What is the Refuse and Recycling Holiday schedule?

Village Hall will be closed on Monday, December 25, 2023, and Tuesday, December 26, 2023.

Refuse and recycling normally collected on Monday, December 25, 2023, will be collected on Wednesday, December 27, 2023.

And refuse and recycling normally collected on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, will be collected on Thursday, December 28, 2023.

Have a question? Send us an email or give us a call at (414) 962-6690.

Welcome, Matt!

Matt Collins Appointed as Whitefish Bay Director of Public Works

The Village of Whitefish Bay is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Collins as Director of Public Works, effective January 16, 2024. Matt will take on this role following the retirement of John Edlebeck, who has dedicated 40 years to public service, nearly 9 of which were spent in Whitefish Bay.

Originally from Oak Creek, Matt brings over 20 years of experience in public service to his new position. He commenced his career with Milwaukee County in 2001 as a park maintenance worker with subsequent promotions to Summer Youth Employment Program Manager and Park Unit Coordinator. In 2015, Matt transitioned to the role of Assistant Director of the Kenosha County Division of Parks, later becoming the Division's Director within the County's Public Works Department for the past 7 years.

Matt is an alumnus of UW-Whitewater, where he earned his Bachelor's degree, and later obtained a Master's of Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University.

In his capacity as Public Works Director, Matt will play a pivotal role within the Village Management Team. He will be responsible for overseeing Public Works services, including the maintenance and operation of streets, sewers, water systems, lighting, sidewalks, public facilities, vehicle maintenance, grounds, and right-of-ways. Additionally, Matt will collaborate closely with the Village Manager and Engineer in developing long-range capital improvement plans and budgets. He will also serve as the staff liaison to the Public Works Committee and represent Whitefish Bay on the North Shore Water Commission.

Residing in Whitefish Bay with his wife and two young boys, Matt actively engages in his children's recreational activities, such as coaching basketball and baseball. When not juggling school, work and activities, the family enjoys attending Brewers games, exploring Discovery World, and visiting the Milwaukee County Zoo. Matt considers himself a lifelong learner, particularly when it comes to his golf game.

Please join us in extending well wishes to Matt Collins in his new role!

Property Tax Information

Message from the Finance Director, Jaimie Krueger

Please find important information below about how to pay your property taxes, where your property taxes go, and what services they pay for.

- Jaimie Krueger, Whitefish Bay Finance Director 

When is My Tax Bill Due?

Due date is January 31, 2024. Residents have the option to pay property taxes and other charges as indicated on your tax bill in installments. Installment due dates are as follows:

• 1st Installment due by January 31, 2024

• 2nd Installment due by March 31, 2024

• Final Installment due by May 31, 2024 (May 27 is Memorial Day - please plan accordingly.)

Please note – if any installment payment is missed, the installment option is no longer available and the entire balance becomes due in full.

How Do I Make A Payment?

Associated Bank is NOT collecting taxes this year. Please do not combine tax payments with other types of payments. Verify checks for accuracy and include a phone number in case of problems. Payment options:

By Mail:

Make check payable to the Village of Whitefish Bay.

Send check to Village of Whitefish Bay, 5300 N. Marlborough Drive, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217

On the Village Website:



From the website, click “Online Payments” and then select “Pay Property Tax Bill”. Enter Payment Type (real estate or personal property), Name and Address, and payment information.

How to Pay Your Property Tax Bill Online

User Fees Do Apply:

• Electronic Check – $1.50 (Flat Fee)
• Credit Cards – 2.55% per transaction, $2.00 minimum
• Personal Visa Debit Transaction - $3.95 (Flat Fee)

24-Hour Drop Box:

The 24-Hour Drop Box is located in entrance of Village Hall.

Deposits made prior to midnight will be processed using that day’s date.

HOW DO I OBTAIN A RECEIPT?

Receipts can be obtained in one of three ways:

1. Use the Village website, www.wfbvillage.gov, receipts may be printed anytime at your convenience. To view a walkthrough – click “How to View your Property Tax Receipt” at bottom of page
2. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with payment sent via mail or night deposit box. Receipts will not be sent if self-addressed stamped envelope is not included
3. Receive receipt at time of payment in person.

What Happens if I Do Not Pay On Time?

For any property tax bill where payment is not made timely, the bill is considered delinquent and the remaining balance is subject to interest and penalty.

When paying in installments, if a payment is missed, the installment plan is no longer available and the balance is due in full.

Pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes and Village of Whitefish Bay Municipal Code, delinquent property tax bills are charged 1.5% interest and penalty per month (in the calculation of interest and penalty, a partial month is considered a full month). Interest and penalties are charged retroactive to February 1, 2024.

Property Tax FAQ's:

Where Do My Property Taxes Go? 

