Andrew Meindl - Alderman of Wauwatosa District 1

03/25/2026

After tonight’s Common Council meeting, my time serving as alder has come to a close.

It has truly been an honor to represent District 1 and work alongside so many engaged residents who care deeply about this community.

With the upcoming transition and new aldermanic map, here's who will represent this area moving forward:

🟫 District 1 → Brad Foley ([email protected])
🟦 District 2 → Derek Collins ([email protected] - email expected to be active after April 7th)

Newly elected alderpersons will officially take office on April 21, 2026.

Due to prior commitments and travel, my availability will be limited in the coming weeks. The most effective way to receive timely assistance is to contact your current or incoming alder directly, or submit a request through the City's service portal: https://cityofwauwatosawi.tylerportico.com/TIM/Portal/portal-home

You can also find a full and updated list of Common Council members here:
https://www.wauwatosa.net/government/common-council

Thank you to everyone who reached out, volunteered, written letters, donated, showed up, and stayed engaged. It has been a privilege to serve.

Sincerely,
Andrew

03/18/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 - 𝟎𝟑/𝟏𝟖/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Last night’s City of Wauwatosa Financial Affairs Committee agenda may have looked routine, but it reflects a bigger pattern, costs stacking across the system:

-~$2.85M TIF for a project that doesn’t move forward without subsidy
-Infrastructure failures forcing earlier spending
-Capital purchases that may require borrowing
-Proposed tax assessment settlements (possible refunds + lower future tax base)
-Many closed sessions around settlements and negotiations
-TIF-supported land acquisition (per agenda)

All of this comes as residents are dealing with:
-The School District credit rating downgrade (reported)
-The $3.5M Froedtert settlement chargeback to school district
-New borrowing through promissory notes

And that downgrade matters, it likely adds tens of thousands per year in interest, meaning hundreds of thousands in additional costs over time, including on obligations like the Froedtert settlement for the district's part of the settlement.

It also doesn’t stay isolated, the City’s bond rating is directly influenced by the financial health of the School District, meaning these pressures can spill over into higher borrowing costs citywide.

With one more Council meeting ahead of me before I step away from public office, I feel an obligation to say that clearly: I believe this trajectory is not sustainable for Wauwatosa.

02/28/2026

I have friends and family who served overseas during wartime and many never returned the same. Young people under 40 are suffering and now possibly dying for a ruling class, driven by greed, power, and status.

Housing is scarce, jobs are intermittent, healthcare is expensive and difficult to access, our schools are struggling, the social safety net is shrinking, the currency has lost value, and endless war continues. Local, state, and national governments, on both sides, are unwilling to implement the necessary changes for multigenerational success.

This is the world we are being left with. May peace come soon.

02/20/2026

Tuesday February 24th, 2026 I plan to vote NO on both the West Allis/Wauwatosa Fire Merger and the Research Park Tax Increment Financing (TIF).

This is not a vote against firefighters or against housing.
It’s about governance, risk, transparency, and long-term impact on Wauwatosa residents.

Here’s why:

🔥 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬
• Requires $1 million up front from each city, tied up for roughly a decade (we may never get it back)
• Creates a new nonprofit structure with less direct local taxpayer oversight, with cities essentially receiving an annual bill for services
• Locks in multi-year escalating costs with limited flexibility once adopted
• If mutual-aid responses to Milwaukee far exceed what we receive (reported ~3:1), are Tosa taxpayers still indirectly subsidizing service outside city limits?
• Dispatch and coordination plans remain unresolved and operationally complex
• Potential risk to long-term recruitment, retention, and labor stability
• Likely long-term cost pressure on local property taxpayers

🏗 𝐓𝐈𝐅 & 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬
• TIF diverts future tax growth away from schools and other local needs while active
• Research links heavy TIF use with higher property-tax pressure elsewhere
• Taxpayers are being asked to help absorb private development risk as Research Park shifts from commercial to residential
• If projected growth does not materialize, the financial exposure shifts back onto the city and local taxpayers
• Limited pathways being created for families and first-time homebuyers, unlikely to significantly increase school enrollment

🌎 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
We can support strong public safety and thoughtful development, but we must do so with transparency, accountability, and protection for both taxpayers and frontline workers.

I explain more in the 5-minute video below.
Additional links and documents are in the comments.
Respectful discussion is always welcome.

Quick note:
First time I’ve done a video like this. A little outside my comfort zone but honestly fun to put together. I probably should have done more of these during my term, sometimes it’s easier to explain complex votes directly than through long written posts. I hope it is helpful!

02/11/2026

Over the past weeks, concerns about a federal agency operating in the region have suddenly become urgent, walkouts, statements, protests. Civic engagement should always be encouraged.

But this issue did not suddenly emerge. Last August, when federal activity disrupted a local establishment, I sought clarity about how these situations are handled in response to resident concerns. Public attention was brief and the issue quickly faded.

