city attorney's office provides legal advice to city departments. The attorneys frequently speak to members of the public about pending traffic and ordinance litigation. A representative from the city attorney's office assists during Common Council meetings.
The City Clerk is responsible for record-keeping, issuing licenses, attending and recording public meetings - including those of the Common Council - filing and receiving reports and overseeing elections in the town of Wauwatosa. The government office is also the first stop for residents in need of civic information or those who are unsure of where to go for specific needs. The office is located at City Hall on the upper floor of the civic building.
The 25-member board of supervisors meets the fourth Tuesday each month at 7pm. Audio podcasts of the board meetings are streamed on the county's website.
The board's chairman is James Dwyer of Menomonee Falls. Waukesha supervisors include Duane Paulson, Jean Tortomasi, Kathleen Cummings, Steven Wimmer and Walter Kolb.
The Waukesha Public Library carries a wide selection of print, non-print and downloadable materials and provides access to additional electronic resources. Voted Wisconsin’s 2011 Library of the Year, it serves nearly 470,000 patrons annually. Patrons can read, use computers, attend programs, check out material, view artwork by local artists and use meeting rooms. The Waukesha Public Library aims to provide a dynamic, welcoming environment for patrons of all ages.
Through the Wauwatosa Water Department, headquartered at City Hall, the city provides residents and businesses with an ample supply of high quality water for public health and sanitation. The utility meets citywide water demands by regular evaluations of utility assets, effective loss prevention and maintenance programs and daily operational efficiency.
Since a 1963 agreement with the Milwaukee Water Works, the city has used treated Lake Michigan water. Previously, the utility used groundwater as its source. In addition to providing water for daily residential, commercial and industrial use, the Water Department also maintains more than 2,000 public fire hydrants for fire protection throughout the water distribution system.
The Town of Troy is south of the city and its town hall offices are on North Glover Road just off Highway 35. The building serves as the hub for all of Troy's government activities and decision making. The Town Board, the Plan Commission and the Park Board all meet there, and the town's staff operates out of the building as well.
One of the city's largest service divisions, the Public Works Department of Wauwatosa is split into five divisions: Engineering, Fleet Maintenance, Operations, Parks and Forestry and Traffic and Electrical. The department employs more than 100 staff members, including many seasonal employees. To cover its operating costs, the department has a 12 million dollar yearly budget and a 3.5 million dollars annual capital budget. The Public Works Department's administrative offices are located in City Hall.
The City Assessor's Office is responsible for determining the taxable value of all property in Wauwatosa, and it is the place to go if you want to appeal your property assessment. The office is located at City Hall.
The work of the Assessor's staff is critical to guiding city budgeting and planning, and data collected by the office also is used by real estate and development professionals who do business in the city.
To help residents understand the assessment and taxation process, the office provides this link to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue Guide for Property Owners.