Sunshine Week: Shining Light On Public Governance

Want to know how much the superintendent makes? That's an open record.

Want to watch Brookfield officials deliberate and decide what to do about a proposed development? That's an open meeting. 

Wisconsin has a long history of open government, and strong laws that support it. Brookfield Patch is observing Sunshine Week 2012, which begins today. As part of that observation, we want to share with you some of the open government resources available to anyone. 

You have the right to see the records the government keeps — from health inspection reports to employee salaries to the entire municipal or school district budget — and to be present at the meetings where governmental business gets done. The expectation is that government is open — if they want to close the meeting or keep a document confidential, they need to say why. And in most cases, they aren't allowed to ask who you are or why you want to see the record you're requesting.

If you know of an open government issue you'd like Brookfield Patch to look into, email Local Editor Lisa Sink. 

See for yourself

The Internet has made it easier to access a lot of public information. As governments go digital, the amount of information available online has grown. Here are links to some online databases you can search.  

• Who's not paying their taxes? Search delinquencies by name or city
• How much do Wisconsin public school employees earn? by the Appleton Post Crescent
• Look up license and credential information for doctors, nurses, hairstylists and more from the Department of Safety and Professional Services
• Has your child's day care had any violations? Look in the Youngstar database
• See how students in your school district perform from the State Department of Public Instruction
• Search court records 
• Find out if someone is in prison
• See which sex offenders live in your area

Local resources

• Check property tax bills and other real estate information listed by Waukesha County
• Compare equalized property tax rates throughout Waukesha County
• Report a problem with a county highway (potholes, damaged signs, malfunctioning traffic signal, debris in road)
• Find out if someone is in the Waukesha County Jail
• Sign up for emergency weather alerts from the county.
• Get a copy of Brookfield City police reports by calling the Records Department at 262-787-3702. The cost is 25 cents per page. Accident reports are available at the police department 3 to 4 days after the incident.

Access to public records

To request records, go to these locations or contact the persons in the links below:

Brookfield City Hall, 2000 N. Calhoun Rd., Brookfield
Brookfield Town Hall, 645 N. Janacek Rd., Brookfield
Elmbrook School District, 13780 Hope St., Brookfield
Waukesha School District, 222 Maple Ave., Waukesha
Waukesha County, 515 W. Moreland Blvd., Waukesha

Watch or listen to meetings

Waukesha County Board meetings have live audio. The City of Brookfield meetings are televised on Cable Channel 25 and videos are posted on the city's website. Elmbrook School Board meetings also are televised on Cable Channels 13 and 96.

Agendas, Minutes and Elected Officials

• Brookfield City agendas and minutes | elected officials
• Brookfield Town agendas and minutes | elected officials
• Elmbrook School District agendas and minutes | elected officials
• Waukesha School District agendas and minutes | elected officials
• Waukesha County agendas and minutes | elected officials (links on left side)

State resources

If you want to dig into the legal aspects of it, here are links to the statutes and guidelines from the Wisconsin Department of Justice. 

• Wisconsin Open Meetings Law
• Wisconsin Public Records Law
• Learn about open government on the Department of Justice website.