The goal of this action is to inform rental property owners and renters about the proposed Rental Property Inspection Program ordinance and to encourage them to contact their City of Milwaukee Alderman to vote "No" on this ordinance.
The City of Milwaukee is virtually broke with tax and fee revenues falling. It is politically unpopular to raise fees and taxes on property owners so they are scheming to place a "backdoor tax" on renters. The scheme seeks to create new mandatory fees on each rental company and each rental unit. It also proposes to spend close to one-million dollars to create a new enforcement bureaucracy and hire additional bureaucrats and inspectors with the power to search rental units without a warrant or even a complaint in hopes of "discovering" building code violations in order to generate additional follow-up inspection fees.
The net effect is that all fees imposed will simply be passed on to renters in the form of higher rents. This is exactly what the ordinance drafters intended - to create a "backdoor tax" on renters and avoid the political backlash they have received when attempting similar tax and fee schemes with persons who own rather than rent. Furthermore, this ordinance allows bureaucrats to inspect dwellings without a warrant or the uncoerced consent of the owner or renter. The search is mandatory!
New fees, more bureaucrats, bigger government, intrusions on renter privacy, violation of property rights - all at the same time they are proposing a budget with CUTS to fire and police public safety.
WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?
Read Ordinance
Read/Download Renter Warning
Read/Download Owner Warning
The gray bar on the left lists all 15 City of Milwaukee Alderman including their picture, district number, name, phone, fax, and a special E-mail link.
On most web bowsers, clicking this link will display a pre-formatted e-mail message directing the associated alderman to vote against the Rental Property Inspection Program ordinance. Find your alderman on the list and consider sending YOUR directive. Remember, it their job to represent your desires and values or face the consequences.
If you do not know who your alderman is use the online tool below to locate your alderman by simply typing in your address.
When the pre-formatted e-mail message appears, be certain to add your name and address to the bottom of the message where indicated. Most government officials will ignore all such messages that cannot be verified as coming from their district. You may also feel free to add to or change any of the pre-formatted text provided as it is only meant to serve as a guide.
You can contact your City of Milwaukee alderman by calling the City Hall main switchboard at 414-286-2221 and asking for your alderman by name. You can also click any of the the alderman names or pictures on the left to go to their home page.
If you do not know who your alderman is you can enter your address below to determine who your alderman is and in what aldermanic district you live. When you have completed your entries, click the 'Submit' button and your elected representatives will be displayed.