In addition to collecting taxes to fund its own operations, the Village also collects taxes for four other taxing jurisdictions that establish their own budgets and levies. Below is an example of how your property taxes are allocated to each taxing jurisdiction:

WHAT DO I PAY FOR VILLAGE SERVICES?

Though the Village collects all the taxes, 74% of the funds are allocated to other jurisdictions. The portion of property taxes the Village retains are used to provide police and fire protection, refuse and recycling collection, snow and ice control, leaf and yard waste collection, street maintenance, sidewalk and alley maintenance, street and traffic lighting, library services, park facilities and maintenance, health services, building inspection, election administration, and other miscellaneous Village services. The Village tax rate is $5.32, which means the owner of a home assessed at $467,320 would pay approximately $2,486 in property taxes for Village provided services. The total monthly cost for these Village services is approximately $207, allocated as follows:

Updates from the Department of Public Works:

Do Not Flush Any Type of “Disposable” Wipes or Paper Towels Down the Toilet

           The Village of Whitefish Bay has a gravity based sanitary sewer system with one operating sewage lift station. The Village Public Works Department staff perform annual maintenance operations on the 38.7 miles of Village public sanitary sewer mains as well as the sewage lift station. These cleaning operations include sewer jetting and clearing the sewer mains of roots. When roots intrude into the sanitary sewer mains, items not meant to be in the sanitary sewer can get caught along those roots and have the potential to create basement sewer backups. These items also clog up the sewage pumps and render them inoperable.

           Please be aware that baby and hand wipes marked as “flushable” should not be flushed down the drain or toilet!  These wipes do not break down in water like regular toilet paper does and need to be disposed of in the trash. Please do not flush clothes, wipes, diapers, paper towels, or any other materials other than toilet paper down the drain or toilet. The occurrence of these items in the Village sanitary sewer system has led to basement sewage backups in Village households. 

If you should have any questions on this matter, feel free to reach out to Spencer Charczuk, Staff Engineer. The Village appreciates your assistance in keeping the Village sanitary sewer collection system and the sanitary sewer lift station operating properly.

Sincerely,

Spencer Charczuk, E.I.T.

Village of Whitefish Bay Staff Engineer

s.charczuk@wfbvillage.gov      

(414) 962-6690 ext. 123

Whitefish Bay School District:

Incoming 2024-25 4-Year Old Kindergarten (4K) Enrollment Information

4K Online Enrollment for the 2024-25 school year opened on Monday, December 11, 2023. Visit our website for more information about the enrollment process.

Historically, there has been more interest in the morning session than there are seats available in classes. Therefore, elementary schools use a lottery system to determine those who will be enrolled in the morning session.  

In order to be included in the lottery drawing for the morning session, families must complete an online Enrollment Application and indicate your preference for the morning session. This process includes uploading required Immunization and Residency Verification documents to the application and presenting your student’s birth certificate to your school’s main office in person before noon on January 5, 2024.

Important Dates

• Winter Break: December 22, 2023 – January 2, 2024
• School Board Election candidate filing deadline: 5:00 pm on January 2, 2024

More information about the Spring 2024 election can be found on the District website.

Whitefish Bay Public Library:

Light Our Library

This December invest in the Whitefish Bay Public Library’s Foundation to ensure our bright future! Throughout this month, make a monetary donation in any amount to the Library Foundation to enhance the Library’s services, collections, and programs. In recognition of your donation, we’ll place a LED tea light in our windows the week of December 18. Also let us know your hopes for 2024 and we’ll hang them in the lobby windows for all to see. Stop by the library to make an in-person donation, or donate at: https://gofund.me/58d1b00e

Thanks for helping to make our future bright at the Whitefish Bay Public Library.

Holiday Closings

The library will be closed on Sunday, December 24, and Monday, December 25. We are also closed Sunday, December 31, and Monday, January 1.

Winter Storytimes

Registration for winter storytime has begun. The library is having all ages storytime on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays starting the week of January 8 at 10:00 a.m. Toddler time with Miss Valerie for 12mo-24mo with a caregiver is on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. You can register for each session on our event page at: https://www.wfblibrary.org/our_events/?m=1&y=2024.

North Shore Health Department:

Click here to view the December 13, 2023 Weekly Summary from the North Shore Health Department

Merchants of Whitefish Bay

Whitefish Bay Public Library

Whitefish Bay School District

Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission

Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation

North Shore Fire Department

Whitefish Bay Little League

Bay Bridge

North Shore Junior Women's Club

WFB Blue Duke Nation

Whitefish Bay Recreation and Community Education

Kiwanis Club of North Shore Milwaukee

Whitefish Bay Garden Club

Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation

Village of Whitefish Bay | Phone: (414) 962-6690 | Fax: (414) 962-5651

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