Where Do Wauwatosa Property Taxes Go?

Press release from the City of Wauwatosa:

02/07/2023 12:24 PM

Where do my Property Taxes Go?

Wauwatosa property taxes are used for essential and quality of life services.

Wauwatosa property owners received their 2022 tax bill in the mail in December. You can also view your tax bill online (wauwatosa.net/taxes).

Notice that 31.1% of your total taxes support the City of Wauwatosa. The remaining amount supports Milwaukee County, Wauwatosa School District, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewer District.

Some people may not realize that although you pay your tax bill to the City, not all of it stays with us. The city portion of your tax bill supports an array of services.

For an average Wauwatosa home (valued at $271,000), the monthly bill for city services is $162.33.

This means for $162.33 per month, you get fire protection and police response in the event you need it. You get your trash and recycling collected, leaf and yard waste collection (which some other cities don’t offer), public health services, parks to play in, access to books, media, and programming at the library, well-maintained streets to drive on, and plowed streets to get you where you need to go in the winter.

These services are based on the city’s budget - which is created in conjunction with the Common Council, city staff, and the public considering the fiscal and strategic goals each year.

What’s an Average Tax Bill?

Average Monthly Bill = $162.33 The average monthly tax bill for city services is $162.33. Here’s a breakdown of what that supports:

$13.61 General Government

$45.49 Police

$32.86 Fire

$2.68 Other Public Safety

$12.56 Public Works

$3.77 Health

$6.66 Conservation and Development

$9.39 Library

$28.29 Debt

$4.46 Parks

$3.06 Capital

This press release was produced by the City of Wauwatosa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.