The underlying local reality hasn't changed. Coordination between local, state, and federal agencies has existed for years regardless of which administration is in power. If anything, recent increases in federal activity make it more important that we have clear, written policies in place before crises and headlines force the issue.

When concern appears only once an issue becomes politically advantageous to highlight, it looks less like leadership and more like timing.

If this matters to you, don't stop at social media. Show up at City Hall. Speak during public comment. Submit questions in writing. Ask elected officials to support transparency, consistently, not just when it's convenient.

02/07/2026

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫 & 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐈𝐅: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰

Two major decisions are heading toward final committee votes this Tuesday 02/10/26 and Common Council on 02/24/26:
• The West Allis–Wauwatosa fire department merger
• A ~$59.8M TIF-assisted apartment project in the County Research Park

Here’s where things stand.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫
This is not a small operational change, it’s a long-term structural shift.

If approved, it would (in my opinion):
• Commit Wauwatosa through 2036 (with automatic 6-year renewals)
• Require a $1 million upfront payment from our city
• Lock in double-digit cost growth in the first five years
• Bring roughly $4.3M/year in state grants, but only for 5 years
• Shift operational control from the Common Council to a separate governing board
• Make exiting the agreement difficult and costly
• Wauwatosa currently responds to roughly three calls in Milwaukee for every one call Milwaukee responds to in Wauwatosa, and there is still no clear statement on how this new regional entity will address that imbalance.

One major unknown:
Firefighter contract arbitration was expected in January.
I am not aware of the outcome, meaning a key cost variable remains unresolved as final votes approach.

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐈𝐅 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥
At the same time, the City is considering tax increment financing (TIF) assistance for a 204-unit market-rate apartment project in the Research Park.

Key figures:
• $59.8 million total project cost
• 204 market-rate units
• TIF assistance requested due to “financial feasibility gap”
• Fiscal impacts discussed in closed session

Staff materials note that future TIF revenue from this project could be used to fund additional public infrastructure in the Research Park.

The newly released draft Research Park master plan also aligns zoning and land-use assumptions with projects already moving forward. As predicted earlier, zoning flexibility and infrastructure planning appear to be in place ahead of private investment.

That raises a broader question worth public discussion:

Should taxpayer-funded infrastructure and TIF support come first in order to make private development feasible, particularly when it may primarily stabilize or benefit the same core development interests in the Research Park?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
Both items involve:
• Long-term financial commitments
• Limited public visibility into key cost drivers
• Decisions moving on accelerated timelines
• Significant public investment shaping future development

I support regional cooperation and thoughtful development.
I also believe residents deserve clear information about long-term costs, governance changes, and how public dollars are being used.

These are major decisions that will shape Wauwatosa’s finances and services for years to come.

Meeting and document links in the comments.

01/31/2026

Processing the last few days has been heavy. There is so much pain, so much suffering, and revelations that remind us how broken and corrosive unchecked power can be. At the same time, many families are feeling real economic anxiety about the future.

Please take time to be with family and friends. It will take good people from all sides, acting with integrity, to bring us back from moments like this.

01/27/2026

FYI

UPDATE - Northbound lane of 68th Street has been reopened as of Tuesday, February 3.

There was a water main break on the north side of the 68th St. bridge. The northbound lane is closed on the bridge north of Honey Creek Parkway. The southbound lane on 68th St. is open to traffic.

01/22/2026

I’m not pretending I got everything right.
I took L’s. I made mistakes. I learned.

But I never stopped pushing for policies that put residents first, and future generations in mind.

Here’s my report card of my time as an alder ⬇️

A more straightforward report card is in the comments for anyone who wants the full breakdown.

01/17/2026

Transparency Update: TID 16, CDA Actions, Fire Department Transition, City Contracts, and Parking Policy Gaps

I want to share a consolidated update (my apologies for the length) on several recent and upcoming City actions, and where important questions remain unanswered.

🔹 TIF Joint Review Board – January 13th
The Joint Review Board met to review Tax Increment District No. 16 (Research Park West), including the draft project plan and the City’s annual TIF performance reports.
➡️ Minutes and voting outcomes have not yet been posted, so residents cannot see how the Board ultimately voted or what determinations were made.

🔹 Community Development Authority (CDA) – January 13
The CDA held a public hearing and took action on the creation of TID 16, along with other housing and CDBG-related items.
➡️ Final minutes documenting those votes and actions are also not yet posted, leaving the public without an official record of decisions.

➡️ The City is moving forward with TID 16, a $34+ million mixed-use redevelopment tied to the Research Park area, including major infrastructure work and developer incentives. Based on the project plan, key infrastructure investments and financing assumptions are already being advanced, even as zoning changes (many already passed) and “public outreach” around the Research Park continue. From my perspective, much of that outreach feels like window dressing, since the core financial and land-use decisions appear effectively baked in.

