Milwaukee City Treasurer Spencer Coggs announced that just over one hundred sixty-four thousand 2013 Combined Property Tax Bills will be mailed out to Milwaukee taxpayers later today.
Coggs expects that most taxpayers will receive their property tax bills by Saturday, December 14, 2013.
Taxpayers that do not receive their property tax bills by Monday, December 16, 2013, should contact the City Treasurer’s Office, Customer Services Division, at 414-286-2240, and request a duplicate tax bill.
Tax bill copies are also available at no charge via the Internet. Just visit the Office of the City Treasurer Home Page at URL: http://www.milwaukee.gov/treasurer.
Treasurer Coggs urges taxpayers to avoid the parking challenges around City Hall and any long lines for service that may arise inside City Hall, and suggests that taxpayers:
1) Mail in their tax payments using the return remittance envelope enclosed with their tax bills; or
2) Make their tax payments at any one of thirteen US Bank branches located within the City of Milwaukee; or
3) Pay their taxes in full using the electronic payment options available via the Internet on the Office of the City Treasurer Home Page at URL:http://www.milwaukee.gov/treasurer: or
4) Enroll in the electronic funds transfer installment payment plan.
The enrollment form is available via the Internet on the Office of the City Treasurer Home Page at URL:URL:http://www.milwaukee.gov/treasurer:
In noting what’s new for this tax collection season, Treasurer Coggs explained that all special charges and assessments that appear on the tax bill can be placed on the interest free, ten-month installment payment plan.
The only exceptions are special assessments for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Neighborhood Improvement Districts (NIDs).
In the past, all special charges, with the exception of delinquent water charges, had to be paid in full by January 31, 2014.
This kept many property owners from participating in the installment payment plan and resulted in their going tax delinquent.
This change to the installment payment plan better accommodates those taxpayers on a limited income.
Treasurer Coggs stated that, again this year, taxpayers can pay their tax bills in full, or make installment payments, at any of thirteen US Bank branches within the City of Milwaukee.
Taxpayers do not have to be customers of US Bank to pay their tax bills at a US Bank branch.
Taxpayers can make their tax payments at a US Bank branch either by cash or check.
Taxpayers will need to bring their entire tax bill with them to the bank, including the scan-able return remittance coupon attached at the bottom of the bill, when making their tax payment at a US Bank branch.
All tax payment checks should be made payable to the City of Milwaukee.
US Bank tellers will stamp a payment acknowledgement on the top part of the tax bills when a tax payment is made.
The City Treasurer’s Office will mail out to taxpayers the official tax payment receipts for all bank branch payments within five working days of payment processing.
US Bank will not issue tax refunds, nor will it accept payments on prior year delinquent tax accounts.
If a taxpayer’s property tax escrow check exceeds the amount due and a payment is made at a US Bank branch, a refund will be mailed out to the taxpayer by the City Treasurer’s Office with an official tax receipt within ten calendar days of payment processing.
Treasurer Coggs provided a list of the locations of the US Bank branches that will accept City of Milwaukee property tax payments on 2013 tax levy accounts:
1. 7901 W. Burleigh Street, Milwaukee, WI 53222
2. 9921 W. Capitol Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53222
3. 777 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202
4. 2303 N. Farwell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211
5. 7500 W. Good Hope Road, Milwaukee, WI 53223
6. 4015 S. Howell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207
7. 5526 W. Capitol Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53216
8. 939 W. Historic Mitchell Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204
9. 5220 W. North Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53208
10. 7325 W. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53219
11. 650 N. Plankinton Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53259
12. 3720 W. Villard Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53209
13. 2537 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53233
Treasurer Coggs stated that beginning on Thursday, December 12, 2013 and continuing through Tuesday, December 31, 2013, a limited number of 15 minute parking spaces would be made available by the Department of Public Works on the following City streets:
North Water Street between East Wells Street and East State Street; East Wells Street between North Water Street and North Broadway Street; and East Kilbourn Avenue between North Water Street to North Broadway Street.
Validated parking at a discounted rate will also be available at the Milwaukee Center Parking Garage located at North Water Street and East Kilbourn Avenue for up to a maximum of five hours, according to Coggs.
Taxpayers will need to have their Milwaukee Center Parking Garage ticket validated at the City Hall Information Booth to qualify for the discounted rate.
Questions or concerns regarding available street parking around City Hall, or validated parking at the Milwaukee Center Parking Garage, should be directed to the Department of Public Works at 414- 286-3261.
Treasurer Coggs indicated that a drop box for property tax payments is available inside the Market Street entrance to the City Hall seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, including City holidays.
A second drop box is also available inside the Broadway Street entrance to the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building, but can only be accessed during regular business hours when the building is open, 8:00 A.M. to 4:45 P.M.
The municipal building will be closed on the City Holidays of Christmas Eve and Day, New Year’s Eve and Day, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.
Taxpayers should not deposit cash payments in either of these drop boxes.
Tax payments deposited in these drop boxes will normally be credited on the following business day, according to Coggs.
As in the past, Treasurer Coggs noted that those taxpayers who mail in their tax payment, pay via an Internet payment option, or deposit their tax payment in a drop box, will be sent an official tax receipt by mail within five working days of payment processing.
The exception would be if the amount tendered was an installment payment.
In that case, the payment will be acknowledged on the next installment billing statement.
The City Treasurer’s Office will be open daily, Monday through Friday, from 8:15 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. according to Coggs.
The office will also be open on New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31, 2013 from 8:15 am to 3:00 pm.
The City Treasurer’s Office will be closed on: Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, 2013; Christmas Day, December 25, 2013; New Year’s Day, Jan.1, 2014 as well as The Martin Luther King Holiday, Monday, Jan. 20, 2014.
For additional information on the 2013 Combined Property Tax Bills or on making property tax payments, taxpayers should reference the brochure included with the tax bills or visit the Office of the City Treasurer Home Page on the Internet.
Taxpayers may also call the City Treasurer’s Office, Customer Services Division at 414-286-2240 with questions on their tax bills or payment options.
