Wauwatosa's new Common Council will look a lot like the old one after the April election. At least seven incumbents are likely to return to the municipal governing body.
Three of the four incumbents whose terms are about to expire filed for re-election, and the other five challengers include a candidate who ran last year and narrowly lost.
In general, the council had a good year of meeting attendance. At most meetings, all but one or two members were present. Some members missed more meetings than others.
Voters in at least one of the new districts will have two incumbents on the ballot to choose from, and multiple incumbents could be on the ballots in up to three other districts.
The new 12-seat configuration of the Wauwatosa Common Council, which takes effect with the April 2026 election, is forcing all incumbents interested in staying on the council to campaign for the votes of at least some new constituents in newly drawn districts.
This is the first of three articles providing an overview of the coming council election, the nominating period, the council’s structural changes and the latest status of the 16 incumbents.
The proposed merger of Wauwatosa’s and West Allis’ fire departments cleared another significant hurdle this week as the Wauwatosa Common Council voted in favor of a preliminary list of terms for a final agreement.
On Dec. 12, the firefighters’ Local 1923 sent a letter addressed to Mayor Dennis McBride and the 16 members of the council sounding an alarm about labor uncertainty in proposed Tosa-West Allis fire mergrer.
The Friends of Firefly Grove Park is looking ahead to an active 2026 and soon expects to proceed with its efforts with the backing of a formal partnership with the City of Wauwatosa.
Jefferson Elementary School, which serves families in southeast Wauwatosa, was again discussed for possible closure in a proposal that was later shot down as violating existing district policy.
