Passing of Former City Treasurer Wayne F. Whittow
It is with great sadness that this office reports the passing of longtime city treasurer Wayne F. Whittow. Whittow died on Sunday afternoon, December 21, 2025, after a short illness. He was 92 years old.
Whittow was just 26 when he began his 51-year career in politics, launching his first election campaign in 1960, winning a Wisconsin State Assembly seat as a Democrat. Six years later, he moved up to the Wisconsin State Senate, where he was the second-youngest person serving in that body. Rising to Senate majority leader, Whittow was involved in such major legislation as the creation of state shared revenue to local governments and the merger of the Wisconsin State University and University of Wisconsin systems.
Whittow was elected Milwaukee city treasurer in 1976 and retired in November 2011. During his nearly 36 years in office, Whittow dramatically increased the office’s efficiency. He ended the requirement for taxpayers to both pick up and pay their property tax bills in person. Whittow had the office mail out bills and accept payments by mail or over the Internet. Taxpayers were allowed to pay with credit cards, checks, or automatic withdrawals from their bank accounts. Under Whittow’s leadership, a three-phase delinquent property tax enforcement process was implemented. By the end of the three-year process of collecting delinquent property taxes, the office achieved, and continues to achieve, a collection rate of near 99% of each tax levy.
Mr. Whittow will be greatly missed by the City of Milwaukee.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
