Politics & Government
Sunshine Week: Shining Light On Public Governance
In observance of Sunshine Week, Patch is providing some information on your rights to observe your government in action, and some resources to explore open records.
Want to know how much the superintendent makes? That's an open record.
Want to watch Menomonee Falls 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. Menomonee Falls 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.
Find out what's happening in Menomonee Fallswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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 Menomonee Falls Patch to look into, email Local Editor Carl Engelking.
Find out what's happening in Menomonee Fallswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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 Menomonee Falls police reports by calling the Records Department at (262) 532-8700. 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:
Waukesha County, 515 W. Moreland Blvd., Waukesha
Watch or listen to meetings
Waukesha County Board meetings have live audio. The village's meetings are televised on Cable Channel 14 and videos are posted on the cable access website.
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.
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