Onward Tosa

03/23/2026

📊 New from Onward Tosa: A Resident’s Experience with Property Assessments

We’re sharing a guest submission from a Wauwatosa resident and homeowner who went through the 2025 property assessment appeals process firsthand.

The author is not affiliated with Onward Tosa and is writing in a personal capacity based on his own experience and research.

This piece offers a detailed, data-driven look at:
• How the assessment system works
• What happens during Open Book and Board of Review
• Where issues may arise in comparable sales analyses
• What homeowners should know before appealing

Whether you agreed with your assessment or had questions, this is a valuable inside look at a process that impacts every homeowner in our community.

👉 Read the full article below:

Lessons from challenging an assessment

03/10/2026

We reviewed 5,000+ pages of public records involving communications between the City of Wauwatosa and the Wauwatosa School District.

The documents show extensive coordination on redevelopment, taxes, school facilities, and public messaging before many of these issues appeared in formal public discussions.

This article is a preliminary roadmap through the records. We encourage residents and journalists to review the documents themselves. Click the link below.

What 5,000 Pages of Records Reveal About the City of Wauwatosa, the Wauwatosa School District, and the Decisions Shaping Our Community

02/11/2026

FEMA has now officially denied Wisconsin’s appeal for federal public infrastructure aid related to the August 2025 floods.

Last fall, when Onward Tosa explained that taxpayers could be left covering millions in flood repairs if FEMA aid didn’t come through, some elected officials dismissed those concerns as “misinformation” or “conspiracy theories.” Unfortunately, that scenario is now reality.

With federal aid off the table, the remaining options appear to be state funds or local taxpayers.

We’re also hearing reports that damage to the Muellner Building may not be as extensive as the roughly $1 million initially discussed, raising reasonable questions about final verified repair costs. At the same time, why are hundreds of thousands being spent on turf replacement while residents may be asked to absorb flood-related expenses? And more broadly: why do major capital investments continue to be made in a largely uninsurable floodplain?

This isn’t about blame. Frontline city staff and first responders did tremendous work.

But it is about transparency, fiscal oversight, and keeping residents fully informed when millions in public dollars are at stake.

After FEMA’s denial, residents face the cost of risks the city took in Hart Park’s flood zone.

01/26/2026

Over $13M in tax refunds and claims.
A $3.5M chargeback to the school district.
And a fiscal model increasingly dependent on homeowners.

Our latest Onward Tosa analysis explains how institutional growth, tax exemptions, and quiet settlements are reshaping ’s future.

Read the deep dive 👇

How lawsuits, tax exemptions, and subsidies are quietly reshaping who pays for Wauwatosa’s future

12/14/2025

FYI

12/10/2025

homeowners deserve a fair, transparent assessment process.
Our new report breaks down what really happened in the 2025 revaluation, why so many appeals went nowhere, how the Wisconsin Department of Revenue overturned a major assessment, and what’s coming next.

A Closer Look at the 2025 Assessment Process and What Comes Next for Taxpayers.

11/09/2025

URGENT: Three Major Decisions Tuesday Night

Tuesday, November 11 - Back-to-Back Committee Meetings

6:00 PM - Government Affairs Committee: Wauwatosa is considering a merger with West Allis that would restructure our fire services for at least 12 years. This isn’t the final agreement, but we believe this meeting will set the framework (or terms) that will shape everything that follows.

7:00 PM - Financial Affairs Committee
Two TIF district projects including affordable housing components.

Also 7:00 PM - West Allis Common Council
West Allis will likely vote on their fire department term sheet the same night.

Three major decisions. Two hours. Likely one chance for public input.

Meeting links in comments.