🔹 Fire Chief Retirement + Fire Merger Update
With our Fire Chief now retired, this transition is unfolding as the City advances a draft agreement to form Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue with West Allis. The proposal estimates $1.3M in savings in the first year and $7M over five years, driven largely by shared administration and eligibility for state innovation grants.

➡️ Compared to earlier versions, the draft now locks in annual cost escalators (roughly 2.8–3% per year through 2030). In plain terms, taxpayers are being guaranteed yearly fire-service cost increases for the next five years, regardless of what actually happens to costs, grants, or revenues.

➡️ The agreement also requires each city to provide a $1 million upfront equity contribution, and places long-term budgeting authority with a new nonprofit corporation and joint fire commission, rather than directly with elected councils. While these changes may improve predictability, they also reduce future council flexibility and commit both cities to a multi-year cost trajectory at a moment of leadership turnover.

➡️ Given the Chief’s retirement (I don't know the last day at this time) and the likelihood that the merger proceeds, the unresolved question is how accountability, leadership continuity, and cost control will function during and after the transition, especially once the initial “savings” window closes.

🔹 $3.5M City–School District Loan (Froedtert Settlement)
As part of the Froedtert Hospital property tax appeal settlement, the School District owes $3.5M by February 2026. According to the staff memo, this is one of the largest school district chargebacks seen in Wisconsin in recent years. Because the District lacks cash on hand, the City is proposing a short-term loan to cover the payment, to be repaid by November 2026 with 4.5% interest.

➡️ State law does not allow this cost to be spread out, so the District must still increase its 2026 levy one-time by the full amount. The loan addresses cash flow, but taxpayers ultimately pay the settlement plus interest.

🔹 City Design / Branding Contract
An upcoming Government Affairs Committee (1/20/26) item involves approval of a contract for an additional design element for the City. This does not replace the City seal, public safety shields, or the library’s identity.

• Five firms were contacted
• The lowest-cost proposal is $14,250
• The work is tied to the 2026 City website redesign
• Staff indicates the cost is covered within the existing website budget, with no additional funds requested

Community engagement is described as part of the process, with final decisions involving staff, an alder, and a community representative with marketing experience. I remain skeptical why this is needed.

🔹 Parking Policy Review: Commercial Vehicles vs. Residents
The Community Affairs Committee (1/20/26) is reviewing zoning code changes that would expand allowances for commercial vehicles in residential districts, including:

• Raising the commercial vehicle weight threshold
• Allowing one commercial vehicle per residential lot
• Permitting commercial vehicles if parked on paved driveways or in garages
• Continuing to prohibit heavy vehicles such as box trucks and semis

However, this proposal provides no new relief for residents who need to park overnight on the street.

➡️ Residents remain limited to the current ~15-day temporary overnight parking allowance, even in cases involving work schedules, medical needs, or other extenuating circumstances.
➡️ A proposal I submitted months ago to allow hardship-based overnight parking exemptions for residents has not been referred to committee and has not advanced.

In effect, the City is moving forward with clearer flexibility for commercial vehicles, while residents facing real-world constraints remain without comparable options.

Please note City offices will be closed Monday, January 19, in observance of the MLK Jr. Holiday.

Meeting links in the comments.

Posted in my aldermanic capacity.

01/03/2026

Wauwatosa is preparing to commit $34.2 million in TIF subsidies to redevelop the Research Park, with $25.8 million going directly to private developers building apartments.

What are they building with public money? 140 units, including micro-studios as small as 333 square feet, marketed as “workforce housing.”

Let’s be clear: this isn’t housing that builds stability or paths to ownership. It’s publicly subsidized workforce housing designed to keep workers close to job centers while remaining economically precarious. This is what “dystopian housing policy” looks like in practice.

The developer purchased the former Sonesta Hotel for $10.4 million and is now converting it with $25.8 million in public subsidy. Two additional multifamily buildings are planned for the site, valued at $89 million combined.

New taxable value is projected at $101.5 million, revenue diverted for decades to repay the tax increment debt instead of supporting schools and core city services.

This is what happens when zoning and TIF decisions move forward with minimal public scrutiny. These choices shape lives for decades.

If you’re under 40, this is the future being built with your tax dollars: smaller spaces, permanent renting, no equity building.

Some argue this helps school enrollment. That argument doesn’t hold up. Micro-studios and hotel conversions do not generate sustained family housing, and districts nationwide continue to lose enrollment even as luxury and workforce apartments expand.

City Hall Related Meetings:
TIF Joint Review Board: 1/13/2026 8:00 AM
Community Development Authority: 1/13/2026 3:00 PM
Common Council: 01/27/2026 6:30 PM

Local government shapes your future whether you pay attention or not.