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Committee advances municipal-code penalty increases after debate, passes 3-1
Summary
The committee voted to expand allowable forfeiture ranges in municipal code sections 11.01 and 25.05 — increasing first-offense maximums to $2,500 and subsequent to $5,000 — after debate about possible impacts on residents; the motion passed 3-1 with one recorded nay.
Assistant City Attorney Michael Radovich presented proposed amendments to municipal code sections 11.01 and 25.05 to expand the range of forfeitures available for ordinance violations, saying the code has not been updated since 2005 and the change would bring Waukesha closer to neighboring communities.
The proposal generated pushback from at least one committee member who argued the maximums could be excessive and might “bankrupt people that are on the edge.” The committee discussed how the municipal judge and an updated bond schedule limit immediate penalties; Radovich emphasized the changes expand the range the court may impose rather than require maximum fines for routine offenses. “We’re just requesting to expand the range for the forfeitures that can be charged for different kinds of ordinance violations,” Radovich said.
A representative of the City Attorney’s Office framed the change as a deterrent to serious violations, noting bond schedules in practice keep most bond amounts far below the proposed maxima: “The vast majority of our bond amounts are between $124 and $313 — if you’re caught walking a dog in a city park, it’s not a $2,500 ticket,” the representative said. Committee members debated whether the higher caps gave useful discretion to judges and code enforcement or risked appearing draconian.
Alderperson Helvinslaven moved to approve the amendments; the motion was seconded and passed with a recorded 3-1 vote (one member recorded as voting "nay"). Under committee procedure the measure will move to the full common council for final consideration.
